Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
i
{
OR, TRUE AMERICANS’ MANUAL, ; 19
TO THE AMERICAN MECIIANICS,
WORKING MEN, WOMEN, AND SEWING-GIRLS, LIVING IN CITIES AND TOWNS.
Why ann you roor?. This fs a question
which must interest you, and if you will
read these few pages carefully, intelligently,
and free from the curse of political bias and
prejudice, you will find the answer; and if
you are wise, you will act upon the sugges-
tions conveyed in that answer.
When the market of labor is not glutted,
then the pay for labor is high, because a
scarcity ofhunds causes high wages; but
if the labor-mart is flooded to repletion
with hands ready to work for fifty cents
a day, then fifty cents a day will be the
prevailing price. This is. common sense,
but it is not political humbug and falsehood.
That the competition of foreign cheap labor
in the American Inbor-market is ruinous, is
a fact which none but political rascals deny,
none but scoundrelly demagogues gainsay.
- Well then, what follows ?
If competition is ruinous, it is desirable to
know where that competition comes from,
of what it consists, and how it is to be got
rid of,
Ruinous competition comes from Europe ;
it consists of men and women who are ready
to work for fifty cents a day, and the way
to get rid of it is to vote for some measure
which will effectually check the flood of
cheap laborers pouring into the American
labor-market from abroad.
Reader, if you are a Democrat, you know
very well that there is no measure advyo-
cated by the Democratic leaders that has
this object in view; and ifyou are a Whig,
you. know that the Igading men of your
party are in favor of leaving the flood-gates
of emigration open, so that cheap laborers
may pour in and drive you from your em.
ployments by their ruinous competition.
We will suppose, for the sake of argument,
that you are in the receipt of $2 50 per day,
or, to be more liberal still, say you are earn-
ing S0C perannum. Then, we willsay, you
are paying only $250 a year for rent; that
you have two sons and a daughter whom
you wish to educate, and that they are
going to one of our noble-free schools, where
they can get a good education and have the
influence of the Word of God besides,
But the expense of books, clothing, eating,
&c., &c., will amount to at least $200 for the
three. You want furniture, cooking uten-
sils, &c., which will cost say $200, a low
estimate, Then your own and your wife’s
expenses for clothing, &c., $200. Already,
in these low estimates, your income 1s
exhausted, while there are many incidentals
which Americans need and are entitled to
that we have not named. But we will suppose
that you can live on your income of $800
per annum, and educate and clothe your
children besides. Now we ask if a mere
existence, a living from hand to mouth,
year in and year out, is all that is required
in this life? What provision are you mak-
ing for old age? What are you laying up
fora rainy day? Wow will you be able to
meet your doctor’s bills in case of sickness?
Now, in a'republican country, you can
vote for or against the evils under which
you suffer, and if you vote for their continu.
ance, you have no one to blame but your-
selves. American mechanics; does the com-
petition of forcign sewing women injure your
wives’ or your daughters’ calling? Vote
for a restriction upon the emigration of for-
eign working women. Does the competition
of foreign cheap laborers tend to reduce
your wages? Vote for a check upon the
tremendous influx of cheap laborers flood-
jug the domestic labor-market. This is the
remedy. Redress isto be had at the ballot-
box, but as long as you are blind partizans
of some merely political organization, you
will not see where the evil lies, and where
the remedy is to be had, and how it is to be
applied. a
This is an appeal to your parental feels
ings as well as-to your patriotism.
Your vote, when thrown away upon mere
party measures, which are not calculated
to benefit cither you, or your family, or your
country, is worse than uscless, tvhilst its
judicious use would help to carry out a
measure or & principle which would mate-