The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1877-08-01
How II Came to z ass.

49, 1S3 s. 2l5s} 81 4SS 9
The appalling outbreak Of The lsesr is
by. no means q disconnected and independ-
ent event The country has been prepar-
ing for it for a long time, and for the last
three years has been making rapid strides
towards it. che panic Of '72 was hu. the
beginning Of q series Of symptoms, and
showed into what a dangerous condition
the body polite had fallen. With the
sang,iine temperament which marks us as
q people, we said: Things will be better
.o-morrow. To morrow came, and things
were worse. We still said, the nexl month
or next autumn confidence would revive,
industries become remunerative, and trade
reach profitable figure. Tie next month
and the next autumn arrived, and, al
though affairs were worse yet our hopes
sortran our fears, and we predicted that
smooth and prosperous times would soon
be at our doors. And here We are at last,
our railroads bankrupt, our manufactures
closed, our little property heavily laden
with taxes and next thing to valueless, q
large class of people without employment,
another large class at work on the ninety
cents-a-day style Of wages, the money of
the country Withdrawn from use, and, to
cap climax Of evils,a wild mob, extending
from Boston to San Francisco, is howling
around our depots and warehouses, para.
lying all business. and threatening COM
plications hitherto unknown in the his.
terry Of our country. s:S1.
The crisis has come, and when we must
meet it. We cannot escape By hiding onr
heads In the sand. The return Of strikers
to their work, SO desirable and so neces-
sary to the present peace and thrift of the
community, will not put US in the right
potion. It is the first thing to be accom-
plished, but when effected, what then
There has never been time when calm,
profound, and honest wisdom was more
needed than now. It will not do to in
fiict any fraud upon our own understand
ing, or upon the understanding Of the me-
chanic and laborer. The best way out Of
difficulty is an honest acknowledgement of
the situation, fearless regard to truth.
Truth IS 1lways the best policy, and no
timidity as to the effect Of uttering il
should overslaugh it.
The first truth is, that the great mass Of
people, workmen as well as others, have
lived beyond their means, and therefore
have no resources for q day oftrouble, and
may, and ought TO, thank themselves
largely for the evil Of the tunes, and, as a
corollary, ought to- have some patience
under adverse events.
The second truth is, that the country has
been, and is. overlain with rotten corpor-
atoms and business enterprises Of one sort
and another, houses without any capital
enormous frauds on q toe credulous peo-
pie. Explosions, therefore, are the natural
order so soon as stringent times begin
and they multiply until the end is reached
dragging down inithcir fall many legiti.
mate enterprises.
A third truth is, that the railroad inter
ests of the country have become essential.
" corrupted. Vast franch ises have fallen
into the hands Of . few, who, under forms
Of law have invented and executed all
manner Of schemes for illegitimate gain
Ingenious enough to avoid legal malfeas
ance. these corporations have swollen up
into unjust and audacions nsonopolies.
Many Of the managers have turned the
profit OF trsnsit into their own pockets,
and In their greed have at last made acut.
| threat t!s::s .st war mon each other and then,
partly from sheer necessity aud partly to
make sham Of economy to stockholders,
they lave put their operatives on short ra.
Itions. A table showing the geographical
area subject to the dictation Of = small
number Of road managers, and fable ol
incomes accruing to these managers, CT
rectly and indirectly, from the roads they
control, would present an instructive les.
son. .sts r. /.
4 fourth truth IS, that the pubic none:
Itary policy Of the country has been, fol
several years, managed in the interest o.
the creditor against the debtor, in favor oi
| the large trader against the small trader