The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-11-18
from the Johnstown Industrial Bulletin.
The Duty of Congress-.

from the Johnstown Industrial Bulletin.l
The Duty Of Congress.
The depression of business still con-
tinues, and the prospect of improve
ment seems to be as remote as it was
a year ago. There are great many
idle men in the country, and We look
for hard winter, in which there will
be much suffering In the manufac-
turing and mining districts there have
been an unprecedented number OF
strikes, and workingmen have con-
sumed their small savings in useless
struggles with their employers, who |
have been obliged to make successive |
reductions of wages.
The financial troubles resulting
from the failure Of Jay Cooke, year
ago, have little influence upon the sit
uation at present. Money is seeking
investment at low rates, and there is
no complaint Of its scarcity; but bust
ness generally has not been good, and
in some branches, no improvement
whatever is visible. There was for
while some Dragging about the fall
trade, but it appears now to be unusu-
ally light, and manufacturers of do
nestle cottons and woolens have COM
bined to reduce production, the sup
ply being in excess of the demand.
The dryness of the season had bad
effect upon grass, oats, and few
other agricultural products, but con-
sidering everything, there is an unus-
ually good food crop in the country.
At present there seems to be no mar
lot Gov kba loroo curp1,,,, nf vVoc{orY,
wheat, and wheat and flour are down
and declining in price; but other arti
cles are firm, and the cost Of living
has not been reduced in proportion to
the decline in wages. The farmers,
as usual, have the best Of the situa-
ton; the process of reducing the
prices of their products is the slow
and painful one of restricting con-
sumption, which never takes place
voluntarily; but it is now operating
extensively, and will have its effect in
lower prices Of food, and less profit to
the agriculturlst.
There are people who think that
the experience We are now having will
be wholesome, but it will be found
that they are not among the sufferers.
Possibly it might be of little conse-
quence whether the prices of every
thing were high or-low, but the pro-
cess of coming down is painful one;
the most necessitous are the first to
suffer, and some things maintain their
old position. Taxes are not reduced,
and will not be. The fees of public
officers, and their salaries, always
rise, and never fall. Low prices do
not reduce the rates of interest.
These heavy burdens do not become
easier to bear in hard times. There
is less speculation, it is said, and this
is but partly true; and as for the econ
omy which we are told the people will
learn, we see nothing of it. Those
who have money, spend it about as
they used to, and economy is only
practiced, perforce, by those who have
neither money nor credit.
of situation is-Are the people fully
| employed in remunerative laborsi
| Idleness is an unmitigated evil. 1t is
waste that is never repaired. 1t is
present wrong and prospective in
| jury. 1t is dangerous to the citizen
to society, and to the State, and thu
Government, which is obliged to re
press disorders and punish crimes
should make care for the employment
of the people its chief duty. There
are more idle men in the country now
who seek for work and find none, thai
at any time within our recollection
and there is no good in this, and moth
ing good can come out OF it. 1t is
condition of things not to be endure,
a moment longer than can be helped
and Congress, when it meets in De
cember, will have the matter force,
upon its attention, and will be oblige
to show decent concern with respec
to its cause and possible cure.
The repeal of the ten per cent. re
duction of duties, made by the Act G
1872, was pressed upon Congress a
its last session. but no action could b
had. The passage of this measure, q
that time, would have restored conf
dence and helped the country out {
the rut into which it had fallen, but
might not now be effective Some
thing more is now needed, and
should be accorded without question
Foreign goods are remarkably cheal
but the country buys and consume
less of them than when they WEI
dear, and even the importer shoul
see that it is to his interest to hay
such an increase in the Tariff as wi
revive business and enable the poop
to purchase his wares. 1t is not, how
ever, question whether goods sha
be cheap or dear, for graver Interest
are at stake. What the effect of gel
eral popular discomfort may be, L
one can tell, and the danger to societ
and the Government, which may n
. suit from large masses of men WI
can find neither work nor food, is n,
easily measured. They will not b,
lieve that their troubles are not a r.
suit of disagreement, and they wi
be partly right if Government is n
actively concerned for their welfare.
The indianapolis Sentinel is We
+, severe upon the platform upon whit
the Democratic party rode into powe
and says it was undoubtedly tt
!, worst ever made" Further it say
1T has served its turn in the canva
for which it was made, and i'll Il
name Of a great majority of the Dem
Gratis of Indiana, and of nine tenths
5 @bo nop,ooro4s 81 4bo .o,,,tr,, Al