The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-29

pie they polluted with their presence, With this
view Of the claims of such to rcspectabiiity we
would suggest, in the language Of Him who exer>
cised charity to all, and say to these pcrsonatos of
morality, honesty and respectabikty, LET him who
is free from sin throw the first stone" From the
cent per cent occupations which these men follow,
must see that it il not their objection to the personal
character Of the Mayor which has invited this op-
position. From whence then, comes the concentrat-
ed vtuperation with which he u SO venomously
drenched? DoesA spring, think you, from the &c
rene and pure stream that gurges along the rivers
Of truth or is it summoned forth from the black
abyss wherein is engendered the spawn OF that false
hood which disgusts us with the abomination OF its
existence? What we again ask, has provoked the
manifestation of this embittered hostility Why,
strange as il may appear, the Mayor has to with
stand the peltng Of this ptess storm for the mere
announcement OF truth, or an admitted axiom IN
political economy, namely: THAT those who pro-
duce everything get nothing, and those who
produce nothing get everything" What a'crime is
the enunciaon of truth to those who have fattened
and thrven from the proceeds of the earnings Of the
supposed ignorant producers, who contribute with
out murmuring to increase the wealth they are not
permitted to enjoy! And what perception OF the
intelligence of the do these betray in be-
lieving that we do not know from what source
springs the aggregate riches which surround us!
With such evidence of the lamentable ignorance of
these respectable occupations can it be wondered
at that our enlightened and practical Mayor has
cited feelings of the multitudes of who are al
most driven frantic by the sad knowledge of the
misery and destitution with which those they love
are being visited. Foreseeing the dreadful effects
that must follow the want of employment on the
part of those who labor the coming winter, Mr..
Wood submitted number of propositions to the
Common Council. whereby the people might be EN-
ployed and provided for. For these things he has
been abused and misrepresented. Seeing that mo-
ney could not be Immediately procured, he recon-
mended that -four, potatoes &c. should be par
chased upon the ctys credit he did not propose that
these articles should be given away but with his ex-
ingmen of this city, he knew that their manhood
would not be nsnlted by the exchange of their labor
for the exchange Of those articles which their fami
lies needed; he was sensible that they did not ask
aims but work. He has labored indefatigably to do
what he conceived to be the best for the public good
and yet he has been reproached for attempting to
poy and thus feed the aboring man and his family,
by the very men who would have held him accounta-
BILE, if he had not listened to their appeals for the
service of his well timed interposition From the
efforts which have been made by the Mayor to pro-
tect the people from the fearful visitation of misery
and desttuon, let us now proceed to scrutinze the
proceedings OF the meeting which was held at the
Merchants Exchange. In order that we may COM
sant injustice To the respectable parties there
sembled, We will here introduce the resolution
which contains the pth and substance for which this
party have taken the fied-
Resolved, That all this city are suffering from
the arrangement of business merchant, mechanic and
hborer alike and that substantial relief be afford
ed until confidence is honesty those who
expend the public revenue Then private capitalists will
be ready invest their surplus enterprises
the wheels of human industry will more be set in
notion and the aborng classes reassertng their posi-
tion self supporting men, will reject with Indignation all
hrgesses Of food purchased with the public funds,
equally demorazng to them and injurious TO that respec
table and useful class OF aiesmen who supply
with the necessaries OF life.
In the first sentence of the above, we find that
after stating the fact that the present bank revuson
has involved every class in common ruin, il goes
on and declares 'that substantial relief can be
afforded until confidence is restored in the honesty
of those who eXpend the public revenue So, then,
il happens that the people to be deprived Of
pioyment until such time this conclave Of dsin-
ferested patriots are satisfied with the men whom
the people may select. Up to the present time we
had not imagined that present msfortunes origi
mated with the expenditure of moneys by our munich
pal agents. Perhaps the getter up OF the resolution
win at future time endeavort to sustain his posi-
tion and in his attempt 10 eucidate its truth may
dcign to edy rs by proving or explaining how mach
Mr.. Temann, in his capacity Of Almshouse Commits
sioner has extracted from the public treasury After
having made the threat to which we have alluded we
then read Then private capitalists win be ready to
invest their surplus means in new enterprises, the
wheels Of human industry will once more be set in
motion" Here again the profound logician Of Wall
street gives another proof of want of intei-
geBce in not discovering before that the suspen-
sion of every kind of business Is wholly attributable
Mayor Wood and his unfortunate associates Of the
sentence we have IL emphatically stated: And then
the aborng classes reasserting their position self
supporting men, will reject with indignation lar
gesses Of food purchased with the public funds,
equally demoraliziug TO them and injurious 10 that
respectable and useful class Of tradesmen who now
supply them with the necessaries of life" For the
instruction Of this abetter Of untruth and driveng
sophistry let say that those whom he dcsignates
as self-supporting men are they who by their labor
support the mighty fabric Of society from the &C.
tion of their muscles he and the animals who prowl
with him. are enabled to spe'd their lives In as,iv
Gus ease. Selt-supportinR, indeed! The application
Of this derisve term expresses the real character Of
the class Of idlers 10 which he belongs II IL were
not for the exercise OF the industry OF the practical
producers, who extract wealth from the raw mate
rials of nature from whence would the endorsers Of
this insulting resolution have gathered their lands
and housesl Il IL not enough that these men are
allowed 10 gorge themselves 10 repetion. and reve
in every kind Of luxury, from the means they
have distracted from the Masses without provoking
from those who labor the rctort that they receive
from us, while not producing anything, the substan.
tial elements wherefrom their physical wants are
supplied. We are also told that will reject with
indignation the argesses of food purchased with the
public funds. We have already stated that there
have been no gifts of food asked for given Mayor
Wood. understanding the true position Of the work
ing men, has never attempted 10 wound their feel
ings by the proposition Of bringing them within the
scope Of pauperism. With the saTacity Of tried
friend he foresaw that some provision was necessary
and, with the promptness which always distinguishes
the man OF ability he proceeded 20 act Ills condl-
tons were practical; he proposed, as the city re-
quircd labor upon the public works, that the
men who needed employment should be set TO work
and paid with such public could be obtained
In addition TO this he wished to secure to the labor
mgmsn whom the city employed, the advantage of
receiving whatever flour, potatoes, &c, he might
take in exchange FOR his labor at the first or cost
price. For this, too, he has been attacked by the
insidious pettifoging supposon that he would be
thus interfering with class Of spectators who live
BY the extorons they practice upon the proceeds Of
the labor Of the producer. We ARE told by the Wall
street meeting that whenever the Mayor or Common
Council deem Il expedent 20 procure provisions upon
the city credit from the absence of money In ts trea
sury or 10 employ with such means the who must
be otherwise without bread that such measure will
be rejected because 10 thus exchange labor for such
equivalent N extremely demoralizng. What a school
10 derive ideas from' Does not such teschng lead
to the admission that the Wall street stockholders
far in advance Of the standard opinions set down by
all correct thinkers upon political economy. In the
suppostion that the Mayor was interfering with one