Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-08-08
The Labor Problem.

out even ne has never been entrlSte
with the keeping of panacea. TT
recent uprising was, IN its way, tt
8 natural supplement to the panic ,
| 1878; the sequel to four years of bus
, ness stagnatlon. OF course it coul
accomplish nothing IN DETECTING til
silent course of the natural law, yet
could demand Il place on the recor
, as the protest of impotence and a II
voting spirit. AS between the raj
roads and the men who operate them
} while the latter can offer no excuse 70
their violent action in stopping traiii
and transportation, the former canno
claim to be exempt from blame
Throwing out of account the road
that are bankrupt or do not pay divi
dends to their stockholders, the rest
which are the leading lines Of the
country, have been engaged in Other
than Legitimate business and in oper-
atins outside OF the limits OF Their
original charters. The frenzy OF am
bitiop has seized their managers, and
they have invaded Congress- with ri
val projects, laid for heavy land grants
and subsidies, cornered legislation and
played off opposing schemes, They
have attempted the conquest Of the
continent. The lobby has been sup
ported by them in afiuence. Brides
have stuck to hands that should have
turned them over to stockholders. 1t
has been one mad run for leasing and
buying up all the roads there were TO
be had a desperate struggle for arbi-
trary power a trequenting Of State
Houses to dictate legislation and a
lavish expenditure of money for pur.
poses tar out of the reach OF the bust
ness Of the present day.
Salaries have with such roads, if not
with the most of them, been heavy at
the top and light at the bottom.
Brains are always worth more than
mere muscle, but without muscle they
cannot do much on railroad. Ten
per cert. off of ten-thousand-dolIar
salary is but flea bite (; but taken
from dollar and half a day, or less,
1t is felt all through the workman
family. To tell men who are paid the
latter wages that they must dispense
with luxuries IS to insult them; they
have nothing to purchase luxuries
with. 10 threaten them with dismis-
sal if they resist the reduction, after
having proved their trustworthincss
for years, is the extreme Of cruelty.
If there are three or ten others stand.
ing ready to take their places at the
reduced rates, it shows how large is
the class Of the unemployed, and how
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 necessity OF economy, which
Is sure to come in on its own account.
We must begin to be producers where
we have been so largely consumers.
loo many have gone into manufacture
ing and trading, when they should
have sough mechanics trades and the
of the land. The drain
put upon country life for the city's
supply has caused the latter to grow
'urteited, and this is its attack of apo.
olexy. They have bread riots and Ia
'or strikes in the Old World because
here is no surplus land with us the
situation is wholly reversed, and we
witness riots and strikes even while
he land is not worked. Say what
We will, the vast extent of our terri
DRY makes us an agricultural nation,
md will always keep us one. Agri-
culture must become our sumpreme
industry. This is to be land of
homes, not of tenement
louses, street emeutes, mobs, and in
So far as Legislation has part to
LAY in remedyins existing difficulties, 1
is manifestly called to a thorough /
nd Immediate revision of the tariff, i
7hich is only another word for taxa I
ion. 1t is summoned to take down e
ne barriers to trade, so that the sur
lus OF our productions may find the
pen markets Of the world and give
'llef to this surfeit. 1t is expected to Il
, distribute the burden of the COM q
ION debt that taxes will not come as II
it was the intention to pay off the U
ebt all at once and now. Aud it 81
lust rigidly enforce the rule of econ
my in all public matters In this n
ay legislation can bring sensible and n
lstant relief to the country, which OF d
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