The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-06-04
The p. ospeTiiy of the People.

3 u !
declaration that in this country the.
''rich are growing richer, and the
poor are growing poorer" Every
Democratic paper, FOR months past has
been ringing the changes ION this
ex preston until many have been per-
suaded of it TRUTH Yet, who can,
read the following extracts from a
recent speech Of Mr.. Wilson'S with.
out feeling that what he says is lit |
erallyltrue, The observation of every
man must convince him that the poor
people in this country are continually
and even rapidly improving then,
condition. A walk of two or three
hours through our city and 10 its
suburbs demonstrates this fact beyond /
all controversy, On-eyery street snug
4ittle dwellings have been erected, the
homes Of day laborers and mechan- !
les, which they have saved and
secured out Of their weekly earnings,
over and above. their family necessi-
ties. Our city may be saidito swarm
with these little houses and it is
upon this fact we predicate her future
growth and greatness. The success
Of one poor man in earning himself
little home stimulates others toextra
ordinary effort to gain similar dis
tinction and comfort, and when once
the lot is bought and the house built,
cheap though it may be, the poor
man is fairly anchored and has an
Object upon which to bestow all his
leisure time. TO Improve his little
home-to know that every shrub he
plants and every flower he eultivates
IS to make his home more attractive,
rot only to bis own family but to his
neighbors as well-stimulates him to
labor hours after the days work In
the shop has come to an end. We
cannot see that our poor men are
growing poorer. On the contrary,
they are continually improving their
condition and adding to their means
of happiness.
We copy a portion Of Senator VIII
SONS speech on this topic: s.
Nor could he echo the cly that
the rich were growing richer and
the poor were growing poorer
There was rot the semblance of truth
in that flippant Utterance of ignor-
ance. or diStrust, or demagogueism.
The rich were growing richer, and
the number Of men that counted
their possessions by tens of thou-
sands had largely increased and
was increasing. But the poor were
certainly and rapidly growing in know
ledge, ia prosperity, IN power and So
cial influence. The world had never
seen such progress In the means OF
material, moral and intellectual
| power, social comfort, enjoyment and
influence, as the workIngmen had
made in America during the last
forty years. Then the wealth of the
nation averaged but a small sum for
each person. Men of large wealth
were few in numbers, farms and
houses were generally encumb eTed
with debts, and the homes of the
workers for wages possessed few of the
comforts, none Of the luxuries. Now
I undreds of thousands of farms and
houses were freed from debts, and the
homes Of the workers for wages were
IN the possession of comforts dreamed
not of by manual labOrcrs forty years
tago. Then few were the carpeted
floors in the houses of farmers, trades
|. men, mechanics, workir gmen. In few
2 of those homes were heard the music
of the piano. Now carpets covered
the floors of the homes of the masses,
at least in the older States of the
North, and there were more pianos
than music In the newer sections.
tens of thousands of leg cabins had
disappeared, and homes of beauty and
refinement had taken their places.
Churches, schools, newspapers, and
! Libraries had wonderfully multiplied
to instruct, refine, and bless. The
learned professions had failed, during
the past third OF a century. to retain
their once commanding power and
influence. The farmers, the mer-
chants, the builders of railways and
i, telegraphs, the mechanics, the work
ers In the varied industries, had risen
in political power and influence.
Even the great land owners and
man owners of the South, that
aristocracy of capital that gave
law to the nation, were broken
10 power, and their slaves, four mill
lions of workers, held as property,
had ceased to be capital, aud / I'd join
ed the workers for wages. Surely the
Republic of the United States, with
It's millions Of square miles and bill
lions Of acres, its long lines Of sea
coast, lakes and rivers, its unlimita-
Bile public domain and exhaustless
mines, it's free churches and free
schools, its libraries and presses, its
ballot and its highest honors open to
lall, its Indictments to endeavors for
personal Improvement and national
Advancement, was the workiDgmen' s
earthly paradise. No wonder that
the hopes of humanity centered upon
1t. No wonder that it annually drew
to itself quarter Of million of the
workingmen of the foremost nations
He pitied that man who could not see
amid the trials, the weakness and fol.
lies of the age, the glories of the coun.
try, who did not hear, amid the noisy
> clamors of the hour, the majestic
; tramp Of this advancing nation.
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