The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-05-14
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
female Labor In Tariff Protected Fact
cries and on Farm.

fact that, far from the most protective |
policy that the world has ever seen dur
ing quarter of a century in this COM
try eleyating 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 revenue tariff, with that IN
1880, under 30 years of protective tar
iff.
In 1860, after IA years OF revenue tar
if, this country employed in manufact-
cries the following hands, namely:
Males above Is years old ............lo l0'3dg
Females above IS years old ............ 2Io,o3'
Now, 7 call the attention OF my read
ers to the most significant fact that in
the factory labor under revenue tariff no
hands-whether male or female, accord
ing to the official statstics-were en-
ployed below the age of Is years. Now
let us turn to the year 1850, after 20
wears of blessed protection, which, it is
claimed, made this Nation happy:
In 1880 there were employed in manu-
factories, males above Is years.. 2Hs2,SS9
Females above ID years .......,.......' 23l.nSs
Children from 10 to 10 lol'"'l
In the first place we find that protec-
ton has naturally doubled the hands
employed, but it has, unfortunately,
nearly doubled the female labor, viz:
from go S97 in 1860 to 531, $50 in 1880
If protection is such a blessing and
gives full work and good wages to IA
theirs of families and husbands, why
should the female labor double? Be
sides this, what sham, swlndie and
disgrace is protective tariff which has
enlisted ISL, 1921 children under the age
Of Is years to work in factories? Is 1t
not as clear as sunshine that this slaugh-
ter of tho innocents of ISL, 900 children
in the fac tories is simply for the pur-
pose of having cheap labor? If these
$4,000 children were not allowed to be
employed would not their places have to
be taken by persons above the age OF
fifteen years, who naturally would get
higher wages? Again, by employing
531, $3.50 women the factories are only
employing cheap labor. OF what earthly
use is protection Of so, 90 and even 100
per cent. on wooden goods, or 49, 3d.
and even 70 per cent. on cotton goods, II
we have to employ the same class OF
labor which, when it is employed in
Europe, we sheer down as pauper labor?
Has not this protective tariff proved
curse 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 the census returns of 1880
can find that fact in the compendium,
vol 9. 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.
The farmers in 1880 employed in tho
United States and Territories
Female LABOR. ...-.......'.'. oaf'"io
WnlCu Is d llGUl6 Ofti ptl SShV' AhO
manufacturers employed
Males above Is years old. OPS 335
Females above is years old. ........ 53063o
which Is about II per cent, besides the
49, children.
But this is not all OF the agricult-
ural employment of the 594, $40 females
we find that the II cotton producing
States, namely, Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Ten
nessee, Texas and Virginia, employed
537, 3l4 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,
dace our breadstuffs, cattle and dairy
products only employed in 1880 81, 100
females as laborers on their farms. All
honor to the farmer. He does not look
for cheap female labor. He does moi
press children of tender age into en-
ployment. He pays tull and manly
wages, and treats bis white help as his
equal. l speak of course of those mill
ions OF farmers employed III raising
breadstuffs, dairy produce, etc. Bu
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 then
pay so per cent. in average more or
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 a IA
nous protectionist and took occasion
to deplore the inadequacy of protection
on worstod goods. Now, it is fac
that in the worsted-mills of the United
States there were employed in 1880 the
following hands:
Males above Is years OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. G, 43
Females above Is years. a
Children less than 10 years 2,sa
This is an edifying exhibit, is it not
when we find an industry that employs
double as many women and children al
men? OF course. the reason is simple
cheap labor is sought for and got
Well, then. The Senator, as said, de
plored the inadequacy Of the tariff OF
worsted goods and wants the dut.
raised, which in other words mean:
that the people in general, and thu
farmer in particular, who use most o
the worsted goods, shall pay a highe