Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-08-30


pickaninnies, to get q bed, to get blanket,
to get 8 tool or implement Of any kind,
he is taxed by this high protective
tariff and he is compelled to pay
higher price than be otherwise would,
50 that as far IS he is concerned, there
can be no pretense whatsoever that the
tariff is anything but an unmihgated IN
Jury 10 him. He has nothing TO sell when
he Is benefited by; he performs no labor
that BY any kind of argument he can be
said to be benefited by. Hesells his Gotten
at price fixed by foreign market because
he can't sell for any other price, and upon
everything that be consumes, upon every
thing that be purchases for his consump-
ton, be has to pay an increased price and
Is thereby injured. Now I do think that
our Abolition friends especially ought to
take this under their most serious consider
alton. They say that they freed the negro
from slavery. lam willing to grant them all
thew claim in that regard, although there
might be something said about who didit
Perhaps two millions Of Democratic SOL
diers in the army bad something to do with
it. TGreat applause ] After giving them
All thew claim, do they mean, after having
given him freedom, TO make him a slave
bv compelling him to pay higher taxes
anon everything that it is q necessity to
use not for his own benefit, but for the
bene6 Of somebody elsef Isit not enough
that thew make him a slave by requiring
him 70 vote for them and swear not 70 vote
for a Democrat? Is that not enoughY
IApplsuse Must they also take all bis
iittle earnings BY compelling him to pay
for everything that he wears, and every
thing his wife and children wear, more
than they ought to be required to pay Z
Renewed applause.
Now. nv friends while l am on this
subject Of the labOring man let me speak
Of American labor as compared with labor
in other countries. 1t Is true that IN
America labOring men generally receive
more wages in money than they do IN for
eign lands, bat not by any manner OF
means 70 the extent that You may suppose
from hearing 50 much talk about IT, For
instance, let me give you the following
facts: According 70 the last census taken,
Great Britain had population Of 4Ol to
the square mile, and the
AVERAGE WAGES PAID
were S7f cents per dsy-that is in Great
Britain. New England has a population
Of 2lO} 70 the square mile, and the average
wages we're 81 % per day, about cents
more than in Eagland. Ohio has pepu-
lation Of so to the square mile, and wages
average S1.05 a day. Colorado has two to
the square mile, and wages out in Colorado
average 81. As a day. The entire United
States. not including the Territories and
the District Of Columbia, has "a 70 the
square mile, and the average wages are
$112
What fact does this establish? Does it
not prove that the more dense the pOpula-
ton the greater the competition among
wage earners and the lower the wages,
and the reverse Of the proposition, the less
the competition among wage earnsrs the
higher the wages. No man can deny that
who has any regard for the truth.
Now. my friends, you hear q great deal
said about the pauper labor Of England,
especially because our chief imports are
from Great Britain-England, Ireland and
Scotland. And you see that IN that most
prosperous State Of Massachusetts,, the
greatest manufacturing State in the United
States, the average wages are only about
4 cents more than they are in England.
But IL Won take the purchasing power OF
money. az YOU must do, the wages are rs
high in England as they are in Massachu-
sets. A voice Higher"
Judge Thurman-HigherG l do not
know but what they are; they are as nigh
certainly in England as they are IN Massa-
chusetts, because in order TO ascertain how
much a man is obtaining BY his labor and
10 ascertain how much his earnings tend
10 support him and bis family, you must
take into account what II cost him 70 live,
and if IL costs a man more TO live IN one
place than 10 does in another, although ne
may get mere wages in the frst named
place than he does in the second, he may
not lay up one single cent Of money
Now, lam willing, however, to admit that,
"a a general rule, labor is paid higher
wages in America than 1t Is IN other
countries But what are the reasons
fog itY In the hrst place it ia more effect
i've in this country. An American labOrer
makes more in the same time; all authori-
ties admit that. All Of them agree that
his superior industry, bis superior skill,
his superior diligence enable him to pro-
duce more in the same time than does the
labarer in any other country in the world.
IL is. therefore, more effective here than
anywhere else, and consequently can be
better paid for. Again, American labor
ers are better educated, more intelligent
than the laborers elsewere; and therefore
can take better care Of their own interests
That is a principal reason why they are
better paid in this country than elsewere.