The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-13
er1n1r OF TEE Rnnga.
Editorial Opinions OF tbs LenJinE JOurnnis
ITpon tjurront Topics Compiled Sverv
Day tor the EvenipS TeIeEs,ph.
"a Talk WITH A FOOL.

"A IAIh With y FOUL.
From He M Y World.
Under this heading, whichis a characteristic
specimen OF the IfibUHcS impatient blunt
ness, that journal makes long reply to a
correspondent who complains of the difficulty
of finding employment. II there were nothing
in the article better than the following
extract, it might have been fifty enough en-
titled IN Talk by Fool. We keep the Ifj-
6Uae'8 italics:--
"Oufremedy for this deplorable glut is steady
increase ofthe number Of buyers iyiH corresponding
di1ninution Of that Of sellers Let us suppose for
illustration, That all those who have expended 500
per annum On time and money together for liquors
and tobacco throughout the last twenty years, had
forborne the indulgence and saved the money, would
there not be at this moment many more persons able
and willing to buy labor with many fewer anxious
TO sell It, than there are And should not we all
rich ana poor alike-be in better circumstances on
that account2"
This nonsense is noticeable only as coming
from the author of treatise on political
economy. He asserts, in substance, that the
demand for labor would be increased by the
destruction of particular employments. II
there were no consumers of tobacco, there
would be no producers; and, of course, no
demand for the labor which is employed in
that branch of production. The cultivation
of tobacco not only gives employment to the
tobacco growers, but it furnishes an ad-
ditional market for and therefore stimulates
the production of, other commodities which
the tobacco-growers consume. If, instead of
raising tobacco, they were all employed in
cultivating corn, there would be more corn
than could be consumed, and its price would
fall SO low that corn-growers would not
have the means of paying out more money
in wages than they do at present Men who
use tobacco must earn money to pay for
it; and they get more wages in consequence
of the larger market for the products of their
labor which is created by this branch of
industry.
The same reasoning applies to liquors. If
none were drunk, none would be manufac-
tured, and the vast market for grain which is
created by distillation would be annihiated
If grain were not used for this purpose, less
grain would be produced; and it requires
very peculiar penetration to perceive that
diminished production would increase the
demand for labor. Let all the tobacco-ields
and hop yards be abandoned next year, let all
the distilleries stop, let the acreage of grain
be so narrowed as to proportion the supply to
the diminished demand, and what would be
the consequence? Why, such multitudes of
laborers would be thrown out of employment
that the labor market would be overstocked
and glutted; wages would fall; agriculture
would stagnate; and if the following wear
should be year of short crops, thousands of
people would perish of starvation. The use
of spirituous liquors may be, in some
respects, an evil; but the evil is offset by
great advantages. 1t not only stimulates
labor to earn the money which is spent in
their indulgence, il not only enlarges and
steadies the market for other productions.
but it is perfect insurance against famine,
by causing, every year, the growth of large
quantities of grain not needed for breadstuffs.
In a year of dearth the prices of grain rise SO
high that little is distilled. In such year,
laborers have not money enough to buy both
spirits and bread and the supply of bread is
always adequate by the release of grain which
would otherwise be used for distillation.
There would probably be as many shiftless,
hand-to-mouth people and certainly as many
idle people, in MIR. Greeley's anti-tobacco,
anti-liquor millennium, as there are at pre-
sent. But why stop with liquor and tobacco
Silks, satins, and laces, gewgaws and fnery,
are great gulf of expenditure which swallows
up large part of the earnings of the COM
munity: why not preach them down too, and
restrict human wants to simple food and plain
clothing? Such limitation of expense, if
universally adopted, would not enable people
to save, because it would render it difficult
for them to earn. Savings must be made out
of earnings, and little would be earned if we
were thus to destroy the motives and employ
ment for industry by extinguishing mems
artificial wants. Mr.. Greeleys advice would
carry society back to the idleness of the
feudal ages. This is, indeed, regular enough
in point of consistency, for his whole system
of political economy has retrograde ten
dency.
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