Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-02-26
Mr.. Frye on the Subsidy" Reso-
tuition.
Letter from Congressman Frye In Rcis-
ton 10 his Action on this Question.
wAsHrNGroF, Feb. Oh, 1873,

Young against lno suusIul AcsOau'iOh'
OF this make no complaint, for il will
be unfortunate TO- the nation it the time
ever arrives when members OF Congress
shall be above criticism. Nor do | write
in defence. for l believe my constituen' 8
will trust me until l wound their conf
deuce more deeply than by voting mo
on ore OF Mondays meaningless conun-
drums. That dag here is called wash
ing day Alter the morning honr' any
member who can get the floor, may offer
any resolution, which cunning, ssgacity
partissuship. demagoguery or stupidity
may suggest, and compel US 10 vote upor
It without any explanation or chance ioi
amendment. The gentleman lrom 20
dAnk Cfecs resolution declaring "iha
there is q moon aud that Il is made o
green cheese" We must vote AYE" OF
ono" either vote involving an absurdiiy
Monday resolutions here mean nothing
The one referred TO was offered by :
demagogue. sustained in the same spiri,
aud affords very Sigh, indication Of ID,
real feeling OF the House, a. you vii
ind before ine session closes. csreC
nothing about it, pIeierriug 10 set as M
conscience and judgment should dictate
whenever any measure involving tb'
principle was before Us. and l have lilll,
doubt but that shall vote before adjourn
ment directly or indirectly against boIt
The letter and the spirit o. the resolution
The Northern Pacil; Is now asking iol
extension OF time in which to complete
lis road. SiDgulsrly enough the oom
mi.tee. all but one asserting, reported
in favor Of the proposition the ensuing
day, and ye. this directly aniagonzes 1t
And why shouldn't the House grant The
extension? There are probably twenty
thousand citizens OF Maine interested il
that road, ali OF whon directly or through
savings bAals. paid one hundred cent:
on Il dollar Tor their interest and none o
whom have The slightest responsibility
tor the delay. The extension would
greatly benefit them, aud in nv opinion
do no harm to the government. | have
never seen the man, familiar with the
whole history OF that enterprise, Voc
does 70, assent to the fairness OF The
proposition, Yet Ibis subsidy Iesoluso1
bars it.
Wha. is the trouble with Us today
Why SIRE men out OF employment, wages
low, times hard, business dull? Il isn't
paper money, nor silver. nor gold, nor
initiation. nor contraction, nor resumption.
All these may be incidents, but toe real
trouble, in my opinion. comes from over
production, from limitation of market.
Look for moment ST. facts. A war came
upon US, millions Of men suddenly be.
came consumers and destroyers. consum-
| p,ion and waste were tremendous, pro-
ducers could hardly respond. laborers
were scarce, wages high, and the invent
i've genius Of the North was drafted into
service. What was the result? The shoe
factories OF Aubnrn and the cotton mills
Of Lewiston can answer so, too. can the
farmer with his reapers, his mower, his
litter. bis seed sower and his rake. The
statistics show that in Massachusetts 10
1865. 20 600 operatives produced about
200 600 0C0 yards OF cotton cloth; while
in 1875 the same number would produce
nearly 800, OOO. 900. In 1865, nineteen
thousand operatives produced 40 million
yards OF wooden goods, 10 1875 the same
number produced ninety millions. 10
1865 tifty-two thousand hands made 81
millions of pairs OF boots and shoes. and
10 1875, IS thousand made nearly sixty
millions OF pairs. Go back to 1860 and
the difference will be still greater.
The war ended, the consumption and
waste stopped, the soldiers came back
workmen, production increased amazing
ly while the market didn't open up 10 re-
c. i've it. men were Idle, wages began to
fall. mill reserves melted, then the stocks
shrank-snd as yet there is no relief.
Panaceas OF all kinds, schemes OF every
color, and projects OF every name are it,
orally poured upon Us, and yet the dis
ease Is not cured. The present capacity
Of our manufacturing establishments Tor
producing metallic, textile and wooden
goods is ii,y per cent. beyond home con-
sumption, sui yet the world would read
lily take the whole, but We cannot carry
il 10 the world, Do your readers realize
what has become Of the carrying trade
of the ocean2 Our exports for the year
ending June 1871. were 500, O00, 900 /;
our imports s492 900, zoo. Our vessels
carried about twenty-six per cent. Of the
whole. while foreign, principally English,
took the rest. Daring the last decade we
actually paid foreign bottoms SS9 millions
Of dollars for doing our freight and pas
senger business, over thirty millions a
year, taken from our people and given
to those who carry another flag, aud yet
We are nt-,er to the great mass of con-
sumers than ENGLAND or Franco.