The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-09-23


pise the word. 1t signifies a crime
and shame. It signifies sqpalor,
degradation, ignorance, vice. Are not
laborers meR-oar fellow men They |
have bodies to clothe and stonachs to |
feed, and minds to educate, and spir-
its to elevate, and old. age to provide
for They have homes which they
love, and wives whom they cherish,
and children whom they hope to make
worthy citizens-the honest fathers
and the virtuous mothers of a sue
ceeding generation. And can you re-
| member these duties and see these as
Ipirations, can you contemplate the pa
ItieIit hopefulness OF cheerful and con-
tented. because fairly compensated,
industry, and talk Of. chedp lGbor p
Labor is too cheap now. Labor does
mot receive its just reward. This
country needs skilled 1aborers, and
honest, intelligent, untiagging, zeal
Gus industry; it needs that srch. labor
shall not be cheap. but that it shall be
most bountifuliy rewarded. The re-
lation OF capitol and labor is now bad
~ adjusted. Idle money-molfey
which has. no human wants or aflec-
ttions, or mpathies-earns more than
labor, with all its sweat, and toll, and
suffering. Money combines with
money, and seeks increase and immu-
nifty under acts OF incorporation
When laborers combine for their pro
lection, they are in some of our states
denounced by the law, and every
where looked upon with Suspicion
They should not antagoniEe. They
should cooperate. They, should be
in harmony. | do not know that the
full solution of this great problem has
been discovered, but / believe great
, progress has been made i'll late years
to establish a iuster and better rela-
ton. That progress will continue
: 1t must command the efforts of an ad-
vancing civilization, and the favor of
) Just God, until at last the human III
tellect, and hand and blood, as they
: constitute the nobler, shall also be the
| better paid member in the great part
nership of labor and capital. -.
t CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. ..
I hold in my hand the Cincinnati
Commercial of the 7th of September.
/, It contains a review of the markets
for the week. The storyiis very sig
: nificant: "Trade dull-almost stag
nant. Sales of dry goods, Of groce-
ries, of manufactures, almost nothing.
: Collections impossi ble-interest on
: money from s to Is per cent, and in
some cases to Is per cent. Wheat from
$1,1S to S1,23, and very dull. Hay,
corn, oats, ruling low, and few sales,
= except for local demand. And in the
4 same paper of that and a few preced-
ing days [ saw the failures and assign
e ments of bankers, manufacturers,
i tradesmen and lumber merchants
L and column after column filled with
I the advertisements of men and wo-
men and children seeking employ
. ment, and of stores which are empty
: and for rent. The condition, the rea-
son and the remedy are well summed
up in one single sentence i'll the mon
ey article of that day: "A shrinkagc
of values generally has not yet taken
place OF at least values have not been
I adjusted in their relation to each 9th
er to that plan OH which business can
move briskly and prosperously.-
: There is, consequently, some disposi-
Il ton to tinker with the currency, and
l to seek to adjust matters by variations
: in the measure of values" Which,
: translated into language, means. that
: debtors are pressed to the very verge
d of ruin by declining prices and stag
nant business, and beg that money
y may be allowed to circulate and per-
: form its dutyoof effecting exchanges
j. and in the same paper see the extra
ordinary statement that the Treasury
t Department has official information
d THAT the merchants and other com
n mercial men of the West, owing tc
= scarcity of currency, are compelled to
o take any thing offered to them which
d represents fractional values of green.
e backs, and consequently are forced ,tc
5 receire andpa counterfeit stamps. ,
Now, my friends, is this truthful
statement Of the condition of affairs
Is l have taken it, almost word for word
{ from the Commercial, that no man
= might say had colored it too highly
Z | ask you-each one Of you-does this
y statement accord with your own OBJ
servation? Why is it SO? Large
e crops have rewarded the industry o.
/ the farmer. The benefcence of Goo
has not failed. The promise of seed.
II time and harvest has been fulfilled
is We have had neither war nor pesti
n lenfe in our midst. Why should tho
a products of agriculture be so low anC
+ so slow of sale? They cost as much
, plowing, and sowing, and planting
II and reaping, as many hours of toll
/ and as many acres to produce them al
y last year or the year before. Ther;
d are as many months to fill; as man!
II craving appetites,as then. why's EN-
r ployment SO scarce, andiwhy are tn,
scanty wages of lahorerS reduced p
e, There are strong arms all around ly
" ing idle-and every element of growtl
l. in our country is every moment de
s, manding greater development La
il borers are plenty; bi'eadstuifs are il
3 abundance; raw material is at hand
&c stocks of goods are full railroads an(
s, rivers and canals are ready to do al
" transportation. All the appliances Q
4 active business which our modern civ