The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-12-31
A. d. 1879.

For three years last past the
financial affairs Of the nation have steadily
grown worse instead Of better. From
time to time the politicians and party
fnanoiers have given assurances Of better
times near at hand, but like most promises
made for temporary effect and for partizan
ends these predictions Of better times have
proven illusory. Even those who profess
to be skilled in finance, those whom the
people have called statesmen, and have
placed at the head Of affairs to manage
and direct, disagree as to the causes which
have produced the evils under which the
country labors, and equally disagree as to
the measures to be adopted to afford
remedy. Meanwhile, what do we see
Banks are failing, manufactures close,
trade is paralyzed, credit is harder to OBJ
tain, collections become next to impossible,
and labor goes begging. Capitalists with
their funds in hand and agriculturists with
few or no debts may possibly be in a con-
dition Of safety, but who elseP The great
body Of merchants, especially the retail
class, the artizans, the mechanics, the
operatives on railroads, in shops or manu-
factories, and still more; so the great body
Of laboring men whose subsistence de-
ponds upon a daily, weekly, or,monthly
stipend, what prospect lies before all these
to encourage and cheer them at the APP
proach Of another year. The times grow
hard aldl harder, employment scarce
and scarcer, how shall the means
of subsistence be obtained. People can't
live without the wherewithal to eat; gro
Gerry bills, lmeat bills, current expenses,
can't be paid without money, and money
does not come to the employe unless he
can obtain work. 1t is time to speak out
in plain terms and undisguised speech. Not
year has yet elapsed since the nation felt
a thrill, a SILVER so to speak, from Maine
to California. For the time being the
threatened evil disappeared, but it is in
abeyauce, not cured. Men may be truly
and Loyalty peaceful and law-abiding
citizens, good, industrious, honest men,
butwhen man Of this kind, with ready will,
with good intent, with qualifications which
fit him for che performance of all ordinary
kinds Of business, is thrown out of en-
ployment and kept out Of it for months,
aye for years, except here and there an
odd job, and his wife and children grow
leaner and poorer from month to month
and day to-day, and he sees himself and
those dependent upon him sinking slowly
but surely into hopeless and AFFECT power
ty, does any one suppose that man is not
endowed with the natural feelings of his
kind, that it does not wiring his heart with
dependency and grief, and that thoughts
and feelings ere not born which even be
sometimes shudders to harbor. What
does it signify to tell such an one that
money is as plenty as ever-what does he
profit by the endless discussions in regard
to a monometallic or BIZ metallic curren-
cy-what are these to him when he feels
and knows that he is surely sinking into
abject indigence-knows that if his grocery
man should refuse to any longer give him
credit that he and his family would abso
lutely want for bread
The present hard times are actually
appalling to millions. Unless in some
mode there come an ameIioration of theil
condition, 1t is not within the limits o.
human nature to Ealways remain passive
forbearing and enduring. Among men il
the social relations of life there arist
occasions when it is said forbearance cease
to be a virtue, it is possible that exigencie
may arise when with masses and classes o
men the some thing may occur. Human
endurance has limit in political as wei
as physical sense, and the results to tn
body polite are fearful when that limit j
reached. No one cares to contemplate
such fearful actualities, and yet he VIII
listens attentively and observes eArefull
can hear the low'suppressed murmur @
angry impotence, and discern omens Shic
bode no good. We are not alarmists il
any sense Of the word, nor given to croak
ing, nor believers in every wind and doc
trine which may prevail, but we know tina
never within the period of the present ger
Grafton have the times been anything ik
as rugged and unproductive to men of goo
will, TO that class who desire TO obtai
labor and be paid for it, as they are nov
and the question which spontaneous
springs to every tongue is an inquiry whe
will it be any better. Naturally at the h
ginning of the year, the heart hopes fC
better and brighter prospects Men salut
each other with the time honored wish
happy new year. Such wish seem
like bitter jest, hollow mockery, to hiI
who is in deep distress and secs no hope
OF his condition being better.
Whatever may be the actual cause
which have produced the existing state
affairs, there is but one wise and sensibl
thing to be done, and that is find out som
way of producing different and bette
financial condition. 1t is not q party affa
to do this, it is thing Of national concern
in which all parties ought to be interested
and in which the patriotic and rigt
minded of every party should join. On
thing is tolerably certain. yes very certain
that party or no party the country, {
perhaps more accurately speaking, the il