The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-22

There Is now among the people of this
country an amount Of distress and suffering
for want of employment and for want of
money. such az was never known In the
United States before. Great strikes and
riots. with the military Of several States un-
der arms. afford the most startling and
most conclusive evidence OF this universal
distress.
1t is exceedingly important for all people,
and especially for those workingmcn who
suffer and are to suffer the most deeply
from this tragical situation TO understand
the causes which bring such misery upon
Them.
These causes are several. and the dcspcr-
ate remedy which the railroad engineers and
Bremen have fallen upon is not only utterly
Intellectual against them, but can only result
IN bringing greater privations and deeper
suffering upon those who resort to 1t. or the
great trunk railroad companies, one IL
already in bankruptcy aud others are upon
the verge of it, while the strongest of them
cannot continue to pay dividends from its
earnings. The railroads themselves are thus
at starvation point. and there is no alter
native for the managers but to reduce TO
Starvation point the wages Of their cm-
ployccs.
The several causes which together result
in this state of things We have di-cu-scd and
cxpoundcd from time to time; but there l.
one among them. the most recent and tho
most decisive which the victims OF this
crisis should never forget and never over
look This decisive cause worse than all
others together. i the Electoral Conspiracy
of last fall. 10y which the man elected Prcsi-
dent by the people was deprived of that
Election, aud another man. who was not
elected, was installed ~ President.
For years from the panic oi 1873 on-the
country had suffered from stasnatiOn Of i'll
dustry and business aggravated 10y political
corruption who's" poison extended to every
vein and nerve Of the public body. To re-
move these evils the people rcsort"d to the
ballot boxes. They elected President
pledged to reform; but the heads and man
myers Of the Republican party. supported
by all the moral rcformcrs and sentimental
rhotoicans in the ranks Of that great or
gauilatiOn, determined that this election
should hc set aside, They set it aside 10y
frauds the most glarimg and unoXamplel
and in the whole of that great party, with
oil liz array OF intelligence and all its pre-
tensions To- upri.hiuc--. only two men. two
Republican members Of Congress from Mas
rachusc,ts, were found to protest against
the wrong
Before this crime was consummatod, huei
ness had begun TO revive Times were lc
coming better. very much better; people had
confidence aud hope. But the crime killc'
nll confidence and all hope, just as, for ia,
time being. it parayzed the Constitution an'
nullihcd all law. Confidence, h,pe. industry
md business have not revived from tn,
deadly blow; and it doe not now seem likcl.
that they can regain their normal yigor ans
nctivity, until alter another Presidential
election.
Let those who have no work and thos
who can only obtain work at starvation
wages reflect upon these facts aud prcpar
themselves 10 execute justice at the ballO
box when the right time comes.