The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-07-03
FACTS FOR FARMERS.


TACT that, far from the most protective
policy that the world has ever seen dur
Ing quarter of century in this coun-
try elevating and lettering the condi-
ton Of the working classes. it has had
the tendency Of degrading domestic life,
and putting labor and hardships on those
that are least able to bear them First,
| will compare the female labor in fact
cries of this country in 1860, under IA
years OF a revenue tariff, with that in
1880, under 20 years of protective tar
iff
In 1860, after IA years Of re senle tar
i'll. this country employed in manufact-
cries the following hands, namely:
Males above is years old: ,040 $40
Females above Is years old ............. a70sg7
Now, call the attention of my read
ers to the most significant fact. that in
refractory laborunder revenue tariff no
hands-Whether male or female, accord
ing to the official statistics -were en-
ployed below the age of Is, years. Now
let us turn-te the year 1850, after 20
years of blessed protection, which, it is
c claimed, made this Nation happy:
In 1880 there were employed in manu-
factories, males above Is years. 2,025 1856
Feiiaren s ABOVE ~ 70 5 ,sl 6g s
In the first place we find that protec-
tion has naturally doubled the hands
employed, but it has, unfortunately,
nearly doubled the female labor, viz:
from 270,S97 in 1860 to 531, $50 in 1880.
II protection is such blessing and
gives full work and good wages to ia
theirs of families and husbands, why
sh ould the female labor double? Be-
sides this, what sham, swindle and
disgrace is protective tariff which has
enlisted 1924 children under the age
of Is years to. work in factories? Is it
not as clear as sunshine that this slaugh-
ter of the innocents of 181, 900 children
in the factories is simply for the pur
pose of having cheap labor? If these
16l, 300 children were not allowed to be
employed would not theirsplaces have to
be taken by persons above the age of
fifteen years, who naturally would get
higher wages? Again, by employing
Sd, $3.50 women the factories are only
employing cheap labor OF what earthly
use is protection of 80 80 and even 100
per cent. on wooden goods, or 40, so,
and even 70 per cent. on cotton goods, If
we have to employ the same class of
labor which, when it is employed in
Europe, we sneer down as pauper labor?
Has not this protective tariff proved a
rse-by introducing the employment
of children at all? We have it on sta
tistical record that no children below
Is years old were employed in factories
before 1861, and anybody who chooses
to consult tho census returns of 1880
can find that fact in the compendium,
vol. 2, page $50.
And now as to the employment OF fe-
males. Let me show the-contrast be-
tween the farmers employment Of fe-
male labor and the employment of fe-
male labor by the pampered protective
Industries.
Tho farmers in 1880 employed in the
United States and Territories
Male laborers odo 9S y
Female labor .........:. .....,.......... oe4,5lo
which is little over ~ per cent. The
manufacturers employed
Males above 10 years old 025, 1856
Females above Is years Old. .. .....- 53O,63g
which is about q per cent, besides the
ISL, 900 children.
But this is not all. OF the agricult-
ural employment of the 594,510 females
we find that the IL cotton producing
States, namely, Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Ten
nessee, Texas and Virginia, employed
537, 314 females, which, as every Ameri-
can will understand, is colored labor by
females who for the last $50 years have
been, as it were, to the manor born, and
who, after all, are mostly employed in
picking cotton. which compares to the
close labor in the walled factories as
roast beef compares to oatmeal cakes.
ANYHOW, we find that the farmers who
live in the West and Southwest and pro-
duce our breadstuffs, cattle and dairy
products only employed in 1880 81, 1876
females as laborers on their farms. All
honor to the farmer. He does not look
for cheap female labor. He does not
press children of tender age into en-
ployment. He pays full and manly
wages, and treats his white help as his
equal. ! speak of course of those mill
ions of8Sfarmers employed in raising
breadstuffs,~ dairy produce, etc. But
they are taxed by those of their fellow
citizens who employ weak women and
children OF tender age, and who by the
grace of protective tariff make them
pay SO per cent. in average more on
nearly all manufactured articles they
use on their farms and in their house
holds,
The other day Senator Dawes made
speech at the paper manufacturers
meeting The worthy Senator is fa--
nous protectionist and took occasion
to deplore the inadequacy of protection
on worsted goods. Now, 1t is a fact
that in the worsted- mills of the United
States there were employed in 1880 the
following hands:
Males above Is years SIS
Females above Is years. s4I3
Children less than ID years So9o
!. This is an edifYing exhibit, is it not
when we find an industry that employs
double as many women and children as
men? OF course, the reason is simple;
cheap labor is sought for and got.
Well, thcn. The Senator, as said, de-
plored the ihadequacy OF the tarlH on
worsted goods and wants the duty
raised, which ind other words means
that the people in general and the
farmer in particular. who use most OF
the worsted goods, shall pay higher
price for it. Now, my worthy friends
l mean you, tax-ridden farmers--what
do you suppose is actually the duty on
worsted goods under the present tariff?
Let me enlighten you.
In 1886 find by the Government re-
turns that the duty on worsted goods,
either partially worsted or wholly made
of worsted, was s2.1s per cent and 6S Is
per cent Now, would anybody con-
yersant with these facts believe that a
higher duty should actually be de-
manded by Senator Of the United
States? You farmers, who have seen q
shrinkage in the price of your wheat
Within four years from 81. 10 in average
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