Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-08-24

not lay up one single cent OF money.
Now. am willing however, to admit that,
as a general rule, labor Is paid higher
wages in America than it IL in other
countries. But what are the reasons
for it9 In the first place II ID more effect
i've in this country. An American lsborer
makes more in the same time; all suthori-
ties admit that. All Of them agree that
his superior industry, his supsrior skill,
his superior diligence enable him 10 pro-
duce more in the same time than does the
lab,rer in any other country 10 the world.
1t is, therefore, more effective here than
any where else, and consequently can DO
better paid for Again, American labor
err are better educated, more intelligent
than the labo,ers elsewere; and therefore
can take better care of their own interests-
That is q principal reason Why they sre
better paid in this country than elsewere.
BENEFIT OF LABOR UNIONS.
Now, am not going to say whether
labor uuions and Knights Of Labor and all
that are q benefit or not That 10 . large
q question, upon which II Is not necessary for
me- TO spsak to-day, but this do say, that
the labor unions have done more 70 secure
reasonable wages to the laboring man than
all the tariff Ia w that ever were passed IN
the world. prolonged cheering There
Is another reason why American lshorers
receive more wages, and that is the I'M.
mense area Of upcultivated territory 10
the United States, the effect Of which
is to free lsborers from that dependence
that may exist in other countries where
land is very dear, that dependence upon
the manufacturing class. In this country
man can get land to labor upon, to set up
for himself and family by simply asking
for il from the government and settling
upon it and remaining settled upon 10 .
given length of time. The consequence Is
that with these advantages no man need
be dependent npon the good will Of any
monopolist in the world, and that gives
our lsboring men au independence which
is no. seen elsewhere upon the globe, and
enables him, therefore. TO demand, and he
they receive elsewhere.
Then there is the effect OF our free insti.
tutions; there is the effect Of the pride that
every man in this country, be he laboring
man or not, feels in the consciousness that
he il an American citizen. Applause He
helps TO govern this country, and he makes
people govern il, "a far as ossble for his
benefit. Renewed applause But, gen.
tlemen, there IL another thing thst IL con-
elusive on this point, aud that IL this, TO
show that high protective tariff does not
increase the wages Of the lsboring man.
II is conclusively shown by the fact that
laborers in unprotected industries are
rs we'll paid as those in the 80
called protected industries. Now, how
many lsborers are in what are
called the protected industries; that is 70
say, who are engaged in manufacturing NJ
ticles which. when they are brought from
abroad, are charged with tMif tar. aud
how many laborers are there in the ooun.
try engaged in industries which are In no
wire protected by tariff tax, and cannot In
the nature OF things be protected by any
such thing? Why, my friends, u has been
estimated some place. think the highest
estimate have seen placed upon the
laboreIs In these protected industrie, at
between 800, 900 and ON. 900 men. women
and children. But | will pot IL
at 100000, and say that there are
1000, 900 Of them, while there sre
EIGHT TIMRs AS MANY
other laborers whose industries and occp.
pations are in nowise protected BY the tariff,
and, therefore, II protection 10 for the bent.
1t of the laboring msn the wages Of this
million men engaged in the protected IN
dustries ought to be higher than the wsgss
Of men employed in unprotected industries,
and yet such Is not the fact. 10 round
numbers, the labores 10 unprotected
industries receive ~ high wages -
those 10 the protected industries.
In do not know what the
wages Of farm hands are here in Michigsn.
In my own State they are about 81 day
for farm bands. and you re that IN the
State Of Massachusetts,, sccordiDg 10 the
returns of their own Board, they are 81 o.
in there manufacturing industries, 20 that
there il practically no difference whatever
worth talking about between the wages
that one receives and the wages that t6s
other receives they are both Substantially
the same. II you take comforts and cost
of living and all that into account, the
agricultural hand In the STATE Of Ohio re-
celves quite rs good wages - the l.bofers
IN the protected industries Of the country
My friends, nothing Ii more com non
for these men appeal 70 every body-
than 70 hear the protectionist orator say
that the tariff IL benefit 10 the farmer.
How /. can bsoeft the farmer have never
been able TO find ont. Let "a consider ths
snhi,cs in the light of experience We
had low tariff from 1s48 up 70 the brssk.
log out of the war. 1t VA called the
Walk tariff, or the tsuf Of '46 / re-
membtr IL very we'll. for Wa in the
House of Representatives at the time add
voted for It, Now from 1851 take this
from ths census and, therefore. bsve 70
take thee yesrs-from 1850 70 1880. while
tha, tariff was ia force, farm lsnds In tie
Il yr-s.xa Cat. aceoxAsou ta tho aS<S.u.