St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-08-22
HOW FREE SILVER AFFECTS
THE WAGE-EARNERS.

The question. '.hov. will bi,n.tsl-
ism aud tho Tree coinage q silver
affect the working,nan working on a
fixed salary :" continues to come to
ne. and We imagine. to many other
papers in the county.
The gold bugs have been able to
make somewhat plausible showing
in this matter. When Bryan ar
rived in New York the other day.
the street railroad companies advis-
ed their employees not to take part
in any demonstration Of welcome to
him. II Bryan is elected and free
silver law is passed." they said.
the cost Of living vii be Immediately
increased bv the rise in the prices
Of all commodities, which is ex-
pecte6 to be one of the first results
Of Democratic success. 1t will cost
you more to live then, but we cannot
raise your wages, because our
fares are fixed by law. The farmer
will get more for his products. but
under no circumstances can we
raise our fares. Your wages vill
remain where they are, the cost of
living will increase. How will you
be benefited!"
This is the strongest argument Of
the gold bugs. 1t applies, of course,
only to . limited number of workers.
those who are in the employ Of
companies where the charges are fix
ed but as tue New York Journal
shows, even this argument will not
stand. 1t insists that in this conn-
try 1.-THE work of men must be recog-
nized As something Of a higher order
than q bushel Of potatoes or ton OF
coal. TO-DAY, however. labor is q
mere commodity, and its price is
fixed by the ratio between demand
and supply. In the vast majority
of instances the employer buys his
men as cheaply as possible, and the
size Of his profits seldom has much
to do with the rate Of wages he pays,
He will cut wages to the lowest
point at which he can keep his men
or get others in their place. Par
ticularly is this the case when the
employer is q corporation. The
number Of opportunities for
employment fixes the rate of wages,
aud any policy which multiplies
the opportunities will increase
wages. 1t is conceded even by the
opponents Of free coinage that n
material increase in the volume Of
money will at once enhance the
price of farm products. The farm
ers then with money to spend, will
stimulate every branch Of trade
and manufactures Merchants who
have been reducing the numbers
OF their clerks will be compelled to
hire more. Factories which have
shut down or ere running at halt
time will be in full operation.
Railroads will have more freight to
transport, will need more brakemen
and engineers. With better prices
for farm products, 1t will pay to
open up new sections of the coun-
try, and railroad building, which
has languishcd for years. will begin
again. New enterprises, which ale
ways attend an era OF raising prices,
will be undertaken. the renewal Of
activity in the business worla will
vastly multiply the opportunities for
employment. The floating surplus
OF idle labor, which is always .
menace to men in employment,
absorbed. Instead of two men seek
ing one job, there will come to be-
two jobs seeking one man. The
rate of wages will be fixed by the
man who has labor to sell, not by
him who wishes to buy. II the con-
ductor OF gripman finds his wages
inadequate to the expense Of living
under the new conditions, he can
speedily find new employment, OF
by threat Of go doing compel q
raise There will perhaps be O.
diminution in the size Of dividends
paid ON watered stock, but tue cars
will run and the men who operate
them will not be underpaid
1t will be seen, therefore. that
even III that small line of employ
ment, where the rates and fares are
fixed by law, there is every promise
of an increase in wages. The gold
bugs never take into consideration
the increase in the number of men
At work. ''What does it matter"
they tell the wage-earners, .if there
are two million men anxious to la
Dor, but crowded out Of employ
ment. SO long as you are employed !?
Silver may benefit them, but it will
hurt you, because it will increase the
cost of your living"
We believe that all vOrkmen will
see through the sestishness an fall
lacy Of this argument. Every man
who is at work is affected, aud at
fected unfavOrably, by the number
Df unemployed. just as cotton lis |
deprecated in value by an oversup-
ply, SO is labor aud its value,
wa0oa Ia kent DORM hu foo .nn..i,