National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-16
PLEA FOR THE LABORER.
LADY,s IDEA OF RETRENCHMEN1

A LADY'S IDEA OF RETRENCHMENT.
To the Editor ofthe National Republican:
SIR: The great need Of the people to-day is not
money to defray present expenses, but employ
ment to enable them to meet future demands
When employment Is taken from the willing
aid, who can estimate the wrong done? No one
with proper selErespect can receive money with
out giving an equivalent therefor, unless misery
has robbed him Of the highest elements in HIS
pendcnce on the bounty Of others paralyies, hu-
initiates, degrades. The deep distress Of the un-
sRPsd s,H 9sssdE be realized by those Th0 haT'
When the cry "hard times have come again.
burst on the nation like thunderclap on q clear
day every individual seemed to receive the
ss 40 sa Il HSnly sfs ss su ts
be destroyed: and this selfshness proved feafSS!!
cruel in its results Tho capitalist, the ordinary
n Ser
| where the labOrer was deprived Of work, and
though the capitalists knew that their own pros
the labor of these thcy made no effort to avert tho
save ssTs-ali t right when prspet!y Done. ''A'A
remedy the evil that 1t had power to restore con-
fidence and make business prosperous. Has II
done this? Has It struck one blow at tho root OF
the evil, or only attempted to lop of few Of the
Its cry has been retrench, retrench. Instead Of
employing the idle, helpless masses it has In
creased the number Of unemployed. 1t has taken
work in mid winter from hundreds.
Has It done aught to restore the confidence 60
that the people need fear nolonger to invest their
| money in legitimate business? Has 1t not in all
| its doinys followed the crazy cry Of the people!
| saver .'Save!'' And its saving has been on the
plan Of diminishing the sands on the sea shore by
picking up one or two grains. Take the bread
out of the mouths Of few men and women, and
overwork. aye, work unto death some man tosave
in the Treasury of the great nstinn few hnndrsd
dollars.
Take . case which came to my notice, and you
bS
. young girl In one OF the Departments, her
father, man Of worth and influence, highly e.
4 kept his family we'll The war cane; he loved
his country better than life. and no sls soldiers
grave. Her brother, before he attained his ma
4 Arlington heights. Her widowed mother and in.
valid brother are maintained by her; yet she must
20 home to the desoIate, poyertystricken abode
This 6 no fancy sketch, and thsre are m0ny such
II sasipE is.ps only mstsSS, would + tn no. b J,
s 70 s ifye be as done scintss e contingent
eIpenses. In many cases when all who are en-,
pIoyed in an Office or department. are paid, from
the head Of adepartment 70 the SommGn a.
contingent expenses. In one -ofiice el2o00. IN
other tisOoo, another sloo 900, and again e9oS 0oo
The HssI REsa sh y ~ What
nnbiisd q It's expense, might do With million
dollar worth less reading each year, for lev
Seaiss Cast The Ally thousand dollar: .Pepp;;
tpSslb 5l s. fedGssd lcs fEcas2nd, Ind that De
partwept be almost Is clean as st present.. a
4 Engle dwelling might be heated with less thar
ave thousand dollSrs worth Of fuel.
Whether these things could be done We leavet Y
those who wish to economic so closely TO decide
Stop tho Leaks OF . few nillious, and 1t vii
| doubtless do good In time. But 10 there not some
thing else neededf who will be the one to lcst
the nation ont OF this wilderness Of financial dis
turbancef MARY BALLMAN.