Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-02-16
TO CURE HARD TIMES.
BY WARREN CHASE.

predecessors, has been prolific of specu-
latlons and theories to cure it. and pre-
vent others; and each author. however
crude his theory, and however fallacious
his reasoning. evidently thinks he has
found the panacea for poverty and COM
mercial distress Having made politics
and government study for thirty years,
many of the specnlations of individuals
and societies, as set forth in resolutions,
seem to us as worse than The disease
they are designed to remove. Among
these are the various plans and theories
to have the governments, national, State,
or municipal, employ the laborers. and
pay good wages a theory which. If car
ried out, would lead to nation with a
system of serfdom. While the Europ-
can nations are moving enc way. many
of the honest but ignorant citizens of
our county would have US go the other
way-some by uniting Church and State.
and others b. having the Government
own the property and employ the labor
ers. which would be about equal to own
inc them also. If these schemes could
be carried out. it would soon be imposi-
BILE to change an administration, or cor
rect public abuse of power by party
who held the votes of these laborers, as
the party in power surely would. The
less laborers our Government employs.
the better for the country, except so far
as agents are necessary to do its busl-
ness. which should be. as far as possible.
elective in their several localities Gn-
Guiding postmaster). We are not sure
that the carrying trade of the country
may not to advantage be included, as
safely as carrying mail for the people.
Beyond this agency business, carried on
for the whole people without partiality,
the less business, property and labor the
Government has, the better for the
whole people.
1t should be the business of the gov
eminent to prevent the recurrence of
financial disasters, but not by running
our glorious prospects for the future
especially when the true remedy lies in
the other direction. The more the la
borers work for themselves, the better
Large bodies of laborers working for a
government or corporation, are always
dangerous and excitable power in any
community. and such bodies are nom
progressive, or but slightly progressive,
under such circumstances of dependence
1t has long been considered a fossllized
condition of mind to become a fixture
as clerk in the government offices at
Washington, and many parents will new
er consent to their sons or daughters ac-
cepting appointments in such places,
and the lower the grade of labor is con-
sidered by the public, the worse it is for
the laborer. We had fair specimen
in the slaves and free negroes before the
war; collectively the slaves were best
fed and cared for. but made very little
growth compared to those that sought
employment for themselves.
What the Government should do is t.
secure natural rights, as far as it can
in the free use of the elements of life
air, water. and laad-.ll of which be-
long by natural inheritance to all of the
people. but, since we have gone so far in
the robbery and monopoly of the land
that it cannot now be secured, we should
do the best we can to prevent this mo-
nopoly of the soil. whirh is the princi
pal cause of poverty. from depressing
the unfortunate poor. As government:
are instituted for the people, and. in
this country, both by and for them, it i;
proper for the suffering poor to appea
tc the Government for remed es against
the commercial crises that so often fal
so heavily on them. The remedie.
against these are easy, and if the people
could once see them in their true light
they would soon enforce their enactment
10 make this plain, we will suppose :
case. Suppose wealthy corporation
able to do it. was buying all the bread
stuffs that were shipped to New York
and running them directly on board ship.
for Europe, and thus leaving the people
TO starve or suffer for food could tn,
Government prevent it? Suppose. again
that company was engaged in running
poison through the water-pipes of New
York, not to kill the people. but to in
sert slow poison co make work AM
Nancy for the physicians. could the Gov
eminent prevent it? Here we have tn
case as it Is. Tobacco is slow poison
and filthy nuisance, of no use to any
| body, and yet it absorbs means enough
to supply all the suffering poor witt
food and clothes, even without labor
Can this wastage be turned to good ac
count. Or saved to the people b. legisla
; tion
t Alcoholic drinks produce three fourth
OF the crime, and cost more by far thai
would the bread and clothes for all III
destitute, and do no good Can thi
criminal wastage be stopped by the ma
| ton? 1t cannot by local legislation
r mere are two sources of supply tina
{ would easily. If turned to proper accoun
put a stop to poverty and to most of tn
crime. If government can do no good