The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-05-10
TOO MANY IN TRApg.

ing OF the general dullness, has not said.
4he fact is there are too many in trade.
business is overdone." This is true.
LIE population engaged in other than
productive avocations is dispFoportionats-
y large. In 1850, the population of the
Unlted States and Territories. exclusive
OF Indians, was 81 1893 Sol. In he ann
msrstion of those engaged in speeif;c
occupations, We find that 8 asa q47
were employed directly IN PRODUCING food
from the soil; that 1853 ,69S were err.
d ployed IN trade or in avocations that
e were purely nOn-productiye; while s.
{ 796, 404 were employed in the various
g manufacturing industries; leaving a3,-
I il2.s5 unaceounted for, or without
I any professional aVocation.
Il will thus be seen that there wsra
, 1854 947 engaged in producing food and
+ fbeF for the 81 .399. sol to consume:
I that number only little over four hun
; drsd THOUSAND greater than the food-pro-
ducers were engaged in converting the
products of the soil, mine, lakes, rivers,
and the sea, into form for consumption.
Il Prior to 1861, the proportion of popu-
lstion engaged exclusively in tra ffic oor
reproductive professions was much less
than to-day. With the close of the war.
hundreds of thousands of soldiers return.
ed home with money in their pockets.
A large proportion of these soldiers left the
farms aud workshops of the country TO
enter the field. The return of peace
found them with new habits and new
ideas. The life of the camp had disin-
clined many of them for return to old av-
ocations. The speculations which the
war had induced. the dazzling success
of many who had engaged in trade, the
new habits and associations which had
resulted, induced very many to invest
their ready cash in trade, or in prepare
ton for professional life. The result is,
almost every kind of traffic is oyerdone,
consumption is dispropOrtionate to pro-
ductiOn; the cost of living and The price
of labor are kept above the maximum of
prices. Trade is not confined to legiti-
mate channels. Al army of itineFant
drummers travel the country from East
to West and from North to South, search
ing for customers. They penetrate every
village, visit every Cross road grocery,
and peddle their wares by sample every
where. This zealous competition augments
consumption and decreases production.
u
tend every dooF-b bell to answer its sum-
mons every half hour during the day,
inviting the occupants of our homes to
buy, or subscribe for books, pictures,
maps, soap, yarns, thread, lsces, needle
ware, sewing machines, knitting ma
chimes, washing machines, Wriugers,
maugles, baby jumpers, children's swings
babies bibs, collars, cuffs, recipes; med
icines, preventiVes, nostrums, 'cute in.
venlions, inventions not so 'cute, fruit,
vegetables, wines, tonics, gas~burners
(not gas bill payers) asking for bread,
bones, boots, old clos and charity.
What mahes prices of rent and living
so high? 1t is simply because every
city, town, village, aud huddls is deusely
packed with non productive population,
two thirds of whom ought to be added to
the productive force of the country.
The waste of war is chiefly felt in this
waste of vital force, aud in the waste of
food employed in keeping alive thsss
idlers. The tax of sustal ming thess
classes is enormous and onerous. The
burden rests upon the shoulders of ell
classes engaged in legitimate aVocations.
It weighs upon all who pay taxes; for
those who do pay the taxes are few In
number compared to this large, irrsspon-
sIble class, who neither own property
nor acknowledge any income, who pay
nothing to oil the wheels of Government
and society. Il ought to be a universal
practice among our citizens to OBSCURE
age this itineranT vending of wares, by
uniformly refusing to purchase from
these VenCers. Let them be forced to go
TO the broad lands that invite and reward
culture, and help build homes, and pro-
duce lood, aRd pay the taxes with which
We are now burdened. Production must
be increased. Out of our products our
debts must be paid. The capital which
men hold unemployed should be Invested
IN producing property. Every man who
regards the progress of his country, its
honor, aud the stability of our Govern
ment, is interested in rendering it invit-
ing TO capital and to laboring skill.
Protecting both here, we must increase
our food products to correspond with the
increase of consumption.
There is another matter which requires
correction. There should be strong pub.
lie sentiment created against diversion of
our young men from the fields and work.
o0OpS lutO WHAT are CalISO Tue 'IedTQeU
professions" Il is a misfortune TO the
young men of the country, and to the
country itself, that the allurements of the
professional life are 30 beWildering that
their realities are not discovered until
the best part of the lives of thousands Of
our young men have been spent in scquir-
ing something which there is no room for
them to use. Our medical, theological,
law, and business schools are throngsd
with young men who dream idly, that
they are on the high road to fame and
fortune. They have not counted the cost.
Two thirds of them develop into WHAT
into quacks, cant declaimsrs, ehysIsrs,
aud bankrupts. Aye, We my say four
6lths of them fail of the good they are
striving to win. What does this prove?
Not that medical, theological, Law, and
business schools want in usefulness, nor
that they are voluntary agencies for evil.
But it proves that large proportion Of
those who attend them mistake their
calling; and they are led to do so too of
ten by a want Of 'fankness ana honesty
on the part of those who are charged with
living direction to their lives.
We regard this subject on of the most