The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-11-07
Hard Times 4he0cJ.

rom every pdlJ VI tAIS SObibif VIC liofO
reports of the stoppage of mills and work
shops, and the discharge Of worllmen-
Hundreds of thousands of able, industri-
ous people, skilled in their avocations, are
thus deprived OF employment. Instead Of
adding 10 the wealth of the community
and providing for their own comfort and
for the education of their children, they
are suddenly converted into useless mem
bers of society, and compelled to subsist
upon their former savings or upon the
charity of others. 1t is evident that
winter of misery and suffering for vast
number of excellent people, who only de-
mand the opportunity of being useful, is
now to be expected.
What is the cause of this great misfor-.
tune? Who has brought such an immense
calamity upon the country? Why is it
that all this wretchedness must be endured?
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 problem; but there
are certain facts which are essential to the
case, and which no one who attempts to
study il should leave out of view. .-r
The Republican party has exercised un-
qualified control over the national govern
ment and over most of the State govern
ments for more than twelve years. No
party ever had such authority before or
encountered so little or so Intellectual oppo-
sition. The people have given their entire
confidence to this party and whatever its
statesmen and its legislators have. desired
has been done. Its dictates respecting the
finances of the country and respecting all
our business interests have beensubmitted
to. with more than cheerfulness. The pub
lie have been, forward and Jealous TO obey,
and have borne under its objection an
amount of taxation such as scarcely any
| people ever endured before. Its power has
I / ItCa
! is commensurate with its power. 1t is
| therefore i'll the legislation of the Repub-
| lican party and in its administration of the
| Government that we must look for the orr
! gin of the misfortunes in which we are
now involved and of the crushing evils
which they produce. --. d.. -. -.
| OF course writer's and theorists viii point
/ to other causes. They will tell us that
there has been excessive speculation, gam
bling in public enterprises and too many
railroads have been built; that too many
foreign luxuries have been consumed that
the sentiment of honesty has been relaxed; /;
and that corruption and eXtravagance have
done the mischief. And to a great extent
they will say truly. But where has this
excessive speculation taken its rise? Where
has the corruption found its chief incite-
ments, exemplars, and practitioners?
! What set of public men have caused so
many unnecessary railroads to be built and
/ given them Su DSldleS and land grants 10
| ask these questions is to answer them.
! Our financial 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 pluE-
| tlerlpg us while we thought everything was
/ going smoothly, were passengers that it
| put on board and obstinately refused TO
| have turned away. rs rs-ga- l.f ~
! - Only year ago a considerable number
| of citizens, anxious about the future, at
/ tempted to compel a change in the admin
| istration of the Government. Their ideas
! were radically different from those of Gen.
! Grant and his adherents; and they declared
/ their purpose to enforce thorough reform
/ in every department of public affairs.
| They warned the country that things were
not right and that serious trouble was
ahead. Their advice was neglected; their
warning was scoffcd at; their candidates
and their measures were repudiated. The
majority of the country concluded that it
was best to keep Gen. Grant and his men
in power; but now that the calamity that
| was foretold has come, perhaps some of
those who would not theh 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 pro
duced by either the critics Or the oppO-
nents of the Republican party, but by the
leaders and chosen Representatives and de-
! iberate policy OF that party itseH.-N l..
! Sun. q . ..s. s...- -...-