Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-09-05

I
unions, 30 as to secure better wages? VIII
is there such an institution as the Knight
of Labor to prevent laboring men from be
| ing imposed upon and to increase thei
compensation Why is there necessity
for all these things and all these extensiv,
and worthy organizations if a high tarif
gives high wages to the laborer? No mar
can answer that question satisfactorily ever
TO himself. If what these men say is true
about high tariffs and their effect upon
wages, why then, gentlemen, all these labor
unions, all these Knights of Labor, aud
everybody else who is engaged in that kind
of business, are simply wasting their time,
for the tariff nicely solves the problem for
them. Laughter and applause Yes, it
does solves the problem for them, but not
In the way they like. Renewed laughter. I
Not precisely in the way that they feel as if
they were benefited, and therefore they
have to resort to other means to get those
wages which the employers are not willing
to pay. But while am on this subject of
the laboring man, let me add they say that
the tariff does not raise the price. If it
don't raise prices would like to know why
the manufacturers or so many of them are
in favor Of it? Do they want high tariff
in order to lower the prices? Not many of
them, / think. There are instances in
which high tariff has lowered prices for
especial and peculiar reasons, but as gen-
eral rule, as have already shown you by
what l read from Mr.. Adams report and
from other authorities, and also from rea-
son, the tariff increases the price. II it
don t increase the price you may be sure
that the manufacturers and capitalists
would not want it, and if it don't increase
the price, pray where is the protection
where does that come inP they are afraid of
our getting things cheaper in this country
than they can be manufactured here, as
they say, by reason of the pauper labor, as
they call it, of Europe. Well, now, if the
tariff is not to increase the price of articles
which we buy and which are manufactured
here, where is the protection to American
and how, if the price is not
raised. can they pay better wages to the Ia
borer?
HOW eoLoRED PEOPLE ARE TAXED.
''But there is one class of laborers, my
friends, that want to call your attention to
There is one class of laborers
in this country who have been, according
to the claims of the abolitionists in the
country and of the republicans, their espe-
cial wards, especially under their guardian.
ship, and for whose interests they feel the
most peculiar and earnest solicitude, aud
those are the negroes. Now, the result of
the war was to free about four millions of
negroes, and l am very glad they were
freed, and they have increased now to about
six or seven millions, for the negro is pro-
life animal. [Great laughter and sp-
plause.1 Now, how do these negroes make
their living? Why great many of them
go to town and pursue any kind Of handi-
craft that they can, becoming domestic
servants, backing shoes, shaving faces, or
doing things of that kind. But in the coun-
try the negro makes what he gets by Guilt
waiting the earth throughout the whole
South. How does he cultivate it? Why.
he either has bought some land, and some
of them have bought good deal, or he
rents land. Whether he cultivates his own
land or whether he rents it, the crops that
he gets from it are the remuneration he re.
ceives for his toll. Now, that crop in the
main consists of cotton, some corn and
some little wheat, but mainly all cotton.
Now. how can the high protective tariff
benefit that negro who raises cotton and
has for his share of the crop three or four
or five bales of cotton each year? Why,
gentlemen, there is no tariff at all on COT
ton. 1t comes in FREQ as the air. believe
| am quite right in saying that, Rin't I?''
Cunning TO Mr.. Outhwaise.) AIr. o.
Eyes, SIR"
HOW THE TARIFF AFFECTS HIM.
Judge Thurman continued: 'It comes in
free as the air. The price of cotton there-
fore is not raised, as they say, or lessened
by this tariff tax, and yet here is all that
the negro has for his labor. He can't get
a cent more for his cotton by reason of any
high protective tariff, and he don't get per-
haps a cent less. He has to sell his cotton,
and to sell it at the price that is made by
the foreign market-the price in Liverpool
or in London, to which cotton is exported
from the United States. 1t is there that
the price of his cotton is fixed and for that
price he has to sell it, Sariff or no tariff.
But how is it on the other hand2 The
negro, although he is living in pretty warm
climate in some places, still wants to be de.
cent, and wants to be comfortable, and
wants his wife and children to be comfort.
able, and they do need clothing as well as
other people, but upon every single thing
that he buys to clothe himself, to clothe his
family, to clothe his little pickaninnies, tc
get blanket, to get tool or implement o.
any kind, he is taxed by this high protec
tive tariff, and he is compelled to pay q
higher price than he otherwise would, 81
that, so far as he is concerned, there can bs
no pretense whatsoever that the tariff il
anything but an unmitigated injury to him
He has nothing to sell which he it benefit
ed by; he performs no labor that by an,
kind of argument he can be said to b'
benefited by. He sells it at price fixed b.
foreign market because he can't sell fol
any other price, and upon everything tina
he consumes, upon everything that he pur
chases for his consumption, he has to pa,
an increased price, and is thereby injured
FROM ONE BONDAGE TO ANOTHER.
"Now, do think that our abolition
friends especially ought to take this unde
their most serious consideration. The,
say that they freed the negro from slavery
am willing to grant them all they CLAIM
in that regard, although there might b.
something said about who did it. Perhap
two millions of democratic soldiers in tn
army had something to do with it. Ap
plause After giving them all they claim
do they mean, after having given him free
dom, to make him slave by compelling hin
to pay higher taxes upon everything that il
a necessity to use, not for his own benefit, bu
for the benefit of somebody else? Is it mo-
enough thatthey make him slave by requir
ing him to vote for them aud swear not tt
vote for democrat? Is that not enough
Mustthey also take all his little earnings BY
compelling him to pay for everything thai
be wears and everything his wife and chill
dren wear more than they ought to be re-
quired to pay? [Renewed applause
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN LABOR.
s.Now, my friends, while l am on this
subject of tho laboring man, let me speak
of American labor as compared with labor
in other countries. 1t is true that in Amer
lea laboring men generally receive more
wages in money than they do in foreign
lands, but not by any monner Of means tC
the extent that you may suppose from hear
ing so much talk about it. For instance
let me give you the following facts: Accord
ing to the last census Great Britain had {
population of 401 to the square mile; ;the aver
age wages paid were 97s cents per day-tha
is in Great Britain. New England has {
population of 2104 to the square mile, an(
the average wages were one dollar and TIVE
cents porday-about fouI cents more thar
England. Ohio has population of 80 tt
the square mile and wages average 81 OS &
day. Colorado has two to the square mile
and wages average 81 45a day. The entire
United States, not including the Territories
and the District of Columbia, has "a to the
square mile, and the average wages art
81 12. What fact does this establishi
Does it not prove that the more dense the
ropu1atiOD the uraatar tho oQm Oatiti0u