Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-06-07
and CommanIsrn

Contraction and Communism
II is interesting and beneficial at this
time 10 consider the connection between
contraction Of the currency OF . great
people, and COmmpnism, or, more
properly speaking, to note the effect
that the financial blunders of the Radi.
cal Administrations have had. Il can-
no! be denied that when currency was
abundant employment was also abund.
ant, and there was not the least dread
of labor riots or Of Communism. Per-
sons may point 10 the fact that the
Communistic uprisings in the Old
World have sprung from a far different
cause than a le'sening Of the circulating
medium, or the means Of commercial
exchange among men. They may
point 10 the fact that these uprisings
have sprung from lyraunical abuse Of
governmental power, or on the other
hand, frcm unstable government, In
either case, Communism has sprung d.
rectly from the sams cause, namely
Discomfort. This cause may be pro.
duced in many different wave. Op.
preston, want Of sufficient protec.
tion by law, want Of employment, en-
ployment too poorly paid, enforced
ldleness in q land of plenty, govern.
mCnt partially administered so as to
make the rich richer and the poor
poorer, are all potent producers Of dis.
content. Nearly all Of thess causes
have been produced by the financial
course the late Administrations have
pursued. Day by day, week by week,
month BY month, and year by year,
the volume Of currency has been
steadily contracted, until enterprise and
confidence that give employment 10 la
Dor have almost ceased to exist. No
one can estimate the number of the cit
z2ns Of the United States who have
been thrown out Of employment. "An
Idle brain is the DEVILS workshop"
There are hundreds of thousands Of
idle brains in this country, and the
devils work is being done in a way that
is truly alarming. It makes one sick
10 read The long smoothly and power
fully written papers on the danger of
Communism, labor riots, etc., while
the men who have the power in their
hands 10 remove the cause refuse to
doit, but remorselessly pursue course
that must daily add TO the ranks of the
idle army. These writers, philOso-
piers and statesmen will find out be.
fore long that men with empty bellies
and starving families care nothing for
smooth periode, wise dissertations, and
Government, no matter how beautiful
Its theory may be, that allows them to
starve 10 death in land Of plenty.
Shakespeare said that "s man who has
no music in his soul is fl. for strata
gems and spoils." Recent events in
this country prove that hungry men
with starving families are fit for Com
munism and revolution.
A few days ago ten thousand Com.
munistS paraded in the streets of St.
Louis others in Illinois, Ohio and
Pennsylvania are arming, yet no relief
is offered by the blind and deaf men at
Washington. Let them at once change
the financial policy Of the Government,
and let them at once give labor to as
many as can be employed on needed
National enterprises. Let them take
measures to restore confidence and en-.
terprise and 10 remove idleness and dis.
content, or another year will not pass
without an uprising that will cos, much
precious blood and treasure in lie sup.
preston.