Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-15
Trying TO Alarm Workingmen.

Iry1n& 10 Alarm NOFhlHS tilchs
The Republican papers have been quick
to attempt TO make political capital out
OF Mr.. Powderly's letter In which he dis
cussed the social equality question. They
make his statement that southern cheap
labor is more a menace 10 the American
toiler than the Chinese" the text for nu-
merous articles, in which the white work
ingmen of the North are told that the
Democratic party of the South denies TO
Southern colored workingmen the ballot,
educational facilities and fair wages, and
that the inevitable result of this policy
will be the dragging down of the North
ern white workingmen to the poverty
stricken condition OF Southern colored
workingmen.
The purpose OF this kind of teach
ing is, of course, 10 induce
white workingmen TO support
the Republican party and protective
tariff. BY suppressing the coored vote,
say the Repu blican papers, the Demo-
cratic party hopes to be able to reduce
the tariff. and then 1t will be impossible to
pay workingmen fair wages.
This is the identical argument that Mr..
Blaine used in his speeches in the Maine
canvass last month, and doubtless Mr..
| Powderly got his ideas respecting the
wages of Southern workingmeu from Mr..
Blaine. AS matter of fact, neither Mr..
Blaine nor Mr.. Powderly knows anything
about the condition of Southern cOlored
| labor. Mr.. Blaine doesn't want to know,
because the truth, If he have any regard
for it, would destroy the force OF his argu-
ment to Northern workingmen, and Mr..
Powderly, while he may be sincere, hasn't
given the matter sufficient thought to
speak of it with any degree Of authority.
| 1t is not true that the Southern black
vote is suppressed, or that colored people
in the South are denied educational facili-
ties. Colored children have their fair
share of the public school fund, which is
almost wholly contributed by The white
people. With reference to wages, it will
not be denied by those who are In a posi-
| ton to speak from knowledge that cOlored
mechanics receive the same wages that
white mechanics do where they do the
same class of work. AS general rule
white mechanics are paid better, because
they do better work, but the difference
in the wages Of the two races is not
greater than the difference In the quality
| of their work.
1t is doubtful If agricultural laborers Of
the North fare better than the same class
of laborers in the South, taking the year
through. 1t is certain that the Northern
laborer does about twice as much as the
Southern colOred laborer in the same
length of time, and his wages, therefore,
ought to be better. 1t is not infrequently
remarked by Southerners, who have wit
messed the loading of ships at the wharves
of Northern city and also at the wharves
of Southern cities, that one white man at
the North does double the work in an hour
that colored man at the South does.
When the amount and quality of the
work of the Southern colored workin gman
are considered, it is apparent that he is
about as we'll paid as the white working
nan of any section of the country. The
| Republican leaders and press, even if as
| sisted by Mr.. POwderly, will not be able
to make the workingmen of the North be-
heve that Southern colored labor threatens
| to drive them "to the gates of poverty
and that the Republican party is the only
safeguard against such a calamity.