The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-04-22
FROM OHIO.


ia the Editor II the NJKkINsAAS's ADVOCATE
Where is that thing called hard pan -
~ he found BY the wiscacres and
those pretending 70 know, We have been
promised ii every now and then for the
last three years II Economlse, said they,
ia your households, in your business; re-
duce wages, speculate lesss that is, buy
nothing today IN the hope Of selling to-
morrow at profit, live at the honest fig
ure, and SO on. Thus it has been since
the fall Of 70, and yet there is no more
evidence that We have touched bottom at
this moment than there Was when We began
follow lng the advice VI those who believe
low wages and economy in every business
establishment, workshop and household
will give employment to the people and
make us all wealthy
am believer in true economy at all
times. Extravaganza is never lustifable.
Nastefulness Is wicked, and ought not to
be encouraged by any. But there is surely
a mighty difference between ones simply
having for his labor enough to iced and
clOthe hls family comforta bly,, and eXtrav-
agance or wastefulntsS Judicious con
sumption cannot he set down as detrimen-
tai to an individuals ur a nation s welfare
Drunkenness Is Wasteiulness, ! admit, and
a great deal II thar mas been indulged in
| by workinglnen and others that canuut be
! defended. But while much uf this has
been done, il does not follow that wages
were too high and needed cutting down by
any means. All did not spend their sur.
| plus thus A large number devoted what
others spent IA strong drlng to making
home happy. ur laying up for a rainy day
But suppose What We are told about the
rlotOus living Of Workingmen were true
Is the compulsory plan really remedy
Is 1t bringing US the promised relief
fail to see il. Surely, it has had time
enough to show some good effects if the
system contained any virtue But | sus
pect 1t is radically defective, and is only
nOstrum. What have We got instead d
better times We have more idle mel
now than We had year ago. Is not idle
ness genuine wastefulness 1t seems tC
me 50. 1t is not economy The result o.
idle hands is those who have any little
savings are eating then up, and those who
have not are eating from somebody else
! by the way Of getting ia debt, or beggiI z
Idle men have few wants to supply; the
consequence il, middlemen sell little, anC
employers run their works on short time
In three months ending March 81 1876
| Dun, Barlow a Co., Of New York, report
$500 failures, aggregating S64 644, loo
Says the New York Tribune during the
last six months, the number Of failures
has been 5.2ll, and the liabilities $l34, ;.
900, 0OO. This aggregate Was exceeded
during twelve months IN 1857, in 1861
and in 1873, 1874 and 1875, but not in
any other year. During the three years
and one quarter embraced in the present
period Of commercial disaster, the number
Of failures has been q 559, and the liabil
tiles S649, 442, 509 The three years, 1857 g.
saw only 1000 failures, with liabilities q
S45l, 1893. 900; the three years. 1902
saw only II, ,3l8 failures, with liabilities o.
$50, O66, 300, and the three years, 1870 2
though yesEs Of comparative prosperity
witnessed 10, $50 failures, with liabilities o.
1924, $50, 900. Remembering that ther,
were but comparatively few failures in tn,
first quarter Of 1873, we may fairly say
that within the last three years the number
killed and wounded in the battle Of com
merce has been greater than during tn,
worst four years Of all our preceding his
tory. With these facts staring us in tn,
face, we are told by the same authorit,
thstt this is a hopeful sign of the goo(
times coming. Well, perhaps 1t is 50, i
we had enly the strength of vision to en-
able us to see it. But | confess NY weak
ness in being unable to see in this state o
affairs any cause for rejoicing, and fea
thousands Of others, whose wages hav
again been assaulted and reduced tha
could i'll afford to be, will look at it as
do. The theory Of forced economy an,
low wages that is being enforced is al
wrong The argument that We have beeI
overProduing is preposterous to peopl
VINO know the circumstances of the thou
sands who have not enough to live upol
from day to day. 1t may be very well t
talk 50 to those in high places who hav
been luxurlating in the finery and delica
cIes OF foreign importations; but to tn
great macs OF the people it is all stuff
What we need is knowledge of how t
Iudlciously consume more than we hav
done or now do, and not lcss. The NOR