American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-11-15
Miscellany.


Hafu Times AHoa0s
FROM every part of the country we have
reports of the stoppage of mills and
workshops, and the discharge of work
men. Hundreds of thousands of able
industrious people, skilled in their avoca-
tons, are thus deprived of employment
Instead of adding to the wealth of the
community and providing for their own
comfort aid for the education of their
children, they are suddenly converted into
useless members of society, and compel
led to subsist upon their former savings
or upon the charity of others. 1t is evil
dent that a winter of misery and suffering
for vast number of excellent people,
who only demand the opportunity of
being useful, is now to be expected.
What is the cause of this grea. misfor-
tune? Who has brought such an immense
calamity upon the country? Why is it
that all this wretchedness must be en-
dured? These are questions that every
thoughtful man will seek to answer for
himself. 1t cannot be expected that all
will agree in the solution of such prob
lem; but there are certain facts which are
essential to the case, and which no one
who attempts to study it should leave out
of view
The Republican party has exercised I'M
qualified control over the National
0ONtIuAtut over HOSt Oh the state
Governments for more than twelve years.
No party ever had such authority before
or encountered so little or so Intellectual
opposition. The people have given their
entire confidence to this party; and what
ever its statesman and its Legislators have
desired has been done. Its dictates re-
specting the finances of the country and
respecting all our business interests have
been submitted to with more than cheer
Ia hay I'd
and Jealous to obey, and have borne
under its direction an amount of taxation
such as scarcely any people ever endured
before. Its power has been well nigh alb
solute; its responsibility is commensurate
with its power. 1t is therefore in the
legislation of the Republican party and
in its administration of the Government
that we must look for the origin of the
mlsfortunes in which we are now involv
ed and of the crushing evils which they
produce.
OF course, writer's and theorists will
point to other causes. They will tell us
that there has been excessive speculation,
gambling in public enterprises; that too
many railroads have been built; that too
many foreign luxuries have been con-
sumed that the sentiment of honesty has
been relaxed; and that corruption and ex-
travagance have done the mischief And
to a great extent they may say truly. But
where has this excessive speculation
taken its rise? Where has the corrup-
ton found its chief indictments, exem-
plars and practitioners? What set of pub
lie men have caused so many unnecessary
railroads to be built and given them sub
sides and land grants To ask these
questions is to answer them. Our finan.
cial machine has run Off the track with
all these passengers on board the train,
and the destruction is tremendous. But
the power that controlled and directed the
train was the power OF the Republican
party, and all the passengers that have
turned out to have been engaged in plum
dering us while we thought everything
was going smoothly, were passengers that
1t put on board and obstinately refused to
have turned away.
Only a year ago a considerable number
of citizens, anxious about the future, at
tempted to compel a change in the ad-
ministration of the Government Their
ideas were radically different from those
of General Grant and his adherents; and
they declared their purpose to enforce a
thorough reform in every department Of
of public affairs. They warned the coun-
try that things were not right and that
serious trouble was ahead Their advice
was neglected; their warning was scoffed
at; their candidates and their measures
were repudiated. The majority of the
country concluded that it was best for
them to keep General Grant and his men
in power; but now that the calamity that
was foretold has come, perhaps some of
those who would not then believe that it
was impending will understand that they
were not so wise as they thought them
selves; and, at any rate, all will admit
that the crisis which is upon us was not
produced by either the critics or the op-
Ponents of the Republican party, but by
the leaders and chosen representatives
and deliberate policy of that party ITSELF
-NeU York Sun