The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-04
A Word for the Dumb.

b. rsa "A worn IOr Cne DUMB.
The woman who is to-day engaged in weav-
ing cotton or wooden cloth in some great mill,
stitching shoes or braiding straw, performing
mental service or nursing the sick, tending
shop rdoing needle-wolk, thinks little and'
most likely, knows little about what Congress
is doing in the matter OF the finances. ine
man who is saving wood, grading railroad Or
in any capacity, performing the WORK OF q oay
laborer." is perhaps equally ignotant or need
less of what the official arbiters OF his destiny
are doing with that which measures tue value
of his work and ofthe wealth which he IS Gre
ating. The whole discussion for and against
imitation and free banking is carried on by
those who occupy themselves chiefly with the
accumulation, control and management of
that to which labor gives existence. The
men and women whose lot brings them into
direct contact with the hard, burdensome
tasks which unsympathetic nature sets before
the human race as the condition of its ex-
istence on this glo5e-those who occupy the
petition of human buffers, saving the upper
social strata from some part of the shock and
Jar of actual friction with the material OBJ
stacles OF life. are mainly dumb. They have
no means of concerted action, no facility for
protecting their interests by proclaimng their
opiniLns with united voice. Congress goes
on legislating either in accordance with the
individual opinions and interests of its men,
bers, or, at best, only listening to the direc-
tons of men who are one step, if no more,
above the mere workers.
If the latter class lad voice, what would
be its utterance at this time? The enquiry
is worth while, for, however quiet and appar-
emily apathetic working-men and working
women may be, while the pit is being digged
beneath their tired feet, thev have often in
the worlds history found mighty arm to
smi.e with, when their agonies have come
upon them and they have at length seen who
has wrought their destruction and how and
why. States and empires have been shaken
by the rude upheavals from below which have
followed uncomfortable wrongs. In this coun-
try political equality and the theoretical abol-
ishment of class distinctions have been snip
posed to be 4 complete guaranty against the
danger of the social commissions and the ter
rife outbursts OF plebeian frenzy which rem
der European society constantly insecure
But even now we see that, in some localities,
labor as labor begins to assume that it has
interests apart from those of capital Already
there are occasional sharp antagonisms
betweeL employe and employer, taking the
dreaded form Of physical violence. And
whatever serves to increase the distance be-
tween the two classes by exalting the one
AMI depressing the other, thus assimating
our society to European models and creating
an aristocracy with its Complementary peas
antry, greatly adds to the risk OF increased
frequency of violence in these ominous dem
onstrations. The late action of the en-
ployes OF the Erie railroad in taking possession
of that corporations property, interrupting
public travel and defying the civil authority
of the State of Pennsylvania. shows what
small basis has our serene confidence that
America can never be frighted by sans-cul-
otto mob, and that the streets of our great
cities will never be closed up by barricades,
while the petroleuse hurls her fatal TORCH
However we may deprecate the folly and in
justice of such blind fury, it is well to recog-
nize the possibility Of creating class that is
capable of it. D>
Now there IS no doubt about what effect &
depreciation of the currency will have on la
Dor The man with accumulated capital, up
held in the security which intelligence, edu-
cation, business foresight and social position
give him, may be able in comparative COM
fort and safety to endure the unsettng of
values, the advance in prices aud the final
universal bankruptcy, for which the initiation
leaders with their Western and Southern
swashbuckler followers are laying the founda-
ton. But to the laboring classes imitation is
certain distress and ruin. He who has only
his daily wages with which to feed and clothe
himself and his family must sink into hope
less pauperism when the purchasing power of
his wages is materially impaired. u is true
that the price of labor follows that of provi-
slons and manufactured products, but at
distance All human experience shows that
wages do not feel the upward impulse till
long after other prices have appreciated; and
when the medium of exchange becomes
worthless, 1t is upon the workngman that
ruin falls with its whole crushing weight The
suspension of manufactures and OF all forms
OF industry leaves him face to face with star
Walton. To him the situation is actual physi-
cal suffering and death. His more fortunate
neigabor may tide over the evil times, but for
him the trump Of doom has sounded.
Alb! Messieurs Infationists! 10 the edge of
what an abyss are YOU leading US! To the
infinite mercy of kind providence we owe
it that the Republic has escaped in state of
tolerable vigor and health from a cruel war;
but you are making ready for trials that may
yet cause US to look back to the war as to
halcyon days. There was something heroic
in the armed conflict, but no light of patriot
ism aud glory will illumine the dreary scenes
OF universal distress, civil coinmotion and
q, hopeless bankruptcy for which your infatua-
ton is deliberately preparing. The cry of a
maidened populace is the most terrific of all
; sounds. Would that you could hear it in
imagination before the roar breaks in dread
reality upon your ears!
afFE# $780,
DIR EDWARD CURTIS of New York, who
recently declared that alcohol is good thing
: to take, makes haste to correct the comments
of the Tribune ON his letter, which represent
ed him as saying that 6 alcohol repairs the
wasted tissues of the human system,' and
- Ssl = u. n