, 1877-12-29
The Labor Problem.

| There is no Disgusting the difficulties of
the labor problem. As an intelligent con-
temporary, the Boston Post, remarks, no
one man can solve it, nor can legislation
harlnon;ze its current inconsistencies.
Ben Butler, it Is SAID, promises 4 speech
solutiye of the situation, but even he has
never been entrusted with The keeping Of
a panacea. The recent uprising in tho
Eastern States was IN lts way, the natural
supplement to the panic of 1873 the
sequel to four years of business stagna.
ton OF course it could accomplish moth
ing in DETECTING the silent course of tho
natural law, yet it could demand a place
on the record Us the protest Of impatieuce
and a revolving spirit. As between the
railroads and the men who operate them,
while the latter cln offer no excuse for
their violent action III stopping traffic and
transPor ..ation, the former cannot claim to
be exempt from blame Throwing out of
account the roads that are bankrupt or do
not pay dividends to their stockholders,
the rest, which are the leading lines Of
the country, have been engaged In other
than legitimate business and in operating
outside OF the limits of their original
charters. The frenzy of ambition has
seized their managers, and they have
invaded congress with rival projects, laid
for heavy land grants and subsidies, corn
cred legislation and played off opposing
schemes. They have attempted the con-
quest of the continent The lobby has
been supported by them in afiluence.
Brlbes have stuck to hands that should
have turned them over to S ockholderS-
1t has been one mad run for leasing and
buying up all the roads there were to be
had desperate struggle for arbitrary
power; 4 frequentin. of state houses to
dictate Legislation and a lavish expendl-
ture of money. for purposes far out of the
reach of the business of the present day.
Salaries have with such roads, If not
with the most Of them, been heavyat the
top and light at the bottom. Brains are
always worth more than mere muscle, but
without muscle they cannot do much on Il
railroad. Ten per cent. of of ten
thousand dollar salary is but a tiea-bitc
but taken from dollar and half a day,
or less, 1t Is felt all through the workmans
family. To tell men who are paid the
. latter's WAGES that they must dispense
with luxuries Is to insult them +; they have
nothing to purchase mxuries with. To
threaten them with dismissal if they re-
sist the reduction, after having proved
their trustworthiness for years Is the ex-
treme of cruelty. Ii there are three or
ten others standing to take their places at
the reduced rates, it shows how large Is
the class of the unemployed, and how
staanant and dead is the business of the
community What is the remedy! There
is no arbitrary answer to such question.
Yet experience has taught us all the neces-
sity of economy, which is sure to come IN
on It's own account. We must begin to
be producers where We have been So large
ly consumers. Too many have gone INTO
manufacturing and trading, when they
should have sought mechanics trades and
the cultivation of the land The dram
put upon country life for the citys sup
ply has caused the latter to grow surfeited,
and this is its attack of apoplexy- They
have bread riots and labor strikes In the
Old World because there is no surplus
land with us the situation Is wholly re-
versed, and We witness riots and strikes
even while the land Is not worked Say
what we viii, the vast extent of our ter
ritory makes us an agricultural nation,
and viii always keep lis one Agriculture
must become our supreme industry This
is TO be land of contented homes, not OF
tenement houses, street emeutes, mobs,
and incendiarism.
So far as legislation has part to play
in remedyin. existing difficulties, it IS
manifestly called to a thorough and I'M
mediate revision of the tariff, which Is
only another word for taxation 1t Is
summoned To take down the barriers TO
trade, SO that the surplus of our produc-
tons may find the open markets of the
world and give relief to this surtelt. 1t
IS expected to 50 distribute the burden OF
the common debt that taxes VIII not come
as if it WAS the intention to pay off the
debt all at once and now. And 1t must
most rigidly enforce the rule OF economy
in all public matters. In this way leglsla-
ton can bring sensible and instant relief
to the country, which Of course means
10 labor itself If there are any states
men among the public men of the time,
this is their opportunity. As for merely
preaching the need Of economy to labor
it is like applying a salve where nothing
is wanted but all Alternative medicine a
great deal is to be left to time, OF course,
and to the operations OF nature yet Wha1
intelligent legislation can do it should set
about forthwith. The most OF us can see
our fault and folly by this time, but
lamentations are out Of place We must
all 90 to work, and way must be made
for the disposal of the products OF our
| industry. The land is our great resource
| and to that We must turn our faces Mofe
prOducers and no idle consumers, Is the
demand of the time. All cannot expect
10 he merchants, any more than million
naires. Young men must learn tae naoi'
Of saving, and drop the dreams OF specu,
Iation. We want more mechanics ana
farmers where we now have a surplus OF
veil dressed oilers who depend on
mother's washing or sister s sewing ma
cb;pe Manhood viii lift US out OF this,
and nothing less than manhood WILL
Tgy INDIAN QCEsTIoS--1n letter ad-
Jr.s.aI to the secretary OF the interior by
| Ianes NclIaion. an old Pacific coast pioneer,
| - ,,,.ac.. q plan for dispOSinS Of the In