The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-14
Wages and Prices.


The workingman has been told time
and again by the free silver orators
that his condition not only is bad, but
that 1t is getting worse. This is true
to just this extent: The Democratic
war upon the Protective tariff. begun in
1892, has reduced wages and lessencd
employment, and since then times have
been hard. But it hasn't been the fault
OF our money system, for prior to 1892,
in the years when there had been good
Protective tariff, the condition of the
workingman had been steadily improv-
ing. He had been earning more money
and that money, when earned, had
bought more than at any other time in
modern history. The federal census on
manufacturing wages shows that in
1850 the annual average income of hand
workers in American factories and
mills was s247; in 1860. $2SS; in 1870, s377;
in 1880, s3iO. and in 1890, s4S4. The high
figure in 1870 covers a period of green
back imitation when $377 in paper meant
only about s3O2 in gold.
This shows that wages have increased
under Protection and the gold standard.
But how about prices? We could quote
table after table showing the gradual
Iecline in prices within the past twenty
or twenty-five years, but it is unneces-
sary because Bryan and his colleagues
all admit that prices have fallen and
make that the basis of their chief at
tack upon the present monetary stand
ard. We will, however, offer just one
thing in evidence, series of extracts
from the day-bOoks of John Rusby, a
retired grocer of Franklin, N. j., to-
gether with some comments made by
him. Any workingman forty years old
or older can from memory readily veri-
fy the entries.
Under date of October II, 1868, Mr..
Rusby made this entry: Patrick Cof-
fee bought 4 pounds butter, $3.50; l
pound green tea. s1.25; l pound black
tea, 81; q pounds brown sugar. $3.42; 1
pound washing soda, 6 cents; pounds
candles, 40 cents; l pound starch, IA
cents; 1Ola pounds pork, $2.10; pounds
currants, AZ cents; u pound mustard,
80 cents: / broom, 55 cents; Il gallon
kerosene, 25 cents. Total, $l2.39. At
1896 prices the above would cost $685."
on November 2, 1868. he wrote in his
account book: stephen Balls bought
pounds lard, As cents; so pounds -four
$50. Total. $3.9s. Present price, SLAB.
John Corb bought pounds brown
sugar for $110. Present price, 35 cents
Jacob Kierstead bought l barrel of
flour, SIG; gallon molasses, 95 cents; Z
pounds granulated sugar. $1.2O. Total,
$lS14. Present price, $685."
1t Is unnecessary to multiply instance
es of the greater purchasing power Of
wages today, under the gold standard,
than under the deprecated currency in
vogue right after the war;. although
they could be multiplied indefinitely.
The point for present consideration by
every wOrkingman who has not yet
wholly made up his mind on this money
question is simply this: IF free silver
would raise the prices of what l have
to buy, what assurance have that 1t
would raise my wages in proportion?
If it does raise my wages in proportion
l will be no better off, relatively, than
now. What I gain by increased wages
would be wiped out by increased ex-
penses. But if it doesn't raise my wages
as fast and as high as it raises my
expenses how will profit by it? Won't
be actually worse off than now?"
Mr. Bryan talks a good deal about
his friendship for the workingman, but
he has not yet found time to explain
how it would benefit that workingman
to have his cost of living doubled with
no definite assurance that his income
will double correspondingly. Until he
makes this point plain his whole argu-
ment will lack leg to stand on.
Senator Quay's first official prediction
of next months result isn't nc long =, c