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

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country and deserves encouragement. Not
so with the Chinese, They will never be-
come one people with us. Were they to
dwell here for centuries they would prob
ABLY be as distinct from the white race as
are the Gipsies in Spain from the pure
blooded Spaniard.
merce with Asia, and the natural result
will be the voluntary immigration from
that continent of limited number of bust
ness men. see no objection to that. 1t
will not interfere with our mechanics or
laborers, will not disturb our social or po-
litical system, while it will tend by an in
crease Of our commercial connections to
add to our commerce and wealth. But
that is a wholly different thing from the
Coolie immigration that is now going on,
and which if not stopped must alarmingly
increase. This immigration is in no
proper sense OF the word voluntary. It is
a kind of Chinese slave trade. Instead Of
an independent, self-reliant body Of free
men it introduces a herd of quasi slaves
working at half wages by command of
task master. And this leads me to state
ment that have seen that this country
needs cheap labor. In other words, men
who will work for low wages; that there is
scarcity of laberers here, and therefore
Chinese labOrers should be imported to
supply the deficiency. ] do not concur in
this view. Applause.
REDUNDANCY OF POPULATION.
''My opinion is that we, or rather our
posterity, are much more likely to suffer
from redundancy of population than
from a dearth of it. In thirty years from
now we will have 100000, 600 Of people,
without counting Chinese immigrant; in
so years 200, 100000; in 100 years prob
ably 400, 100000 We are in no danger Of
a scarcity of laborers in this country. Nor
do think that low wages is a blessing
to any country. Renewed applause. ]
In the opinion of an eminent
thinker, Buckle, low wages and
despotism are inseparable, 1t will be
found, 1 think, that the freer the institu-
tions of country are the greater will be
the tendency to fair wages for laborers.
Low wages are mainly owing to an I'M
equal and unfair distribution of the an
nual production of wealth. This annual
production, which is one of the results of
labor, is being constantly divided into
four parts; rents to the landlord, interest
to the money lenders, profits to the bust
ness man, and wages to the labOrer.
NOW, if the wages be low, it must be
because the annual product is small and
all classes suffer, or because the produce is
unfairly distributed. In general, the lat
ter is the case, and when wages are very
low the laborer gets but bare subsistence,
while the other class, or some OF them,
accumulate enormous wealth. And thus
society becomes divided into the
very rich and the very poor. That this is
an unfortunate condition for the country
is too obvious to need remark. And that
this tendency is peculiar to free instltu-
tons, as we'll as the material comfort of the
people, is undoubtedly true. I have,
therefore, no sympathy with the cry for
cheap labor and low wages. They may
give rise, it is true, to great public works
and magnificent structures, but the bene-
fit is gained at the expense Of suffering
people. The pyramids are striking monu-
ments of the ostentation of the Egyptians,
but they are more striking evidences Of
degraded condition of the laboring classes.
That country is likely to be the most free
and happy where the annual production OF
wealth being Justly distributed, labor OBJ
tains fair reward" Applause.
These, my friends, were my opinions Is
years ago, and every day has served to YER
ify their correctness. They are my opin-
ions to-day, and l have no doubt will be as
long as l have life. Great applause J
If l know myself, there is no man on the
top of this earth who has more sympathy
for the laboring men or the man OF humble
condition than have, Prolonged ap-
plause, and whatever l could do to better
their condition l would do. More sp-
plause. And it is because l do not believe
for one moment that this high protective
tariff. which is 80 much Landed, and which
is insisted upon by our political opponents
il for the benefit of the laboring man.
That is one of the reasons why am OPP
posed to such onerous duties. lContinued
applause.
DECAY OF COMMERCE.
l have shown you that under this high
protective tariff the agricultural interests
of the country have fallen off enormously,
that the value of farms has increased dur
inc the decade from 1870 to 1880 at the
rate of only per cent, as compared with
100 per cent during a period when there
was 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 were two countries
that substantially did the commerce OF
the world, that is, carried the trade OF the
world. These were Great Britain and the
limited States. and we were gaining 80 fast