Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-09-08

city alone, and there are more be
ing led to the slaughter. The fac
is, the President is gaining sroun,
daily, and whoever opposes hin
will be ground to powder by tL
people for whom he has institute,
reforms that are actually reforms
he has smashed machine politics
and all honest men, Democrats ~
well as Republicans, have faith il
him, and are having more every
day.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Robert b, Roosevelt, an old Cit
zen, and very good man, has ad
dressed an open letter to the mayor
asking that the city begin public
works il, order to give work to the
starving unemployed. 1t is true
that there are Il vast number o.
men in the city who would work j.
they could get work to do, and it is
also true that unless they get work
the city will have to support them
Roosevelt argues that the city might
as well get the value Of the assist
ancc it will have to render, as to
give it in the shape of aims. The
newspapers are criticising his letter
severely, but | can't say but that he
is right, and that all other cities
and towns that have unemployed
labor should not do likewise. RooSe-
velts proposition does not 60 far
enough. The thousands of profess
sional me ndicants. the beggars, or
gan.srinders, thieves and tramps
should be arrested and compelled
to work. Every man and woman
who cannot show visible means of
should be compelled to
work, even if corporal punishment
should be found necessary, and that
would reduce the burden imposed
upon the people about half. Then,
why not set the honest poor at work
on public improvements which have
got to be made sometime? Should
not the municipalities of the conn
try take advantage of the cheapest
of labor to build their new railroads,
their public buildings, and their
aud their everything that
they have got to build sooner or
later? This is the precise time III
which to do it. If they do not set
he unemployed at work of this
kind, the public will have to sup
port them anyhow, and why not get
he worth Of their support out of
hem! In short, why not get the
value, in permanent Improvements,
or what we have got to pay? |
believe in strong paternal govern
nent. which will act as regulator.
W hen private enterprise is active,
he government can be quiet. But
when from any cause private enter.
Prise becomes Stagnant, and thouS,
lnds upon thousands of men, who
would work if they could get work
o do, are thrown out of employ
nent, why should not the govern
nent step in, and take advantage
If the cheapness of labor, give them
on it's work This is
he time that Custom Houses. Post
Offices, and other public buildings
hat the government will have to
ave within ten years should be
'uilt, and everything else of d pub,
ic nature should be done. If a
iIy or town has IA railroad to build.
school house to erect, or anything
lse Of the kind to do, it cannot do
wiser thing than to commence it
ow by this means it will get it's
improvements done at half the cost
t four years from now, and it will
i've employment to that portion of
he poor WHO will work. The tramps
hould then be compelled to earn
heir living, and the labor question i
'Ould be settled.
Donahue, the leader of the rail ;
Dad strikes at Hornellsville, was ..
aleaSed from Ludlow st. Jail, hav, :
lg served his time out, but was :
rrested Immediately by the Shel- S
of Steuben County. and was f
,kcn to Bath, and put into the t
,mmOn Jail. Donahue don't like e
lis, for it interferes with his pur. !,
Oses. He had made SO much no i
,riety by his connection with the h
rikeS, that he had made his ar n
lngements to utilize it, by start +
g "a paper in New York, devoted h
} Communism and all sorts of la a
Dr. va.aries. His sheet was to be II
lmed "The Striker" and he conf, :
entity expected that every laboring
an who had a dollar to spare,
ould send in his money, and that "
, would at once be elevated to the 81
ace of leader of the laboring o
.ople, and possibly get to Con v
ess on the strength of that hob i
:. For be it known that MIR. DON in
Tue, like all the leaders of great a
Ovements, is the most consum. 81
ate dema gOgue that ever breathed,
ID there is nothing that he will
It do to advance himself. He is q,
Ill languishing in the Jail of 'Steu- B
II County, and as the working 60
IN are too smart to advance any. 90
ing TO let him out, he is likely to liz
" there some time. The labor tie
IN, = I. IL,