Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03

we'll as grow the cotton crop OF the
world. The inexorabIe logic of natural
law points unerringly to this conclu-
sion. The sooner New England recog-
nizes this fact and turns her magnificent
genius in other directions the better for
her.
This question of national labor law
is not being agitated by the laboring
people. 1t comes from the cotton manu-
faoturers in New England, who wish
either to lengthen their own hours or to
shorten those of the south. The average
New Englander is essentially a mis-
sionary, but in the shadow Of every one
of these cotton mill missionaries Turks
the mercenary. They propose TO reform
us as an act of beneyolence, if they can
II they cannot, they propose as the al
tentative to lower their own standard,
excusing it as an act of necessity.
1t is worthy of note, " as the Lewis
ton Journal says "that the labor people
are not urging this legislation. " / can
tell you why. They know that equality
in wages means gross inequality in the
standard of living. They know that that
which suffices for comfortable liveli-
hood in the south would be entirely in
adequate in the north. What are you
going to do with these natural condi-
tions, gentlemen? Will you put tax
on our sunshine and climate: AS we'll
attempt to regulate days and nights in
the Klondike by those of the equatorial
regions.
This talk of low standard of living
in the south, Mr.. Speaker, is amusing
to those who know southern conditions
and southern people
Free Coinage of silver.
Farming has been, during this era of
falling prices, profitIess industry to
those whose labor creates the great
crops of the fieecy staple we sometimes
call king" To illustrate: A man, his
wife and two children, if seasons ara
propitious and land reasonably fertile,
can in one year produce eight bales of
cotton, $50 blshels of corn, besides po-
tatoes and sirup sufficient for year.
In Georgia two bales of the cotton go
to pay for fertilizer and one to prepare
the crop for market, leaving five bales of
cotton and 150 bushels of corn One
half of all this goes to the landlord for
rent of land, stock and tools, leaving to
the laborer ~ bales of cotton and rs
bushels of corn.
He realizes from his cotton at s5 per bale s62 50
From his corn at 30 cents per bushel - 80 %
Putting sirup and potatoes at....-....... 20 90
We have the magnificent total of . SIP 50
as the money result of years labor Of
a family of four, out of which must
come school tax of 81 and the entire
support of the family. As has been
truly said, Here is the forgotten man. ;"
No tears are shed over his condition, no
labor laws are ever proposed to amelio-
rate his hard surroundings. His day
runs from sun to SUM-
A cotton factory is built in his neigh
borhood. He is offered 81 day for his
services. Do you blame him for accept
ing it? Can you blame the mill man for
offering it?
The income from the farm for this
family was 37115 cents per day. The
husband and father now receives 81 per
day for his labor alone. The wife may
stay at home and keep the little house.
The children may attend the village
school. Do you wonder that when
strikes are suggested he looks first on
this and then ON that, and refuses to
join? In order to raise wages in the
southern factory you must elevate con-
ditions on the southern farm. You can
not do this without higher prices for
farm products. This demands more of
the money in which prices are measur-
ed. An increase of prices all along the
line, which would follow the free coin
age If silver, would mean general pros
perity, and general prosperity is the
hope of the Massachusetts, manufacturer
as it is of the Georgia farmer.