National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-01
CONGRESS AND THE WORKING,
MEN

MEN.
The suggestion of THE NATIONAL RE-
PUBLICAN a month ago, that to revive the
PROSTATE industries of the country, the
Republican party in Congress should at its
forthcoming session take measures TO be
gin the construction of those great internal
water lines of communication to which
President Grant called attention in his
fourth annual message, is generally &C
Cepted as the wisest and best policy the
party could pursue. The only oppCTitiOn
to it comes from the editors and the journals
who have been denOunCing the party for
the last three years, and who are now afraid
that the party will boldly enter upon a
career which will have the effect of restor-
ing it to its old position in the affection and
confidence Of the people. Foremost among
these papers is the New York Tribune, the
principal Democratic organ in that city and
State The Tribune sees in the movement
only a great Federal ''sOup house" by
means of which the mechanics and work
ingmen of the country are TO be
brIbed and fed. Twenty years ago
lluuGt INT management anu AllCN-
ton of Mr.. Greeley, its founder, the Trj-
6une advocated for the State of New York
that which we now advocate for the whole
country. The organs of the rings and
monopolies of that time; of the Goulds, &c,
whom he was fighting, denounced him and
his plans we have no doubt pretty much in
the same style that is to be seen in its col
Umns to-day. Next comes the New York
World, glibly prating about GibbOn and
the Roman republic and Augustus Caesar
1t sees danger to Jeffersonian Democracy
in the whole scheme, the bugbear of pa
Tnal government and a menace to our in
buttons. The World is owned by ring
gentlemen who have no more sympathy
nth Democracy than Satan has with vir-
ne, gang of spectators and ''shent per
.hent" bankers and brokers. who have for
years and years fattened upon the poverty
md distress of the country.
When the secret springs behind these
papers are laid bare they are sufficiently
answered. For the Republican party to
follow their advice and leadership in any
thing is simply suicide, and the party
ought to be convinced of that fact by this
time. On the other hand, the ideas put
! forth in these columns are sustained by the
! leading organ of the Protection party in
Pennsylvania, by the country press almost
unanimously, by the New York Graphic,
the New York Republic, and, as will be
seen from the following extract, by the
Philadelphia Press. That journal, in its
issue of yesterday, says: There is one
way in which Congress can succeed in
restoring activity to industry and bust
"ness. Public opinion at present is I'M
"dOubtedly in favor of those great i'm
"prOvements which aid in the development
"Of the resources of the country, open
new regions to settlement, and give en-
"plOyment to thousands of men in numer-
"Ous branches of industry, thus quickening
"the whole current of trade receiving ma
"tional aid. Works ofthis character ought
"tO be originally undertaken by Govern
"ment.' Here is the true policy for the
party to follow. Hundreds of thousands of
men are idle in every State in the Union.
AL trade and industry are at a stand-still.
The factories have ceased to produce.
Hard times stare every man in the face.
This is what defeated us in the late cam
paigns, and it will defeat us in the cam.
paigns which are to come if it is allowed
to continue. We do not know that the
method Of relief we have indicated is the
best one, but it is at least worthy of consid-
Grafton, and has already received the in
dOrsement of some of the most thoughtful
men in the country. OF course, there are
gentlemen with patent remedies, who be-
lieve that the whole trouble lies in the
tariff or the finances; who think that if
their own pet theories and ideas were car
ried out the golden age of the republic
would speedily come. Probably it would,
but it is exceedingly doubtful, and this is
no time for experiments. What the Re-
publican party must do if it wishes to hold
the country in rs is to put the working
men to work.