, 1876-09-16
Harm TIMES Ann nEMoCRAgY,


HARD TIMES AND DEMOCRACY,
Tho Democratic party undertook to excite |
popular favor for their candidates by m ap-
peal to tho se'ilshness OF every man, md to
Tho personal grievances Of ovcry man, by tho
cry Of "Hartl Times" and also by tho u.s.
ssvoration that T1LDEy Was "Rcformer"
whose election would bring "change," and
it was adtlcd TINT "any change must be for
the better" It has entered largely into tho
expectations OF that party tint the universal
depression Of business, tho suspension OF
mnny branches Of industry, the sufToringb.
distress. md priyations Of 80 many thou
sands of families becauIo Of tho non.employ-
ment and loss of wages of the mombcrs, the
approach Of another winter with but little
prospect of rolicf,-that those circumstances
would prepare tho minds Of vast army Of
worlkingmou to listen to the promise of ro-
form, aud to tho cheering assurance OF ro-
turn to .sgood times" There il no man in
my business or occupation who ia not koon-
ly nlivo to the severity of hard times, who In
not fully aware TINT never had ho passed
through moro dopressod or less hopeful
period. Upon tho vast multitude wl.o live by
their faily wages, and to whose support om-
ployment means broad, home, health, and
life. tho hard times have prossel heavily, and
for IN unprocodcnte.lly long timo. In many
States ovor one.half tho lnboring mon havo
boon substantially out of work for a long
time In othors tho work Inns beon tran-
sitory, End thousands who have been pccus-
toned to continuous mechanical work have
been content to accopt odd Jobs at auy kind
of labor. In all the States and in nil branches
Of employment there has beon largo roduc-
tion Of tho number employed and of the
wapos Of those who hayo boon ablo to find
work. To those peoplo the Democrats hive
held I'M the ,1nleninble picture of hard times,
and have urged the promise of reform and
IN Immediate restoration of bctsor times.
In no mart of the country. not even in the
coal md iron districts OF pennsylvania, has
the distress been moro severely felt than In
tie manufacturing Statos of Now England.
Employment there means not only wages to
the head Of the family, but to tho
wife and to each son mid daughter
over lo years Of age. The combined
yeees of these hns been necessary to pay
ront, to purchase food mud fuel. to kce, the
younger ch i1dron at school, to cover tho lost
time OF sickness add to tho little stock Of
household furniture, and put q littlo away in
tho savings bank, But tho panic of 1873 fell
like blight upon thoso people. Mill after
mill and shop after shop closed thoir doors
tho few mills TINT did nftor q time resume
their work, worked on quarter, third, or half
time for q reduced number of oneratiyog. In
nearly three years, with occasional resump
tious these working people of the Now En-
gland towns have endured tho severity Of hard
times under circumstances Of groat hard
sLip. 10 them ttoro has boon not ovon n
faint homo OF a restoration OF good times,
and evcn the promise Of a remote resun,p-
ton OF labor is founded mainly on nor.
manent reduction OF wages. Mime, Ver-
mont, Now Hampshiro, Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island arc peop]od with til ese yictius
Of "Herd Times,n and yet in no one Of
these statos has there been tho slightest
hearicnipg to tho appeals Of tho Democratic
ppasrty,-not tle yllehtcst oyidouco OF any pop.
,,,lar faitl, In tho Democratic promises Of re-
! form change and tin. restoration of batter
timos.
II there wore any potency In tie pomo.
cro,io nrom;ao NJ Reform, n won,d have ha;,
som, offcct In tho nuralv ,at,or,no districts ot
Nav rnc1and ,yhot haa heen tho otroct
tharo3 Vormort hov mi ~ n to.a, vo,o =,
nr nm n;yon 1sas .han nm out ~ evorv
tlrco for nomocrotio re,orn Threo yoo,s
Of priyatiop, sutrerInp, md hard tlmou hayt m