Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-08-30
THE OLD ROMAN.

thurman met with an enthusiastic recep-
ton on his arrival here yesterday, 1900
persons welcoming him at the wharf. The
streets were decorated with flags and at
night a torchlight procession took palce.
The meeting was held in a pine grove, q
beautiful park that lies between Port
Huron and Fort Gratiot, where a speak
ing stand had been erected, about which a
large crowd awaited the exercises of the
afternoon. Fully 5000 people, mostly
men, were present when the chairman
called the meeting to order, but several
hundred more came up during the speech
of Mr.. Thurman, and all united in the
applause that was given the speech and
the speaker. Mr.. j. G. O'Neil, of Port HUI
ron, introduced Judge Thurman, and in
doing so made a neat comparison between
the ''Grand Old Man" of England and the
"Grand Old Roman" of America Judge
Thurman was greeted with burst of ap-
plause from the big crowd
After the people had quieted down Judge
Thurman commenced his speech, defining
his we'll known views on the tariff ques-
ton and how taxation injuriously al
fected laboring men instead of inuring to
their benefit. He then compared working
mems wages, taking a somewhat novel
ground, as follows:
Now, my friends, while I am on this subject
of the laboring man let me speak OF American
labor as compared with labor in other countries.
It is true that in America laboring men gener-
ally receive more wages in money than they do
in foreign lands. but not by any manner OF
means to the extent that you may suppose
from hearing SO much talk about IL. For IN
st nee let me give you the following facts. Ac-
cording to the last census Great Britain had
population OF 401 to the square mile and the
average wages paid were 97s5 cents per day
that is in Great Britain. New England has
q population of 2l0H 10 the square mile
and the average wages were Sl-O2 per
day, about four cents more than
in England. Ohio has a population OF
eighty TO the square mile and wages average
s1.OS day. Colorado has two to the square
mile and wages out in Colorado average s1.4I
day. The entire United States. not including
the Territories and the District of Columbia,
has twenty-four TO the square mile and the av-
erage wages are S1.12 What fact does this es-
tablish? Does it not prove the more dense the
population the greater the competition among
wage earners and the lower the wages. and the
reverse of the proposition, the less the compe-
tition among wage earners the higher the
wages No man can deny that who has any re-
gard for the truth
Now my friends you hear a great deal said
about the pauper labor of England, especially
because our chief imports are from Great Brit
ain-England Ireland and Scotland. And yet
you see that in that most prosperous State Of
Massachusetts, the greatest manufacturing
State in the United States, the wages are only
about four cents more than they are in En-
gland But if you take the purchasing power Of
money-as you must do-the wages are as high in
England they are in New England. Ia voice,
"Higher."l Higher; I do not know but what
they are; they are as high certainly in En-
gland as they are in Massachusetts,
because in order to ascertain how
much a man is obtaining by his labor and &c
ascertain how much his earnings tend TO sup
port him and his family. you must take into ac-
count what it costs m to live and if it costs o
man more to live in one place than ii does in
another. although he may get more wages in
t first named place than he does in the sec
ond he may not lay up one single cent more OF
money. Now willing however to admit
that as a general rule American labor is paio
higher wages in America than il is in Other
countries. But what are the reasons for it:
In the first place it is more effective
in this country. An American laborer makes
more in the same time; all authorities admit
that All of them agree that his superior in
dustry, his superior skill, his superior diligence
enable him to produce more in the same time
than does the laborer in any other country il
the world. 1t is. therefore, more effective here
than anywhere else and consequently can be
better paid for. Again, American laborers are
better educated, more intelligent than the Ia
borers elsewhere and therefore can better take
care of their own interests. That is a prin.
cipal reason why they better paid il
this country than elsewhere. Now, / am not
going to say whether labor unions and knights
of Labor and all that are a benefit or not. Thai
is large question upon which it is not neces.
sary for me to speak to day. but this 1 do say.
that the labor unions and Knights OF Labor
have done more to secure reasonable wages foi
laboring men than all the tariff laws that ever
were passed in the world.
Judge Thurman then took up the Chinese
question, advocating his well known views
against allowing the N to settle in America.
and gave further reasons for opposing
high tariff duties. In conclusion he said:
| have shown you that uncer this high pro
tective tariff the agricultural interests of the
country have fallen of enormously: that thr
value of farms has increased during the de
cades from 1850 to 1SS0.atnthe rate of only nine
per cent as compared with 100 per cent. dur
ing the period when there was 4 low tariff
Gentlemen. If you will look at the commerce OF
the country you will find something even more
striking than that. The day waS-and not great
while ago-when there two countries
that substantially did the commerce of the
world-that is, carried the trade. These were
Great Britain and the United States, and we
were gaining SO fast upon Great Britain that
we carried between seventy and eighty per
cent, if my memory La voice: Eight, three
per cent "l-Eighty-thre per cent, my friend
says behind me, of the carrying freight OF the
| world, whereas now we carry, if my memory
is not at fault only about four per cent. Now.
why is that? Why, gentlemen, when had oc.
casion few years ago to visit Europe felt
Inundated. I found that in crossing the At
lantic and recrossing il, and in the ports OF
europe, never but once saw the Amerca flag
on the mast OF Ship-never but onCe-and thai
was ship that was engaged in carrying pas
sengers. The flag OF Great Britain was on one
end OF her, the American the other Laugh
teri Now the friends of the high protective
tariff say that it teuas to diversity labor an6
that diversified labor is good for a country.
Well you may admit the proposition. When
was boy we used 10 have for old-fashioneo
Fourth OF July dinners the toast to agri-
culture, manufacture and commerce These
ar ind fS1G all
to prosper free country like this.
Manufactures have to great eX.
tent prospered; agriculture has terri.
bly, declined and commerce with foreign ma
tions has nearly disappeared. I think it time
we had diversified labor, in which all our people,
our sailors and farmers well as manufac-
turers and laboring men well as capitalists
should thrive and prosper.
And now, my friends, will conclude what
have 10 say 10 YOU. You have been very at
tentive, for which thank you / hope what i