The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-09
FOURTH OF JULY TALK.
CURE FOR NATIONAL CALAm1TIEs.
The Financial Blunders-The Labor Fam
lne-sOlutiOn of the PrObIem-Dc-
mands of the West ama south.

AAASAMAS Va ING w esq 8W0 @0uGHs
ST. LOUIS, July 4, 1878.
On this day | find myself sitting In the
pleasant shade of q cottage lawn, just outside
the smoke and dust Of great city, but within
sound OF the booming cannon at the barracks
and the more annoying fire-cra okers nearer
home The Fourth of July is one Of our safe
ty valves through which the high-wrought
patriotism of the people and their children
works itself off through saltpetre and Rom an
candles. The day and circumstances are so
suggestive that / beg the privilege of few
minutes talk with your numerous readers
about the present condition of affairs, and
the natural remedies, that afflict the country.
FINANCIAL BLUNDERs
Our present troubles are largely attributa-
BILE to the wretched financial policy of the past.
Ihe insane desire to pay debt Of $500 100000
IN q single generation, and the process Of con-
tinued contraction which made the rich
richer and the poor poorer, has eliminated
in widespread ruin, involving many thousand
farmers, merchants, manufacturers and other
business men. The paralyzing of industries
naturally turned adrift several millions Of
honest workers, and brought on such O labor
panic as the country never before experienced.
This does not imply any lack of food sup
plies or manufactured articles, for these are
In great excess, and while our granaries are
bursting with corn and our warehouses are
piled full of goods q great army of enforced
idlers wander through the country, thou
sands OF families are destitute, and strong
men stretch forth their hands to ask for
bread; nantt1tLdes 90 hungry just because zoe
haze too much to eat,
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
What Is the solution of this strange pro-
blem, or rather paradox Not to burn the
capital, the labor-savfDg machines, the corn
or the cotton, but to restore an equilibrium
between production and consumption by Sc
curing new markets for our products, and at
the same time opening new fields for the EN-
OF the idle. The great West and
southwest can supply homes with comDe-
tence or independence for many millions of
people, and the grand question is how to
place the settlers on the soil. Wise states |
men sayt let the government give encourage |
ment t0 great works of national necessity. |
where vigorous prosecution would at once set |
the wheels OF industry in motion, put many |
millions of idle capital into active circulation |
ana give to every hand an opportunity to feed |
It's own mouth.
INCREASED FACILITIES FOR TRANSPORTATION. |
Every one comedies that there is @ present |
and pressing necessity for SO increasing the |
facilities Tor internal and foreign commerce.
bnat our surplus products OF the mine, farm |
Ind factory may find easy access to market. |
Ih1S Implies such increase of our merchant
marine as will restore our lost sovereignty of |
the sea and open to our farmers planters and |
every market of the world To |
secure TINS grand result only requires that we |
extend to American steamships what we now
oestow upon British, French and German |
steamers for transporting our foreign mails. |
Lt would not De nall so much a subsidy as that |
which Is annually paid to support mail routes |
q, q sparsely settled districts OF the country.
Lhls last Is Just and proper, and no man
yrumbles because he pays three cents for a
etter which it has cost the government
twenty-five cents to convey to him. While
his extension of mail routes stimulates set
iement and increases the general wealth, the
teamshlps, encouraged by moderate com
oensatlon for carrying the foreign mails.
argely augment the revenues of the govern
nent by opening trade with new markets. |
md at the same time add something to the
'alue OF every exported article. This is kind
Il subsidy winch, Ike the quality OF mercy,
" Is twice blessed;
blesseth him that takes. and him who gives,
eturning to the government and the people
0ur-fold the amount bestowed. And vet The
buse OF government bounties by some cor
orat1ons have turned people wild on this
ubJect, ana the mere mention of the word
ubsidy will arouse one-horse politician as
uick as red flag will madden wild bull.
But the West and South need not OnIv
lines to Brazilian and other ports.
ut greatly increased facilities for inland
The Mississippi river Is the ,
reat natural channel of commerce between !
ne valley and the gulf, and it's navigation :
hould be so improved as to meet the present !
nd prospective demands of the millions i'm | !
ne eighteen States that are bounded or !
'aversei by this river and its navigable | +
ibutaries. +
Then, TOO the West and the whole nountrv 4
eed two more Pacific railroads, one on the | i
and the other on the thirty p
,cond parallel of latitude. The bills for the
)mpletion OF the Northern and the Texas
acitic make odraft upon the national treas r,
ry for even dollar, while their cOnstruc- :.
on would save the government and the peO- =
e eight or ten millions year, now levied T
pom 1nter-Oceanic commerce by the Union /.
nd Central Pacific roads. 1t would also give =
nployment to vast multitude in the ma y
line shops of the East and upon the lines of I
,ad, at the same time offering homes to =
illions in some OF the finest agricultural and I
ineral districts OF America. The vigorous = =
'osecution OF work ON these roads would e
once solve the labor question, and restore =
naneial and Industrial prosperity for long q
Ears to come.
The South and Southwest, that have bith- q
to been ignored in the distribution of gov q
'nment bounties, can by unity Of action Sc e
ire the success Of all their great enterprises
Id with that a great tide OF ever. flowing
'osperity. Will their representatives rise =
} and demand these measures as an act of I
rdy justice, or will they cry Subsidy" and q
eekiy bow their necks to the yoke of their =
d masters, and leave the North to monOpo- !.
e all the benefits bestowed by the govern y
ent? We shall see. J.I.T
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