The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-07-28
NE LABOR REVOLUTION.


a few days since on the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, and which has extended
over the United States with the speed
Of lightning, has features aboat it which
imrcri,.yeiy claim the earnest. honest
attention OF every intelligent and p.,tii>
otto man ia the nation, TO the end that
the Just causes Of complaint and COM
motion May bo removed, labor satisfied
aud the dangerous theories OF inter
uHtiouali-m and communism repressed
Ii wou't 10 to say thai the working
men are altogether to blame, nor are
thCy altogether tree from blame. The
railroads as Il rule, have not male
money since the war. At least the stock.
holders have handled no fat dividends.
whatever the managers mag have real
ule.l Competition has been very vigor-
ous Perhaps a dozen grand trunk lines
stretch from the south and west, con.
yerging ot Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York and Boston. Every trick and
every move possible and impossible,
has been played and made by
the rival roads to beat their
competitors. Rates Of passage and
freight have been reduced until receipts
have been barely sufficient to pay run
ming expenses, leaving nothing TO meet
1ccruing interest, repair. wear and tare,
or meet unexpected demands. The
wages Of employees has been repeatedly
rrduced 80 that for two or three years
they have been getting barely enough
TO support life. When it happens as il
frequently does that three and four
months are allowed to elapse without
paying them at all. the suffering and
distress Is almost UNDESIRABLE The men
have borne and forborne long and
patiently, seeming TO be willing to assist
accompanies as far as possible in the
stress Of the times They can afford to
work Tor the wages no longer. Some.
thing must be done. Just what that
something is is the problem and it will
take the wisest and coolest heads in
the nation to determine
One means suggests itself to shallow
thinkers, and that is put up the rates
and force the general public to bear the
burdens, or, at least, share them; but
for every cent added to the cost Of
transportation theconsumer is forced to
pay ten in the increased cost of the ar
ticie. SO il falls out that the poor la
borer pays it at last. But 1t is urged
that this advance must be made to az
feet luxuries and superfluities alone,
but the rich will add the increased cost
TO other things which the poor must
have, and here too the remedy is inad>
equate
our idea is that national legislation
as necessary Some step must be taken
to force or induce those who have &C.
cumulated the bonds of the nation. and
are realizing sufficient revenue upon
the regularly paid interest which is
wrupg from the poor by taxation---to
embark the money in commerce, man.
uiacturing enterprises or other paying
industries which will furnish the poor
profitable employment, and yield them
q fair return. We are at no loss to ex.
plain the present hard times, and
general distress among the labor
ing class when we compare our
present rotting. idle ships, with
the fleets of pro6tably employed mer.
ehantmen whose sails whitened every
ocean. sea and lake Of the habitable
world before the tocsin Of internecine
war called the sections To the horrible
work Of throat cutting. Restore our
lost commerce, reduce the bondholder
TO level with other people, encourage
the employment Of our surplus capital
in legitimate business, aud very soon
the ugly reports OF poverty and despair
OF the working people will become only
an ugly dream OF the past.
The wrecked mariner floating on a
spar, with
Water. water everywhere, ana not drop TO
drink"
is only the counterpart Of the laborer
who starses incontinently amid groas-
ing grsneries, welLflled storehouses
and millions Of money on every hand.
Here is the whole problem in nut.
shell Let our statesmen solve it salts
faetorily, and at once.