National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-24
PUTTHE WORKLYGMEN TO WORK

PUTTHB WORKLNGAEN TO WORK
Under the caption of The Lesson, " the
Industrial Bulletin, the organ of the Pro-
lection party in Pennsylvania, copies the
article printed in these columns some time
ago, insisting that the great duty of the
Republican party at the present time is to
revive the industries Of the county, with
the following comments "Such discussion
"of the causes of the late reverse sustained
"by the Republican party, as its Journals
care carrying on, are neither profitable nor
Conducive to future harmony. The fol-
Glowing article from TIE NATIONAL Re-
PUBLICAN contains the only CLEAN Of
"SeBse which we have yet discovered, and
Gas that journal is sn organ of the Admin
"istration, it may DE regarded as a CLEAN
"of hope also T might have gone little
farther, by slowing that the way TO put
"the workingnen TO work is to throw
overheard the reciprocity treaty nego-
tiated by Secretary Fish and awaiting the
"meeting of the Senate for confirmation,
"and TO maintain the policy of protection
"to hons industry which will now be as
"sailed in thousand ways b. its ever
"vigihnt and'pOwerful enemies. 1t is
"almost too much TO expect that the
"prescnt Congress Wilde anything to put
I" the workingmen to work, but it may be
"prevcntcd from encouraging the free
"trade madness, which would increase the
"idleness and distress now prevailing in
"the country"
1. Our cOtempOraTy, in the above extract,
does q grave injustice to Mr.. Fish As we
understand his position, and as he has, if
we mistake not, himself defined it, on the
reciprocity treaty, he has not in any way
committed himself to its support, or given
an expression of opinion upon it one way
or the other. He has simply sent it to the
Senate to test the temper Of that body and
Of the country upon the question.
2. In regard TO putting the workingmen
to work, President Grant has been urging
for the last two years policy which would
directly have that effect In his fourth
annual message he suggested the cOnstruc-
ton of the different water routes to connect
the East with the West, and asked Con-
greSs to take immediate steps to gain all
"availablc information to insure equable
"and just legislation on the subject. I'm.
mediatcly howl was raised by the inter
ested newspapers in New York, who first
saw possible blow at the commercial su-
PremaCy Of that city. They were controlled
by the Eastern railroad capitalists: the New
York Herald denounced the whole scheme
as gigantic job that would cost two hun
dred and fifty millions of dollars; tie House
of Representatives pigeonholed the mes
sage, or that portion of it, and the Forty.
second Congress passed out of existence
without taking a single step in the direc-
ton indicated The Vanderbills of the
East won another victory. Meanwhile the
Indignation of the Western farmers. who
were burning their grain for fuel, became
so great that the Senate, convened in exec
utive session TO confirm nominations at
the beginning of the present Administra-
ton, deemed it prudent to yield to the storm,
and Mr.. Window S committee was appointed
in May, we believe, or six months after the
suggestion had been made by the Presi-
dent. But the appointment Of the Trans
pOrtatiOn Committee was the act of the
Senate, and not, as it should have been, of
the popular branch of the Government, or
of the two jointly.
Mr.. Windows report was presented at
the last session of Congress. All the men,
bers of the committee concurred in its gen.
eral views, but differed as to the law in the
case and the power of the General Govern
ment to regulate commerce between the
States in the manner indicated. And that
was the end of it.
4. We do not maintain that the construc-
ton Of these water lines is the only way in
which the business industries of the cOun-
try can be lifted up, but the subject was at
least worthy of consideration, and discus
sion Of the powers of the General Govern
meRt in the matter would have been quite
as profitable as the dreary dribble the coun-
try was compelled 20 listen to on the fnan-
cial question. What we complain of is
that the leaders in Congress showed next
to no desire to avert the impending crash,
to keep the labor of the country at work, a
crash which came just on the eve of the
elections. To say that il was the Third
Term, or this or that measure, which de
feated us is all nonsense. 1t was the hun
dreds Of thousands Of mechanics and work
ingmen out Of employment with no pros