BROTHER GARDNER ON THE WORKING-MAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 25, 30 January 1884, Page 4

BROTHER GARDNER ON THE WORKING-MAN.

'How does your club stau' on de workman queshun ? '

Brother Gardner read these lines from a letter on his desk, and, after look around upon his audience, replied: ' Who am de workingman ? He am a machinist, carpenter, painter, glazier, car-builder, moulder, wood-sawyer, or whitewasher. He works for wages. The amount of wages am determined be de need of his services, by de price of what he helps to make, by de demand fur it aud by de profits his employer makes. A contractor kin no mo' pay a carpenter 4 dols. a day, dan de carpenter kiu pay 75 cents a pound fur butter. De law of supply an' demand doan' fix de rate of wages altogether. A man can be worth only a sartin sum at any craft. Workingmen realize this as well as philosophers. De workingman has just as far a show as de merchant. Supply an' demand regulate prices, an' goods are wuth only so much to any consumer.

'I has no tears to shed ober what am termed de condishum of de laborin' classes. De boy who sots out to lam a trade betters himself instead of sacrificin' anythin'. De man who am airnin' 2 dols. a day ought to lib in 2 dols. a day style. If he kin aim mo' let him spend mo. If he can't, let him be satisfied. De average workin' man libs in a comfortable cottage and has it comfortably furnished. Hiscendishuu, as they call it, am robust health, sound sleep, plenty to eat, a good fire, children in school, an' a pipe an' a newspaper arter supper. De workin' man has no busness buyin' what he cannot afford. An' what has popped up in de last score o' y'ars to make de laborin' man discontented ? I tell ye, my frens, it am de sperit o' false pride dat am playin' de ole boy wid de man who has to wurk fur his money. He want to appear better off dan he railly is. He wants a house better dan he kin afford. He wants to furnish it better dan he kin afford. His daughter mus' have an organ or pianner, his son war fine cloze, an' his wife walk out in garments never intended fur her. It takes mo' dan goin' wages to keep up dis false show. I doan believe dar am one workin' man in fifty who am satisfied to lib widin his income. If de man was satisfied his wife wouldn't be. It has got so dat de daughter of a laborin' man am ashamed of de fack. It has got so dat gals consider it a disgrace to do housework. It has got so dat sons or laborin' men want to spend money fast, an' suthin' has got to drap. When de daughter of a whitewasher an' de wife of a wood-sawyer must have fur-lined cloaks de condishun of de laborin' classes am suthin' dat no one man kin tackle. Let us purceed to purceedins.

Several members of the club whose wives have lately appeared in 5 dol boots and red velvet jackets seemed to be rendered uneasy by the President's remarks, and as Sir Isaac Walpole arose to pass the bean-box it was evident that his thoughts had something to do with his brading off a horse to get his wife a sealskin. — Detroit Free Press.