The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-09-28

to great troubles. England, Ireland,
Germany, Norway, France have an over
flowing population of our own race, sim
liar to us in blood, in manners, in hab-
it's and in religious faith-an industrious,
sturdy, self-reliant and self respecting
people. They are fit to become citizens.
They will mix with us, and our commin-
gled blood is purer for the association.
Let us invite them with open arms to
come to us. Let us people our country
with the best races of men.
But the Chinese will give us cheap
labor! Cheap human labor. ! despise
the word. 1t signifies crime and q
shame. II signifies squalor degradation,
ignc rance, vice. Are not laborers men,
our fellow men? They have bodies to
clothe and stomachs to feed, and minds
to educate, and spirits 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 succeed
ing generation And can you remember
these duties and see these aspirations; !;
can you contemplate the patient hope
fulness of cheerful and contented, BE-
cause fairly compensated, industry, and
talk of cheap labor? Labor is too
cheap now. Labor does not receive its
Just reward. This country needs skilled
laborers, and honest, intelligent, unfag
ging, Jealous industry; it needs tthat
such labor shall not be cheap, but that it
shall be most bountifully rewarded
The relation of capital and labor is
now badly adjusted. idle money-money
which has no human wants or affections,
or sympathies-earns more than labor,
with all it's sweat, and toll, and suffering.
} Money combines with money, and seeks
. increase and immunity under acts OF in
corporation. When laborers combine
/ for their protection, they are in some of
, our States denounced by the law, and
everywhere looked upon with suspicion
They should not antagonize. They
J should cooperate. They should be IN
harmony. ] do not know that the full
solution Of this great problem has been
discovered, but l believe great progress
: has been made in late years to establish
: iuster and better relation. That pro-
: gress will continue. 1t must command
) the efforts of just God, until at last the
| human intellect, and hand and blood, as
they constitute tie nobler, shall also be
) the better paid member in the great part
nership of labor and capital.
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
hold in my hand the Cincinnati Com
mercial of the 7th of September. 1t
contains review of the markets for q
week The story is very significant :
Trade dull-almost stagnant. Sales of
dry goods, of groceries, Of manufactures,
almost nothing Collections impossible
= interest on money from eight to fifteen
per cent; and in some cases eighteen per
cent. Wheat from 81 Is to 81 %, and
very dull. Hay, corn, oats, ruling low,
l and few sales, except for local demand. >
5 And in the same paper of that and few
!, preceding days l saw the failures and as
e signments of bankers, manufacturers
: tradeslien and lumber merohants-and
column after column filed with the ad-
8 yertisements of men and women and
children seeking employment, and OF
stores which are empty and for rent
: The condition, the reason and the RENE
: DIV are well summed up in one single sen
2 tence in the money article of that day
= ga shrinkage of values generally has not
| yet taken place, or at least values have
not been adjusted in their relation to
-, each other to that plane on which busi-
} ness can move briskly and prosperously
Y There is, consequently, some disposition
to tinker with the currency, and to seek
E i to adjust matters by variations in the
| measure of values" Which, translated
5 into common language, means that G'ebt.
} ors are pressed to the very verge of ruin
by declining prices and stagnant bust
: ness, and beg that money may be allowed
: to circulate and perform its duty of ef
: fecting exchanges and in the same pa
S per l see the extraordinary statement
e that the Treasury Department has official
e information ''that the merchants,and 9th
5 er commercial men of the West, owing
E to the scarcity of currency, ,are compelled
0 to take anything offered to them which
It represents fractional values Of green
backs, and consequehtlyuret forced to re
: ceiue and pass counterfeit stamps"
n Now, my friends, is this truthful
r statement of the condition of affairs?
/, have taken it, almost word for word, from
: tile Commercial, that no man might say
# had colored it too highly. ask yor
n each one of you--does this statement
+ accord with your own observation9
S Why is it so?
|, Lar re crops have rewarded the indus
+ try of the farmer.
), The beneticeucc of God has not failed
e The promise Of seed time and harves
has been fulfilled. We have had heithe
war nor pestilence in our midst.
e Why should the products Of agricul
. ture be so low and so slow of sale ?
~ They cost as much plowing, and sowing
g and planting, and reaping, AS many hours
, Of toll, and as many acres to prodrc'
~ them as last year OF the year Before.
', There are as many mouths to fill a
many craving appetites as then. Why il
employment so scarce, and why are tn
| scanty wages Of laborers reduced =?
% There are strong arms all around lying
=, idle, and every element of growth il on
q country is every moment deraandin:
y greater development. laborers ar
plenty; breadstuffs are i'll abundance
raw material is at hand; stocks Of good
, are full railroads and rivers and canal
are ready to do all transportation; al
,r the appliances of active business whicl
;s our modern civilization has created o
=, demands lie ready for instant use
Ia They need but to be joined and put il
= motion-and yet they lie inactive, dea'
a and useless, as the parts OF an engln
~ before the niachinist has put them to
70 gcther and the engineer has let on hi
n steam.
s Why Is this?
~ Enormous taxation uneQually, nnjust
ly distributed, enormous expenditur
o unnecessarily and wastefully made-an