The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-10
AHorribte Condition.

ties, such as fires, floods, drouths,
etc, usually receive sympathy from
their fellow citizens sufficiently &C
tive TO prompt to assistance, and
their misfortunes not infrequently
become advantages; but those
whose affections results from en-
forced idleness are never so happy.
Indeed, they are as often condemn
ed as pitied, and are, therefore, in
much more deplorable situation. To-
them the world is always cold and
ungenerous, even when their suffer-
ings are most acute and their blame
lessness most obvious; when, in
deed, their misfortunes are easily
traceable to the conduct of others.
The papers from the large eastern
cities tell us pitiful stories daily Of
destitution, even to starvation, which
thousands of the citizens Of those
municipalities are now enduring;
and, ever and anon, we are treated
to learned editorial dispositions in
these same newspapers, attrlbutlng
this misery to almost every other
than its true cause.
1t is not only the duty, but the
interest, of us all to inquire into
the cause of this restitution and en-
deavor to find a remedy for it, for,
Notwithstanding our present enjoy
ment of plenty, the same cause is
operating upon us and will ultimate
ly result in reducing US to a similar
pitiable condition. What is this
cause :? Why should any, except the
indolent and improvident, starve in
this land of plenty? Is there not
enough to feed and clothe all ? Ger
tainly there is. No real necessity
for this restitution exists and, there
fore, it must be the result of an arti-
fetal, rather than a natural cause.
That is: it is consequence of mis-
management Of some sort. This
mismanagement cannot be confined
to the individual sufferers, nor even
to the class to which they belong,
for, in that case, some Of them
would discover it and apply reme-
dy. Certainly they would not sui.
fer if they could help it.
To us it seems very clear that this
suffering is direct and inevitable
result of Encouragement on the
part of those who control Our gov
eminent. For long term Of years
the government has been perverted
from its true purpose and admins
tered in the interest Of classes. First,
the manufacturers of some one arti-
Gle applied to the government for
legislation to Protect them against
foreign competition, in the sale of
their manufactures. This was done
by imposing upon the foreign dealer
an onerous import duty, which so
increased the cost his articles deliv-
cred in our market that he could
not afford to sell them at a less
price than the home manufacturer
of similar articles choose to sell his
wares. This legislation benefited
all the domestic manufacturers of
such articles, but did so at the ex-
:pense of all their fellow-citizens.
The heneft was especial, but the in
jury was general, for the people were
compelled to contribute to the en-
riching Of these manufacturers. The
ice once broken, the purpose of the
of the government once perverted,
it was an easy matter to continue
on in that direction, until about all
manufacturers are now protected"
at the expense ofMe people: Nor
did the evil stop here. Railroad
companies needed encouragement,
and, by an infamous system of gov
ernmental subsidies, every dollar of
which was paid by the people, roads
were actually built and equipped