National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-21
"PUT THE WORKINGKEN TO

" CLb4s
Three weeks ago THE NATIONAL Re
PUBLICAN took the ground that the great
duty Of the Republican party at the present
time was to devise ways and means TO
revive the PROSTATE industries Of the coun-
try; TO set the rolling mills Of Pennsylvania
and the factories of New England again in
motion. Our article on the subject has
evoked a responsive echo an over the
Union. 1t has been copied by nearly a
thousand papers from Maine to Florida and
from this city to San Francisco. The New
York Graphic, which is one Of the very
best and strongest papers in the country,
illustrates the idea in its issue of last Thurs
day in a striking cartoon, in which are
represented Columbia with, on the one
hand a, brawny, stalwart wOrlingman
standing with his wife and children, and on
the other General Grant, Mr.. Tilden, the
GOvenOr-elect Of New York State, and
Mr.. Wickham, the mayor elect Of New
York city, with the following legend:
'PEEsENT PHASE OF THE LABOR PROBLEM.
"Workingman, Cto Public Opinion.) i
q can staTvc | don't want to beg-ali l
q ask is work
Public Opinion, Ito Government
"'You hear, Messieurs President, Cover
nor and Mayor. The man is able and
"'willing TO labor. We can't let him
"'starve. Why not give him work on the
national, State and municipal improve
'mcnts% In an editorial on the subject
our contemporary SAYS: The Baltimore
"and Ohio Railroad Company has been
"justly praised for the wisdom which
"markcd its conduct duringthc duh season
(which followed the panic. The treasury
''Of the company was full, and instead of
1" timidly locking up its money, it immc-
"diately saw that the opportunity for ex-
"tcnding its road to Chicago had arrived
Labor was abundant and materials were
"cheap; the extension Of the road could
"bc built more cheaply than at any time
for many years previous. The contracts
"were, therefore, given out, hundreds Of
"woTkmen were employed, and while thus
" accomplishing a necessary work at the
" lowest possible rate, the company gave
" employment TO men who needed it and
"put large sum of money in circulation.
"TO some extent a like wisdom was shown
by Commodore Vanderbilt in pushing
" forward the work on his double freight
tracks last winter, although in this
ease many of the contracts were
"probably made before the panic The
"actual result, however, was a benefit to
"the public, and, in so far as the decline
Gin prices was utilized by Mr.. Vanderbilt,
"a benefit to the railroad company. There
"could be no more mistaken idea than
" that great corporation or national,
estate or municipal government is bound
"to the same financial policy which neces
"sity imposes upon private persons with
" comparatively small capital. The wise
"dealer in stocks buys when other men are
selling, and sells when others are buying.
Governments and corporations having
"vast capital or credit at their command
"should pursue similar policy as to Ia
" Dor, buying labor when it is cheap, III
3" stead Of bidding against the whole bust
@i''0 SOAiiAiA4A 4Ni 4oooA NASA IL 10 utdI'
"There are Government works which
must be done at a comparatively early
day. Obviously the time TO do them is
"When private employers are economizing;
"when materials are cheap and laborers
care out of employment Unfortunately
"our public men rarely perceive the force
'of this unimpeachable truth. Knowing
srthat in times of depression they them