New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-17
4 MODEST PETITION.

The "sevcral thousand workingmen and
"mechanics who are reported TO have sent
a petition to General Butler asking him to
take MP the case of the unemployed working
men IN the manner set forth in the petition.
have the advantage at least OF knowing pretty
nearly what they want and of having a
definite plan for getting It, How long they
would be satisfied with it, or whether they
would be satisfied at all, is quite another
question. Most of the people who are called
upon with large "cuss words" by the sand
lot orator to pool their issues" labor under
the difficulty of not having any particular is
sue, except sullen sort of discomfort with
everything, TO pool. These petitioners have
definite desires; as definite and distinct as
the freedman's aspiration in the early days of
his emancipation for "freedmaD's bu-
"reaun and then for "160 acres and q mule"
They say in their petition that the Homestead
Law as it now stands Is Of no use TO the un-
employed aud destitute workingmen, as they
have no means to go West and avail them
selves of its benefits that only capitalists and
men OF means can take advantage of its pro-
visions now. What they want, accordingly, Is
that Government shall secure for them free
transportation West and this is the first
branch of their petition. But it occurred to
the petitioners at this point that, having
been aided so far by Government they would
be not much better off, as they would have
no capital tO invest in umbrellas, camp
stools, gloves, and other necessary farm
ing implements, and no snug little cot
tage with vines all over il, nor any horse and
wagon, nor cattle, nor sheep, nor poultry, nor
any of the necessaries of life which Gov
eminent is just ms much bound to furnish to
the unemployed wOrkingmau as it is Transport
tation and land. So upon the principle that
there's nothing lost by asking for it., and that
they might rs well be hanged for an old sheep
Gas n lamb,n and knowing that Mr.. Butler, to
whom they brought their petition, was a lib
eral soul, whom giving did not impOyerish.
since he always gave away other peoples
money, they enlarged their requests.
The completed petition. as we understand
1t, asks Mr.. Butler to secure, IN addition to
the transportation West, an appropriation from
Government OF from $1,000, 900 10 $40,-
100000 that attached tO each 100 acres
there should be accommodations for four
families, the house not to cost more than
5000. One hundred settlements, they say,
with 500 houses on each, should be
formed in the West and Southwest, max
ing 10000 in all; so that with an aver
age family of four persons in each, some
24O,OO men and women now in a state of
destituton from lack of employment would be
relieved and provided with comfortable homes.
With the confident manner of all theoretical
reformers and inventors of colonization shemes,
they count on having ut least twenty business
men with their families follow each settlement
though why business men should go into the
venture at their own risk, when everybody
else in the settlement is provided with
land and home and transportation at
Government expense, does not appear
and these, they say, would make a grand
total of 249,60 persons taken out of the
Overcrowded cities, and put in the way of
maintaining themselves in comfort In case
Mr.. Butler should not approve the scheme,
which is simply inconceiyable-he approves
anything that has several thousand sig
natures-Or Congress should refuse the appro-
priaton, which seems reasonably probable.
the petitioners propose that each State shall
make an appropriation of 81 900, 900 to give the
project start. And as a snapper" to this
suggestion, they remark in q casual but sig
nifcant way that any representative who shall
refuse to favor the scheme will be marked by
the workingmen and rebuked at the ballot
box, and that only those who pledge them
selves to advocate 1t shall be supported. 1t is
said that Mr.. Butler, to whom the petition is
addressed as the special representative of the
distressed and the recognized almoner of the
bounties of paternal government has the
matter under consideration and will give the
petitioners an answer SO soon as he can find