The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-08-25
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1878.

plenty OF work for all. There Yves no natural
reason why In the United States labor should
be so depressed. He would be opposed to the
government having anything to do with the
present condition OF things, or applying any
legislation TO them He did not favor colon
lzation Of government lands with unemployed
laborers. One objection to the government
taking hold of this matter WAS, it would cause
envy among laboring classes, In discriminating
who should go and who should not GO. Every
one thought he was as good as his neighbOr.
Turning to statistics, witness said In 1870
improved lands had fallen short about 1O0O0,-
900 acres, which would have accommodated g
population Of 1000 labOring men; and II each
this unfmproved land would have acoommo-
dated 100000 inhabitants. Witness thought
during the past fifteen years there had been q
foreign market for all our overproduction.,
Francis b. .Thurber, the merchant, said that
general depression In business and distress
among the poorer classes prevailed for several
years, and it is not confined to this country
alone, but exists all over the world | do not
think those are the wisest eounseOrs who
would attribute oil our ills to the introduction
Of labor-supplanting machinery, or abuses in
corporate organizations, or to currency, Or
tariff or intemperanoe and many other ele-
ments which have been brought TO the at
tentlon OF Of your committee, 2. and have great
eSe gs fss SSsgn that ts Ks9oF% pryy y CAUSES ss
Of the ills which both laborng and other
classes are complaining of, are the devel-
| opments Of steam and electricity, which,
In connection with Iabor-saying machinery,
have, within comparatively few years, rev.
olutionized production and commerce, altered
our manners and customs Of life and now
absorb the attention Of the statesmen Of the
day In the adjustment Of organic laws to meet
the changed condition of the age In which we
| live.
An overstocked market means CONNER
| clal crisis, with all it's attendant phenomena
| OF decling prices, idle manufactures and dis
| tress among operatives. The only remedy
| for this is to wait until consumption catches
| up with production again. This, in the pres
ent instance I believe, is nearly accomplished
| and that we are about entering on u new era
Of prosperity. believe the legislation OF the
last quarter OF century has been more large.
| ly In the interest Of capitalists and corpora.
tions than it has in the interest of the people
md the poorer aud middle classes are sus-
tanning more than their share Of the taxation
necessary to the support of the government
Witness said the Importance Of the currency
question seemed overrated. lie believed II
letting the present tariff stand and regarding
| the evils Of intemperhnCe, favOrs the sl1bst
tuition Of lighter class Of stimuiants for heav
| ier ones. He thought there should be a limi
| tation for machinery.
| In regard the railroad interest. Sheubel
advocated the formation Of q national board
OF revision for railroads. who should have
auxiliary boards in all the States to look after
grievances. The public suffers from railroad
authorities. He said that railroads are al
opposed to this supervision Of their affairs
and that If there was not something wrong
or some abuses existing, railroads would not
be opposed TO the supervision.
| Cen J. r.. Kenyon, Of Newark, N. j., who
claimed to be o mechanic, said his opinion
WAS that tho causes of the present trouble
were want Of confidence and the faulty mode
Of collecting revenues. lie favored protec
| tive tariff, government aid for the COLOMBIA.
| ton of the West and government transaCting
business for savings banks.
| Adjourned till Monday.