Daily Republican., 1886-12-14
TUESDAY DECEMBER II. 1856,
LABOR in Two Countries.

The New York Herald has been
publishing series OF articles showing
the condition of certain laborers In
Europe and the condition Of the same
class Of lAborers In this country. Firs,
1t gave the history Of the hArdships Of
bricklayers In Europe and their CON-
paratively happy condition here, and II
gave history OF the condition OF car
penters in both countries, and lastly the
shoomakers have come In for . just dis
crimination In their favor In this coun-
try, O. compared with their de-
plorable condition In European nations.
What will appear remarkably strange,
10 that the Herald" is the leading free
stant1y ssrshs the laborins GLASSES 10
much better off they would be unde,
free trade.
The destitution OF the working CLASSES
named In Europe is under free trade,
and the happiness and well-to-do brick
layers, carpenters and shoemakers oil
this country 10 under protection. And
yet this great paper that expounds
principles and moulds public opinion,
willis advocating free trade or approx
mating 1t closely, extols and lsuds the
condition Of labor under projection. To
say the least OF this, 1t U gross incon-
sistency on the part Of the Herald. The
condition Of the poor shocmakers In
England 10 fully set forth In these few
striking words:
"rhe savings Of thirty years hard,
steady work will In few cases suffice to
pay for the mans funeral" In another
case, one Of these Respondent, hard.
worked creatures said to the HsrAld's
correspondent
81 make NO savings. Ny father
worked for sixty-hve years Ut his trade.
He was good workman, steady aud
sober, but he died in the workhouse."
In Paris the situation is no better.
Fourteen, fifteen and even sixteen
hours work day is necessary In order
10 merely keep alive" Bat the Berlin
shoemakers, says the Herald, are In the
sorrlest plight Of all. The wages OF the
highest Is one dollar day and the
average wages two dollars o week.
Men and women are huddled together
like sheep No sun, no hope, no pleas.
ure, barely food" In the Language OF
another, the situation 10 one of lawful
misery regular hunger typhus."
But the Herald here turns to q more
cheerful picture and here la the glowing
eulogy 1t pays TO the condition OF tie
same class Of people in this country
where they are protected:
There are about tweHty-thousand shoe
makers in New York and they complain of
few hardships. They have mutually protec-
tive associations which guard their Interests
with vigilance. Men eau earn fair wages
from fourteen TO twenty i've dollars Der
week-and an expert woman from six to ten
dollars. On tho whole, they are oontented
folk, and, better still, II they are not con.
tented or 6soone ambitious for . larger
income, tbs young country Affords oppor.
tunities which taken at the 4 ood lead on to
fortuLe 1hero ia no country In the world
wh'. workinKman can be as happy As in
america"
What the Herald has Just been tell
ing the people is what all the pr otec.
ZIONIST papers in the country have been
saying, and yet 1t Ia not satisfied. 1t
wants free trade like they have In
Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and
France. 1t Is full Of the idea OF open.
ing the gates OF traffic and trade with
the whole world. II wants this coun-
try to be competitor with all the free
trade nations for the trade OF the world.
1t knows or should know that this
country cannot do that without degrad-
ing labor, without bringing our brick
layers, cur carpenters and our shoe
makers down TO that pitiable condition
in which 1t has 80 Faithfully, we be-
lieve, and graphically described them.
We heartily agree with the Herald tina,
there IL no country in the world where
q nottingham can be as happy as In
America" Then, we say, let him re-
main happy, and that he may remain
30 let the protection that makes him
happy be kept free from the vAndal
hands of free traders.