Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-28

lew VI 'ANoE hNb ~ mn
To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times
The question naturally arises in the In
quiring mind, What is the cause of these
hard times we hear talked of so much? Va
l ious explanations are made but none OF
them are satisfactory to my mind. Some
people tell us of how change in the Presi-
Dental administration will give us better
Zines. Some will give us better times by
the use of all soft or all hard money. Some
attribute the cause of the great depression to
one thing and some to another.
The fact is. all this about hard times is
nothing more nor less than the want of en-
ployment among those who labor for their
daily bread. Will not gold dollar buy as
much to-day as ever? Cannot day labOrer
buy as much to appease the wants OF his
family with days pay now as ever? lfa.l
had constant employment at the present
prices methinks very little would be said
about hard times
Now, how comes this great want of en-
ployment? If we can solve this problem
then the great question of what is the cause
of these hard times is answered. To an
swer this question we will 60 back to the
times wheI steam power and the telegraph
were unknown; when railroads and steam
boats were never heard of when a man
would be called crazy if he should tell you
that horses could be made to NOW when
the cotton gin was never dreamed of to
the time when the meaning OF the word
patent Office was unknown.
In those times men, women and children
had enough to do in Summer and in Winter.
fax, and manufactured his own Summer and
Winter clothing. Now it is made by
machinery, while he, his sons and
daughters pass their time in idle
ness. Then the grass and grain was
all cut by hand, requiring four or five
times as many men as now, when the major
ity have nothing to do. Then the joiner made
his own doors, window sash and blincs. and
did his own planning. Now i: is done by
machinery. Then the blacksmith made his
own nails, bolts and horse-shoes. Now the
machine makes them, while he stands back
and looks on, and his wife and children crying
for bread.
So it is in almost every branch of industry.
Let US take up whichever we will we find the
same result = machinery doing the work
leaving the multitude out of employment
some to wander about the world as tramps :;
some to crime and degradation. and others
to become paupers.
Facts are sometimes stubborn things,
know, but the above is what we cannot de-
ny, as it presents itself to my mind
Now the question is, How can the times
be made better? Steam power, the
telegraph and the patent office with
its results cannot be annihilated.
We must have rail roads and steam power
in all its forms. We must have all the
modern improvements in machinery Neces-
city is the mother of invention. The labor
ing class need employment and the genius of
the present age is quite competent to invent
means to meet this great necessity. Let
the government enact new laws, such as will
more encourage the settlement of new terri
tory. Let it pass law that no one man
shall own more land than is proper for him
to own. The farmer should employ men
to remove boulders; to under-drain to
greatly increase his amount of compost ;
to make his fence better and to
improve things generally, making his farm
more productive and more valuable. 1t ia
better to pay money to the poor for labor for
improving your farm, giving him chance
for his own support and that of his family,
than to let your farm 20 unimproyed and
Your money go to pay the poor tax. So in
every department in life, men should make it
their study to give those out of employment
something to do. Give the Door chance
and the times will be all right. Our ma
tion astonishes the world with its
Republican form Of government, making all
men free and equal. Let us, too, as ma
tion, show to the world that we can give
every man Il chance to earn his bread by the
sweat of his brow. NJ. BRADLEY.