The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-11
SOMERSET, OHIO,
II. 1876.
There is perhaps. less demand for she

There is. perhaps, less demand for the
services af laborers of all kinds in the
United States to-day than there has ever
been before; and as a natural resnlt there
are more idle people, and more real snf-
fering than were ever before known in
the history OF the country. Many per-
sons, both through the public printa
and upon the lecture stand, have essayed
TO explain the wide difference existing
between demand and supply in this re-
spect; and many are the causes which
have by them been assigned for it. But
much of their reasoning descends TO the
abuse or advocacy Of certain monetary
systems, as the cause Of the dreadful
stagnation, or the hope of prosperous and
CHEEKY times-and too little of IL seems
TO betoken even a faint cognizance OF
any other possible method Of solving
the problem. The truth ia the present
condition of affairs was simply inevita-
BILE under the present habits of the peo-
pie, and is attributable only in small
degree, If at all, to any "system of fnan-
ciering." The country over. the first
ambition of ninety.nine one-hundredths
of the adult male population has ever
been to enter upon some trade, or pro-
fsssion, or calling other than that of till
ing the soil, and the result is that every
city. town and village has two or three
times as many such persons as general
requirement demands. Not nearly
enough persons are tilling the soil; and
all hope of "better times" might as well
be abandoned If there shall not soon be
a change of inclination amongst the
rising generation, and they be persuad-
ed to bend their ambition in the direc-
tion of the fields and the work that
awaits them there. Il ia decidedly un-
wise, and, besides, entirely unwarranted
by the prospects, to strive to create the
impression that times will soon become
better. Unwise, because il will induce
many to waste much valuable time in
waiting in vain hope; and unwarranted,
because no one can point to any practi-
cable measures of relief that are likely
TO be provided by the lawmakers Of the
country.
Three fourths, at least, of all the pro-
posed remedies for the present distress
full state of affairs are emanatious from
political montebanks, or are the feeble
productions of that class of persons who
think that because the country has pass
ed through several periods of trying de-
preston, and eventually rallied from
their effects, without any material change
in the habits or inclinations of the peo-
pie at large, that such will be the case
presently again. Time will demonstrate
that all this is delusion and hnmbug.
But how are men going to till soil, If
they have no money with which to buy
or rent land, and to purchase the things
that are absolutely essential to carry
on system of tiliage? Even if the
general inclination of those who are
now idle and are greatly longing for
employment, was toward agricultural
pursuits, there is no employment for
them whereby they might earn enough
to make small start in the new direc-
tion, and how, then, under the existing
condition of affairs. is it possible to OBJ
tain general relief in the way suggested?
This, we frankly admit, we are unable
to answer. But we nevertheless feel as
sured that in no other manner will re-
lief come. It may be that years will
be necessary TO fully impress the coun-
try at large'with the fact, but in the ma
ture Of things, it must. sooner or later,
be universally recognized and provided
for by such measures as will naturally
suggest themselves to the end. In the
interim, hard and pinching times may be
expected, and nothing else. In truth
it may be set down that the "good and
easy times" of former years, are played
out, at least, until some such radical
change as is out lined above, shall be-
come general.