National Republican., 1877-08-01
THE COST OF THE RECENT OUT.
BREAK

The Working Glasses to Pay for the Destruc-
tion Of Property at Pittsburg, Reading,
baltimore, and the Other Scenes Of Riot
and dArson-Another Valuable Contribution
from Hon. Thomas J. Durant.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN,: During the events
which have recently disturbed a large portion
Of the country, much has been said by the con-
ductors Of the newspaper press which displays
depth Of thought, and affords food for reflection.
On the morning of the 26th of July tho New
York Tribune, comparing the disturbances then
going on with the draft riots In that city four.
teen years ago, said;
For that riot the taxpaycrs Of New York were
liable to the amount of s2I0oOooo and bonds were
issued To meet the charge On these bonds we have
already paid more than one million and hall
dollars OF interest and this year we have to pay the
hrSt installment of the principal, amounting to
10000 The annual interest thus far has been
nearly one hundred and twelve thousand dollars.
Every penny Of these large sums came out Of the
pockets Of the laboring Of the metropolis, and
every penny Of much larger sums payable on nc.
count of the PittSburg, Baltimore, Reading, Hor-
ncllsville and other Of the present disturb
ancc must likewise como out OF the pockets OF the
working classes. 1t is idle to imagine that in this
nge OF the world any burden can be laid upon cap
al which labor win not finally be forced to bear.
These axioms so plainly uttered ought to be
sufficient to deter the workingmcn from all
attacks on property involving damage or de-
struction, but the scope Of the application Of
the principles has some limitations. An
American workingman resembles the horse
of Scholasticus who amused us in our school
boy days, when the unfortunate animal, sub
jected to an experiment In political economy
whose object was to test whether horse could
subsist on nothing, had been reduced to one
straw q day, no expired. The problem Of liv-
ing on nothing was not demonstrated, but
economists have never despaircd Of solving it.,
or doubted Its truth, or failed to believe for a
moment that it is just as applicable to work
ingmen rs to horses. And so II is. When the
burden Of taxation, whether laid to pay for
property destroyed by mobs, or for any other
object, shall equal the amount the working
man can produce, leaving him theological
bread and water, then he will share the fate
of the horse, and after he submits to that who
will pay the interest on the debt2 "The
native hue" of such condition of things, and
the country is approaching it, is sicklied DER
with the pale cast Of thought.
The economist of the Tribune tells us, too,
and tells us truly, that no burden can be laid
upon capital which labor will not finally be
forced to bear" But how does this come
aboutf The lsborers do not pay 1t knowingly
or willingly. Through what unseen and subtle
alembic, then, does the product of labor pass
from the hand Of the working man to the
Golfer of the capitalist2 Is 1t just or unjust
that such should be the casef These are ques-
tions raised by the exigcnces Of the time and
an answer should not be wanting, and no
doubt the conductors of the press will be able
to furnish 1t. THOMAS J. DURANT.