The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-07
THE TRUE CAUSE OF PUBLIC
DISTRESS.
DISTRESS.

in this country was very comprehensively
explained by Mr.. Henri Drury. one of their
leaders in New York, in the telegraphic dis
patches printed in tho DEMOCRAT on the fifth
instant. 1t is as follows:
We demand the neceasarce of life
The means of production, land machinery,
railroads. telegraph lines, canals, etc, to be-
come the common property OF the whole
people through the government.
The abolition of the wages system and the
substitution for If Of cooperative production,
with just distribution of it's rewards
Eight hours days labor.
Sanitary inspection OF all conditions Of
labor.
A labor statistic bureau in all the States,
the officers to be elected by the people.
Prohibition Of the employment of children
under fourteen and their compulsory educa-
ton.
Public school books and materials to be fur
nished free of charge.
Prohibition of employment of females
where detrimental to health and morality,
and the equalization of wages between men
and women.
Indirect taxation to be abolished
Direct legislation enabling the people to
propose or reject any law Mt their will, and
the introduction Of minority representation
in oil Legislative elections
This platform is made up chiefly Of vision
NJ diI ubh7ily iiIi 1Ibhhhi1 tb'oii' tiI'j
futility of which has long since been demon
strated. IL makes. however 8 quite fantas
teal and. to the ignorant mind, fascinating
system of politics and philosophy in the ad
vocacy of which anarchy may be crowned and
sceptred as the champion Of popular rights
and turned loose on its mission OF boodshed
ruin and misery 1t will be an unhappy day
for the working people themselves when they
accept as whole these perncious doctrines,
and, arraying themselves against other classes
of society, resort to armed and lawcss force TO
right their unquestoned wrongs
We know that there Is widespread poverty
and want amongst the working people; we
know that there are thousands of honest in
telIigent and energetic men oil over the land
eager to work for the most inconsderable
compensation, and that there is no work for
them to do; we know that their wives and
children are in need OF the common neces-
saries of life; we know, on the other hand,
that there are men OF large wealth who are
boarding their money and living In ease
and plenty Our reporters last week went
all over this city, amongst the poor,
and found that all these unhappy things
exist in this city, and the DEMOCRAT told
only small part of the truth about
them yesterday morning. But we warn
the workingmen that they will find no re-
lease from their miserable condition in the
visions Of the Socialists, nor through warfare
upon the rich. The suffering classes have
our sincere and deep sympathy, but we notice
with regret that lumber Of them expressed
TO the representatives of the DEMOCRAT q
bitter and hostile feeling toward other and
more fortunate classes Of the people. We do
not believe, however, that the violent and
awless spirit manifested by some of the men
is entertained by the great body
IF the workngmen
The working people of this city and of the
whole country have deep and bitter wrongs to
complain of, and they have perfect right,
which it Is their duty to exercise to demand
that those wrongs be redressed. But their
remedy is not through violence and revenge.
There are peaceful, lawful and certain rem
edies in their hands, and If they possess suffi-
Gent intelligence to comprehend the empti-
ness of the promises and claptrap Of dema-
yogues and mere Office seekers they can easily
apply them.
The cause of the distress of the working
people is not, as has been alleged, the orer
production of the country. 1t is folly to tell
he people that they have produced too much
corn and cotton and sugar, or that they have
too large quantity of goods
If different kinds. These things constitute
wealth, public and private. as much as gold
md silver do and to say that the distress of
I,p 10 n, 10, Id rs
say that it is due to an excess of wealth. The
zeal cause of the public distress exists in
he policy of government, State and Fed
,ral, during the last ten years. During
hat period government has been con-
iucted, not in the interest and for the benefit
If the people, but in the interest and for the
benefit of the "money power" which, with
an appetite continually renewing for a food
hat ia continually wasting has grown to
gigantic proportions and now controls the
legislation and policy OF the whole country.
The policy of protection established In the
interest Of the great manufactures has en-
'iched them, crippled our foreign trade,
md oppressed the poorer classes. The
financial policy of the government was
adopted in the interest and at the dictation
If the gold rings and bondholders, and it has
checked all large public and private enter
>rises, enhanced the value of gold and bonds, |
appreciated the value of the property Of the !
country fully twenty-five per cent, ruined |
thousands Of merchants and traders, leSsened 4
he volume of the currency, and thus absorbed |
from among the people and concentrated it |
n the hands of the few leaving the multitude /
Without occupation and without the means to
purchase the necessaries Of life.
Such has been the course Of the Federal gov