New-York tribune., 1877-08-22


do must be bravely undertaken. The main
question is: How are future scarcltles to be
avoided Cannot there be an improved cult
vation7 more enlightened systems OF labor
an improved economy which will be safe
guard against these continually recurring
famines7
The United States Government flung itself into
the business of labor reform few years ago. and the
results were not encouraging. In order to afford
workin gmen more leisure for culvaing their minds,
a law was enacted making eight hours days work.
But after n fair experiment 1t was discovered
that certain elementary prnciples-one being the
arthmetcal fact that eight is less than ten-could
not he ignored even by Congress 1t may be that the
laborer is endowed with the abstract right to high
wages. frequent vacations and ample daily leisure,
but the laws of the universe are not addicted
to suspending their operations, and people who
fail to take them into account as constant
and controlling forces are liable to come to grief
These new labor movements Will only repeat the
history Of the eight-hour movement, because
the designing leaders of them are melting
the workingman to a hopeless revolt against
natural laws. So long as the friends of the
"laborer" are trying to convince him that labor
is sort of cruelty inflicted, or an exactlon
enforced by social tyranny, they are nstructng him
that his first duty is to throw off some yoke or
struggle to evade some oppressive imposition. This
miscbievous fallacy cannot be too quickly exploded
il is time for less talk about the wrongs
of the Iaborer and more about his duties. Labor
has its own dignity and privileges. which are thrown
away as the workingman assumes that he Is
oppressed and degraded. The establishment by
government of eight-hour laws and minimum rates
IL. l.. l,,K atta atatu
TO degrade the man who works with his hands. for
they imply that he is an infant an imbeclle, who
needs some special nursing In our political system
all men are equal, and the aborer should hesitate
before he throws away his birthrght by claiming
that he needs protection.
1t is plain from the summaries of the agricultural
reports printed yesterday and to-day that the British
harvest will again be light. The wheat crop espe-
cialy is far below the average. The harvest IN
France IS also defective, and the German crop Is
almost the only one the Continent that is looking
well 4 fair harvest is going to waste in the agri-
cultural belts of Russia, owing to scarcity of field
labor The Economist now admits that the reports of
the harvests In other countries which have reached
England, leave little reason for doubt that
the low prices of wheat which have pre-
vailed during the last two years Will not
This view is based upon the reports which have
been received of the harvest prospects in India and
America as well as Europe. Whe'the wheat sup
ply will be ample il is estimated that bread VIII
cost Great Britain from four to five millions ser-
ling more this year than il did last year. Now this
supply is coming in large measure from the United
States where we have one of the finest barvests we
have ever garnered The railroad strikes came too
early to prevent our crops from reaching foreign
market. Although the harvest IN Calfornla mas
fallen off unexpectedly, ii is estimated on the Lon
don exchanges that the expectation OF wheat from
America will exceed last years supply by two mil
lion quarters Our merchants and business men are
already in buoyant spirits. and not without cause
The letter which appeared in our columns yester-
day from an officer attached to the Russian stan,
was comprehensive summary of the campaign in
Bulgaria written after the first battle of Plevna
In enumeratng the army corps encamped between
the Danube and the Balkans, he does not mention
either the Seventh the Tenth Corps, and hence 1t
is apparent that these two corps are still IN Rou-
mania or Bessarabia. When the disastrous battle of
Plevna was fought the main army could not have
comprised more than SIX army corps and Of these
the Ninth and portions of the Fourth and Eleventh
Corps were under fire. 1t has been started again and
again that the effective force of the Russians on that
battlefield was less than 10000 We now inclined
to believe that it was larger than the staff were
ready TO admit. and that the strength of the army
of invasion has been systematically exaggerated.
Remforcements. however, are close at hand. The
Fifth and Sixth corps already modified and the
Imperial Guard if recruited to its full strength
will comprise over $4,000 men. The Landwehr
may take the place of the Seventh and Tenth Corps
which are probably doing garrison duty i'll Rouma-
ma and on the coast. The reserves ought to have
been on the ground before they were needed. Rus
sa has no Carnot in st. Petersburg who can organ
ize a campaign in advance of the fighting.
total eclipse of the moon will take place to-mor
row evening The time for seeing 1t here Will be
from sunset 10 about O'clock At the time the
moon rises she will be totally eclipsed and
probably quite invisible At thirteen minutes
after o'clock a segment of her lower left
hand border Will emerge from the shadow. The
middle of the eclipse is at six hours fourteen min
utes at which time the moon is in the zenith over
the west coast of Africa little south of ST. Paul de
Ioanda At the end Of the total eclipse seven
hours thirteen minutes her zenith position viii be
nearly over the Island of st. Helena.
II is understood in England that one result Of the
Patti divorce suit is likely to be immediate visit
by the ex-narchioness to America. Mr.. Maurice
Strakosch has offered high terms and rs Patti can
not now be comfortable either in Paris or London,
and the prospects of a season in Russia uncer-
tain tour in the United States appears to be almost
her only resource If she comes it will be sorely
against her will; but we do not suppose that she
will sing any the worse for that.
Chief Justice Shea, at the dinner recently
.,a1 IA hot