The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-08-30
/" Three Millions Of tile Men.

i bree millions Of mei out OF work
What an announcement Add to
this nun Der say five Millions NOR
who are de pendent for support, and
we have these start ling -iigu res,
5000 900 persons calling for help.
Is it any wonder that The labor
que stion is being pushed steadily
aud boldly to the frat 7 That it is
demanding consideration aud in
vestigation, and IS daily assuming
more impo rtorc 7 Idlepess, pow
erty and dis tr.ss, failures, bankrupt-
cy and crime spread over our fair
coroCry, md there does not soem to
be any one apeble Of devisipg ways
and means Of bringing about q bet
ter state Of affairs. Strong and
brave men we ar out their hearts as
they see wives and children in want,
and after months Of vain searching
for employment, too often are tempt
cd to crime or maddened 10 suicide.
Yet this great land is broad Q.
nough for all, aud millions Of acres
which will yield a sure subsistence
to patient workers lie waiting for A.
by man to till them. Our cities are
overcrowded. While tho rural dis.
tricts have beon neglected, and we
may say measurably despised, the
towns have overho we'd until the sup
ply Of labor far exceeds the demand.
Notwithstanding tho continual warn
ings given through the newspa-
pers and in other forms, there is q
continual rush into the cities. Some
come because they think city life 10
en- sier than country life, and should
they fail to obtain employment the
Dorcas organizations will not let
them want, and thus they crowd
and crush each other fighting des-
perately for the work which Is not
enough for all, and wasting no
small share of the industrial force
and productive power, which right.
ly distributed, would add to the na-
tion's prosperity.
Beyond all doubt this overcrowd-
ing of civic employments, this dis
proportionate massing Of the popu-
lation in places whero hundreds Of
thousands must struggle in vain
for work, has been an important
cause Of recent prolonged disasters.
Competition in any business is an
excellent incentive, but competition
often ruins business. It works in
two ways it stimulates production
and consumption, but it also reduc.
es profits, Of ten below the point Of
safety, and then come along credits,
losses and failures. The best state
Of society is that. in which all can
be employed With fair remunera-
ton. Extreme low prices either for
labor or goods have no permanent
advantage, Unquestiouably q largo
part of the present difficulties of the
country are the result of over stim-
ulated labor. During tho war many
new industries were started, the de.
mand, for labor was great, high wa
ges were paid, not only for skilled
labor but to inferior mechanics ;
men were induced to leave their ru-
raj homes aud crowd into the towns
and cities where these industries
were calling for them. And this
stimulated industry. this abnormal
growth of labor, was carried through.
out every department Of business
It was fictitious, feverish and uu-
healthy. All men could see pla inly
that the demand for iron could not
always last, and that gun and car
fridge factories must eventually he
shut up, but they could not see that
boots and shoes, clothing. and all
the ordinary trades would be Affect
as we'll that there would be less-
ened demand for sewing machines
as well as for diamonds, for food 90
for luxuries
But the fact that there are three
millions Of persons out OF employ
ment does not prove that business
is at u standstill. Compare the
country to-day with what il was
twenty years ago, and it would seem !
to bo in the full tide OF prosperity. +
We forget tho condition OF the coun-
in 1878. We compare it only !