Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-10
Tilden and Hard Times.

| so well.
Tilden and Hard Times.
In his letter of acceptance Mr.. Tilden
attributes the hard times to the republican
party. Business is dull throughout the
country, industries are depressed, trades
men are failing, and the cause of all this
he attributes to the policies of the republic
cans since they came into power.
If the United States alone were suffer-
ing from hard times, there might be some
pausbility in Mr.. Tilden's declarations.
But il happens that this country is suffering
no more with business depression than
other parts of the world. A Bath sea
captain wrote home to his owners the other
day that he should bring his vessel from
England to New York in ballast. He had
Just made voyage to the East Indies and
back at very small profit indeed, although
he had a new and excellent vessel, and is
capable and enterprising man. After
trying for business in England about two
months, he determined to come in ballast
to New York, finding that he could do
better with his vessel in this country than
in England. Commerce there is more
depressed than here. Business the world
over is dull. 1t is better in the United
States than the average elsewhere. or our
| vessels would not be coming home in
ballast to take freights in New York.
D,<l, Ntuin urif
Melbourne. Australia. telling the same
story of dull times there. And yet Mr..
rilden's letter conveys the false idea that
the United States is exceptionally suffer
| ing from hard times. all on account of
| republican mismanagement.
One of our exchanges in noticing the
humbug promises about the democratic
party setting the wheels of business in
motion says:
..If we thought the election of Tilden
could restore prosperity to the people we
would vote for him, not only for the bene-
| fit of this country. but as a means Of
| spreading liberal government over the
world, for at once all other nations would
adopt it, since they are in the same finan-
shows the fallacy of Democratic reasoning,
for the difficulties are not confined to any
country, government. race, or cline.
The stagnation is everywhere--in all parts
of the world; in Asia, covering India
and China; in Africa. embracing Egypt
and Cape of Good Hope; in South
America from one end to the other; in
Australia, and in all parts of Europe. 1t
is in France and Spain and Germany
following war, as it does here. 1t is
in Russia. where the moneyed institutions
are failing; in Austria and Turkey and
Italy; and in Great Britain worse than it
is here. The London Spectator recently
stated that there is positive distress
among the laboring classes and people Of
moderate incomes; that half the furnished
houses in London are to let; that furniture
| is unstable that t-adesmen feel the
pressure severely; workmen and servants
are out of employment; two thousand
coachmen are idle in London alone and
the Spectator adds, "Another year of in
security and low dividends will produce
as much misery in England as Il bad har-
vest did'-an assertion emphasized by the
tact that there were forty-six deaths by
starvation in that city last year. Nor are
there any signs of improvement there.
On the contrary. the cable has Informed
us within a week that the Lancashire
masters have reduced the days Of work
one-third, and the rate of wages at the
same time, and are willing 10 stop en-
tirely. The cotton manufacturers have
reduced wages ten per cent, after pre-
vious reductions; and although the miners
of Tyldenley and Wigan voted to strike
on account of another fifteen per cent.
reduction in their wages, they were too
poor to do so. The mill owners of Glas-
cow and other districts of Scotland have
Just made ten per cent, reduction in
wages. The shipyards are idle, and UNI
employed tonnage lines the river on which
it was lately constructed.
| Now if Mr.. Tilden has panacea for
these great difficulties in the st. Louis
platform, he will do more in its use to
commend free government to the people
than any and all things that have been
done since the Israelites passed through
the Red Sea. But this Is simple nonsense
We won't say that every measure by the
administration has been the wisest and
the best, but this we will say. President
Grant is not responsible for the times here
more than Europe or the Islands of the
sea. If there is any cause for The distres,
of the nations, that cause Is war, which
destroys men and merchandise and de-
ranges business and values always and
:, everywhere. In this country 1t grows out