Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-19
SUNDAY......sEPTEMBER 10. 1886.
Wages and Ages.

The following appeared in the DIS
patch few days ago:
elf we were to say that boy grew
twice as much during the first fourteen
years Of his life as be as msn and boy
grew during the next fourteen years, it
would be q good illustration Of the
proposition Of The Nation that wages
advanced by a greater per cent. when
the advance was calculated upon the
very lowest wages that had prevailed
up to the beginning of the period Sc
lected for illustrating The Nations
wonderful argument.
The Charlottesville Chronicle there
upon asks;
"Had this nation in 1860 reached
point in its progress toward maturity
which may be fairly compared with the
age Of fourteen in the life and stature
Of MANI"
Now, good friend, is that a fair
question? What has the age of a ma
ton to do with the point at issue9 IL
not the tendency of wages downward
and not upwsrd? Are not wages
lowest in the Oldest country in the
world, China, and highest in the
youngest country in the world, the
United States? Does our Chsrlottes-
vile contemporary suppose that wages
are higher in Europe than in America?
II so, why do thousands and tens of
thousands and hundreds Of thousands
of Europeans immigrate into this coun-
try every year? Surely it is not neces-
ssry to press that point.
The Chronicle suddenly changes the
issue from an attempt to show that
wages grow as a country grows older,
and remarks
"But be this as it may, as to the
wages of the workingman, certain it is
that the wages Of the capitalist and
monopohst have increased under the
war.tarif in proportion hundred
fold greater than under the policy
which prevailed twenty-five years ago."
Yes; and the Goodwin sands never
obstructed navigation until after q
steeple was added to the church. But
did the s,eeple cause the obstruction?
We agree that GOULD and the VAN
DERBILTs and other railroad nabobs
have immense fortunes, but We 60 not
for one moment believe that the tariff
had any agency in the matter. II there
DO not some change made in the laws
Of this country, fortunes will continue
to grow larger aud larger. When New
York shall contain four millions Of peo-
pie, it will have among It's citizens few
men worth each five hundred millions of
dollars. WILLIAM II. VANDERBILT
owned about 100000, 900 when the
assessed value of all the property in
New York State was in round numbers
only three thousand millions Of dollars
and in New York city only one thou
sand millions. That is to say, he owned
property equal in value to the value o
one fifth Of the property in that city
Now, in 1850 the assessed value OF a!
the property in New York State wa
very little over one thousand million
OF dollars, and there was probably n,
man in the State worth twenty million
Of dollars. In 1850 New York cit!
had q population of about 100000
Whilst, therefore, population has in
creased by about zoo per cent, tn
amount of values owned by the riches
man in that city has increased by 100
per can't. Ergo, when the populstio
Of New York city shall have increase
again by 200 per cent (say to four an
half millions) the amount Of value
owned by the richest man in that cit
will have increased to---but W
pause. The figures are too large. W
won't put them upon paper.
But what agency will the tariff hay
in the matter, unless indeed resort I
free trade might so increase the foreig
commerce Of the city as to make il
richest man Eve times as rich as WI
wILLIAM IL. yANDERBILTp Nv
protest that the Chronicle is not to
held responsible for this depression.
is an interesting subject Of specul