The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-17

rest assured they will not be troubled with any
manifestation of public sympathy. 1t may be
o small matter to these men of dollars D receive
in the hour of their distress kind letters from
those who have known them best, and warm
assurances Of mistaken esteem; but small as il
is, there are firms, to whom it will not be Of
fered.
The times are not opportune for the feeding
Of grudges or the gratifying Of jealousy and
spite. We may vitnperate the agrarian theories
and foolish outcries OF many of the speakers
who address mobs daily in the Park but it is
not in the power of words to lessen the practi-
cal Importance of these popular demonstra-
tions. Ten thousand men calling for work
and food, and marching gloomily through
Broadway, is not a spectacle to be dismissed
with contemptuous paragraph. Granted that
many of these men talk nonsense-being bred
to the hammer, the loom, and the shovel instead
of the tribune-they must eat none the less,
and soup kitchens and balls cannot serve as a
substitute for steady work. 1t is worse than
useless to disguise the plain fact means must
be found to employ these masses, or the worst
may be feared. If the senseless creatures who
are going to fiddle and dance this evening in
silks and satins, and eat blanc mango and drink
champagne by way of feeding those who can
not get bread and clothing, those who have no
worsted or blankets, fancy that the horrors Of
this winter can be averted by such detestable
mockeries, they will be awaked from their de-
fusion in some shocking way. It is work, not
aims work, not soup work, not balls work
to employ the limbs and give occupation to the
mind: nothing but work that will satisfy the
poor.
And why should there be any hesitation in
finding work for them to do? Is the city so COM
plete and perfect in every particular that no.
thing remains to be pulled down or built up,
or carted or removed, or enlarged or altered?
Why, work is the very thing the city wants
most. The wharves want building: they are
an inconvenience, and q disgrace and before
long. whether workmen are plentiful or scarce,
they must be rebuilt solidly, to answer the pub
lie requirements, at a vast expense. The City
Hall is absurdly inadequate to contain the pub
lie Offices the Hall of Records is in ruins it
has long ago been agreed and settled that
new building is to be erected on the site of the
latter, at cost of millions. The streets want
cleaning. The new Park must be opened and
graded. All these works must and will be done
within very short period Of time. Yet not
one Of The m has been commenced, or is even in
way of commencing. What folly is this-to let
the workmen starve for want Of work now, and
to engage them hereafter when work is abun-
dant and wages high Ii the Park and wharves
were undertaken at once, employ ent would
be furnished to thirty thousand men, who
would be delighted to work at much lower
wages than were current last year
or will probably be current next. In 1856, or
1857 perhaps, the city Council will be driven
to undertake these works, and win then be
forced to pay perhaps dollar day more per
man than it would cost now. 1t is not for
want of money that the work is not begun.
The city has million of dollars lying idle in
the Mechanics Bank. Moreover, money seems
to be so plentiful in Wall street that even the
Erie Railroad can negotiate fresh loan, and
the banks show specie list of over fifteen mil
lions Of dollars. Ten per cent premium could
be obtained for six per cent city loan, and
would be eargerly taken up. Not soul would
raise word of objection against tax to pay
the interest for such works as these
These suggestions are trite: they must have
occurred to every thinking man. But why are
they not acted upon? Is the Common Council
resolved to wait until some frightful catas-
trophe takes place before it does its duty?
Cannot every man with eyes see that this state
of things cannot continue, and that it is fast
becoming choice between work and plumber
In times like these, hours are years; days are
ages: weeks delay may ruin all In the
name of all the Corporation honors most, let
some action be taken without further waste of
time.