The Portland daily press., 1875-05-15
The Maine Press.


The new editors of the Somerset Reporter
take hold of the work as though they were &C
customed to it, In alwsll considered article on
the necessity of two political parties, the Re-
porter says:
The idea OF independency which has had
certain popularity for the past few years, we
believe is fast dying. Men are becoming con
WINGED of its II al nature; are learning 1T to be
chimera. There is greater tendency to be
fully avowed as either Republican or Demo-
crat We are glad to see this Our politics are
in healthier state. We believe that the next
September election will show that party lines
are still more clearly defined; that III tins state
the Republican party has more true strength
than it has ever before possessed. Now, how
shall it be with our county? Examining the
vote cast here for several years past, we md
that for years you have given the RepuDllcan
Governor large majority; and while we no:
tice that the county officers have not received
uniformly SO large vote. last year the ticket
was favored with strong support winch re,
suited in a good majority. This is as IL snould
be.
The Ellsworth American owns up squarely
to hard times 1t says:
We might as we'll look things square IN the
face Times are hard. Business don't improve
as was hoped. Lumber is down, with bus lit.
tie demand-freights are low, with but few OF
them. This state of affairs must bear very Sc
verely on all classes that depend on labor, as
the price of labor mnst fall.
There are but two remedies. greater industry
and greater economy. If wages tall, men
must be willing to work for less wages. 1t no
employment offers, men must work tor them
selves. The ground can be titled, and greater
crops can be raised. Expenses OF living can
be reduced, we can eat palmer food and wear
our old clothes a year longer. DIR. Dio Lewis
has expermented on economy In food. and in
ssts that an able bodied man can subsist on SIX
cents day and keep healthy. Thoreau, the
author, lived for sometime on less than S50 per
wear for food and clothing and shelter. China
men live on about five cents day.
We don't name these rates as those to which
people ought to reduce themselves, but as an
answer to the suggestion that we cant econo-
mise any more. There may be a limit to in
dustry but there is almost none to economy.
The earnings of one hour can support a family
day. We certainly have no wish to see
people put on such small allowance, but it is
the duty of every man to bring his expenses
inside his income. If he can't increase his
earnings he must decrease his livings. This Is
the whole of political economy and the panacea
for all financial troubles.
The bright side of the present dark cloud Is
that people are learning economy, and begin
ming to shrink within their means The actual
savings are beginning to be more than they
were ia flush times. If wages are falling,
goods are falling Also Prices are gradually
getting back to natural condition. Every
thing is settling down on a hard PAN The
foundation of business in the future will be
solid. Business operations will be safer. Hab-
its of industry aud economy acquired during
the present depression will bring competence
in the future.
The revival is sure to come, and we must
work and wait.