Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-05

ed are growing and as everybody know
the impelling motive of their grOwls, the.
can do no harm. The best capital thu
president has is the fact that within two
weeks over hundred useless officials have
walked the plank in this city alone, ant
there are more being led to the slaughter
The fact is, the president is gaining grounc
daily and whoever opposes him will bC
ground to powder by the people for whom
he has instituted reforms that are actua
reforms. He has smashed machine poll
tics, and all honest men, democrats as wei
as republicans, have faith in him, and are
having more every day.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Robert B. Roosevelt, an old citizen, ant
a very good man, has addressed an open
letter to the mayor, asking that the city
begin public works in order to give work
to the starving unemployed. 1t is true
that there are vast number of men in the
city who would work if they could gel
work to do, and it is also true that unless
they get work the city will have to sup
port them. Roosevelt argues that the city
might rs we'll get the value of the assist
ance it will have to render, as to give il
in the shape of aims. The newspapers
are crticising his letter severely, but l
can't say but that he is right, and that all
other cities and towns that have unem-
ployed labor should not do likewise
Roosevelt's proposition does not 90 far
enough. The thousands of professional
mendicants, the beggars, organ grinders
thieves and tramps should be arrested and
compelled to work. Every man and wom-
an who cannot show visible means OF
support, should be compelled TO work,
even if corporal punishment should be
found necessary, and that would reduce
the burden imposed upon the people about
a 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 country take
advantage Of the cheapness of labor TO
build their new railroads, their public
buildings, and their streets, and their
everything that they have got to build
sooner or laterP This is the precise time
in which to do it. If they do not set the
unemployed at work of this kind, the pub
lie will have to support them anyhow, and
why not get the worth of their support out
of them? In short, why not get the value,
in permanent improvements, for what we
have got to pay? | believe in strong
paternal government, which will act as a
regulator. When private enterprise is
active, the government can be quiet.
But when from any cause private enter
prise becomes stagnant, and thousands
upon thousands of men. who would work
if they could get work to do, are thrown
out of employment, why should not the
government step in, and, taking advantage
of the cheapness Of labor, give them en-
ployment on its work? This is the time
that custom-houses. post-oflices, and other
public buildings that the government will
have to have within ten years should be
built, and everything else of public NIL
ture should be done. If a city or town has
Il railroad to build, IL school. house to erect,
or anything else of the kind TO do, it can
not do wiser thing than to commence it
now, BY this means it will get its inn
provements done at half the cost of four
years from now, and it will give employ
ment to that portion of the poor who will
work. The tramps should then he COM
PEELED to earn their living, and the labor
question would be settled.
Donahuc, the leader of the railroad
strikers at townsville, was released from
Ludlow st. Jail, having served his time
out, but was arrested Immediately by
the sheriff of Stueben County, and was
taken to Bath, and put in the common
Jail. Donahue don't like this, for it inter.
feres materially with his purposes. He
had made so much notoriely by his con-
neclion with the strikes, that he had made
his arrangements to utilize it, by starting
II paper in New York, devoted to Com
munism and all sorts Of wild labor vagar-
les. His sheet was to be named 1.-THE
Striker" and he confidently expected that
every laboring man who had dollar to
spare, would send in his money, and that
he would ut once be elevated to the place
of leader of the laboring people, and
possibly get to Congress on the strength of
that hobby. For be it known that Mr.
Donahue, like all the leaders of great
movements, is the most consummate dem
agogue that ever breathed, and there is
nothing that he will not do to advance
himself. He is still languishing in the jail
of Steuben County, and us the working
men are too smart 10 advance anything to
let him out, he is likely to stay there some
time. The labor movement in the city is
hanging fire. The managers are anxious
to have strike, but the operatives are
waiting. Those who have work are averse
to letting go their hold. and those who
have not. have no money 10 put up to put
the thing through. And Swinton, Schwab
and Thompson, the orators Of the Com
have nothing to contribute but
talk, and that won't buy bread and butter
for hungry men and women. The probabi.
lily now is. that there will be no general
strike here, this fall. The season is too far
advanced, and the would.be strikers haven't
he money TO do it with.
THE TELEGRAPH.
Did urge last week that the govern
nent should take hold of the telegraph
If l did not, want to do it now. While |
he Atlantic and Pacific and the Western