The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-06-06
WHAT ARE We COMING TO?
Hugo Preyer's Statistics Showing
Who Are the Paupers in America
and Why.


American people as whole are little better
than paupers seems ridiculous and absurd
a calamity howl without a shadow of foun-
dation. Let us today examine some Of
fetal and Well weighed statements of prom
inent men who have investigated the sub
ject.
First, permit me to introduce to you the
report of a congressional committee which
was appointed to ascertain the actual con-
dition of the masses of the country. This
committee, appointed by the Forty-sixth
congress, reported Dec. 10. 1879, as follows:
Average yearly income of all laborers,
divided by the number of living days in the
year, $1.02. This amounts in family of
five persons, for each person. 20 cents per
day.
Average yearly earnings of all laborers,
borers 70 cents a day, or 10 cents a day for
each person in family of five.
The average wages paid for all kinds of
labor in Ohio are 70 cents per day; Massa-
chusetts, 81 cents per day; Chicago, Sl02
per day.
General average cost of living: Groceries,
S247.25; clothing, s66.61; fuel, $3.50; rent,
1927; recreation, $1o.74; education, Sl1.64;
total, $4455o.
Average excess of expenditures over aver
age earnings per year. $40.
The above statement allows each person
in a family of five per day: Fer subsist-
ence 13 cents, clothing 3-5 cents, fuel As
cents, rent cents, recreation LILO cent,
education So cent, total % cents.
So far the official report of the congress
Sional committee, composed of Republicans
and Democrats, show that the average earn
ings were at that time sI02 a day, about
20 cents a day to the man who had TO sup
port a family of five, which most toilers
have; and the report further shows that
the expenses were greater than the in
tit1sv al t5,n
which could not be paid, hence the failure
of business houses.
Let us go little further Before me is
a speech delivered by Hon. Ben Butter
worth, of Ohio, in the halls of congress
May &c. 1883. Ben is good Republican au-
thority. | quote from his speech the fol-
lowing:
Average wages in Philadelphia, $40, or
50 cents per day; New orleans, 1891, or $t07
per day. Richmond, Va, s2l4, or 60 cents
per day; Louisville, Ky, s53455. or 80 cents
per day; Augusta, Ca, $267.95, y cents
per day; Cincinnati, 1888, or 9S cents per
day; Lowell Mass, 1924, or 50 cents per
day; st. Louis, 1924, or s1.02 per day.
Wages had come down some since 1850
to 1883.
Permit me to quote from the New York
Recorder, a rampant Republican paper,
under date of Aug. %, 1891:
Speaking of the striking cloakmakers in
that city it said: Their children cry for
food, and there is none. The few clothes
that covered their backs are gone, and in
many of the little houses the children play
ed on the floor with scarcely rag to hide
their nakedness. These people are not
striking for more pay, but because their
employers wanted to make their meager
pay still smaller"
Now permit me to quote from the Chicago
Journal, which, speaking of the wooden
workers in that city, said: These people
are working their lives away with long
hours and hard work, only to be rewarded
with beggars pittance, and who are con-
demned to slavery of the worst kind
The census reports of 1890 show that about
100000 people fed supported in and
by charitable institutions. This is equal to
about one person out of every 20 of our
population.
The statistical reports of Massachusetts
show that in 1896. 1,461 farms were abandon
ed in that state, and 33lS in Maine, Vec-
mont. New Hampshire and Rhode Island
or 4779 In these FIVE states. (See Massachu-
sets labor report, ISL. pages 162-199)
The census records eff 1890 also show that
there are on record in the United States
100000 mortgages with an average in
debtedness of $3.50 each, equal to about
5000, 600, 900.
Now, in view of these statistical facts
which could be multiplied, and to which
could be added columns of bankruptcies,
suicides, murders, starvation and prostitu-
tion-all as the direct effect of poverty
what becomes of the silly cry that the
people of the United States are prosper
ouS"?
l might also add a column of testimony
from all over the United States giving the
opinion of laborers in this country, compar-
ing their condition here with that in their
mother country, showing, in most cases,
that they We're better fed, better clothed
better housed, better paid and better
amused in their respective native countries.
What becomes of the silly cry of few
Prohibitionists who attribute all poverty to
drink, when the records show that a ma
jority of mankind earn scarcely enough to
buy food and clothing and pay rent? One
tenth of cent is used for recreation, if
drinking is cassed as recreation.
A nation where the toilers can average
only dollar day is a nation of paupers,
and no one dare deny it, No one but
knave, fool or soulless creature will deny it.
Slightly Mixed.
washington Post)
Vice-President Stevenson told the fol-
lowing story to a group of senators the
other night: There was an old darby in
southern Illinois who wanted to join the
ministry. He had progressed through many
years of trial and tribulation from the 20
sition of chief dog stealer and hen roost
robber of the community to the mourners'
bench, to membership to a deaconate, and
finally to the dignified Office of sexton and
chief bell ringer of the white folks church
in the same town. He couldn't read but
his granddaughter. Lucindy, could, and he
made her read to him every evening from
the Good Book. He was finally brought be-
fore the board for examination, which was
conducted as follows:
"Bre 'Lias, do you know the Bible?'
'Yas, praise the Lawd."
"Br'er 'Lias do you believe it to be the
Word of God?'
Vas dat do praise the Iawdn
DO you believe the parables?''
Dat DO Ever w'ud OBJ dem par'bles
Is fact, sho huff. Gospel troof"
DO you know any of them we'll enough
70 repeat them, Br'er Lias?"
Dat I do. I knows dem ALL but dat
one of Potiphar and Jezebal is de truest
an most powerful one OBJ all. Hit goes dis
away You see Potiphar was a-riding
down in his charyit fun jerusalem into
Jericho. He drove long lii bit wen long
come Jezebal She say: wife man. gimme
a ride an he done TUX her up benin him
In his charyit. An dey went erlonr a III
furder an fell among thieves. An dey say:
'Frow down Jezebaln
An Potiphar he says: Let him among
you widout sin cas- de fus' stone
But dey say all de louder: Frow down
Jezehalv Uo"A
An finally he frew down Jezebal Rut
dey warn satisfied. an yell: .Frow down
Jezebal.' va
dey yell out: Frow her down some mo,
An he frew her down seb'n times. Rut
dey was dat mean dey warn satisfy nohow.
an dey KEEP holerln': 'Frow down Jeze
bal: An he frew her down sebnty times
sep n. ana OBJ de remains dey geddered up
seb'n baskets FULL
Don't Tax the Millionaire.
Tax the land. tax the water.
Tax the sunbeams, tax the air.