The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-10-11
THE LESSON OF HALF A CENTURY.
Kansas Farmer.


Excitement is now running at fever
heat throughout the country, on the sub
ject of ''hard times" and every stump
and platform has some quack doctor
offering his nostrums to the dear peo-
pie as a sovereign cure for the hard
times. They will serve to keep up the
excitement till after the elections, when
the doctors will get down from the
stumps and the people will scratch their
heads, probably in vain, to find single
definite idea they have gathered from all
the noise.
The change in our social and business
relations is not the growth of a year, OF
even few years, but of half a century
Steam and electricity have been more
potent in bringing about this great
change in the order of things than all
other causes combined, for they are the
melting or primary causes of the mar
velous revolution which has been quiet
ly but rapidly developing, by displacing
the old and instituting the new in every
department of life. Nothing has escap.
ed the hand of this mighty change.
When Henry Clay's American system
of protective tariff began to stimulate
manufacturing in this country, the farm
ers began to experience a change. The
manufacturing establishments which
speedily arose on every stream, and later
at more eligible points, operated by
steam, bid higher for labor than the
farmer had beenipaying, and higher than
they could afford to pay. This speedily
created scarcity of labor on the farms
and when once the families of employees
had tasted the pleasures of social life
and ease on the factory banks, they for
ever foreswOre returning to farm life
1 ,So
known in the farmers household as well
as in the field. The farmers wife was
compelled, for lack of proper help, to
assume burthens which were grevious to
bear, while factory banks became the
trainining schools of a class of idle
worthless girls, made so by the high
wages the head of the family was able to
earn.
Railroad facilities made the immense
growth of cities and towns possible
which, without these modern improve
ments in inland travel and tFansporta
ton, would not have taken place. The
country emigrated to the town, where
money was plenty and wages high. Tht
brightest boys of the farm deserted it fol
the city. The country cousin and the
city belle exchanged visits, and soon the
rustic country denizens were captivateC
extravaganza and dress and manners o
the city soon took possession of the sim
pie country folks, and pastoral life los
all its poetry for the jewellers among tbs
green hills.
This state of affairs continued {,
steadily increase up to the breaking GU
of the rebellion, at which time it tolt
severely on the farming interest and OF
farm life. The business of the countr-
had lost its balance, the cities growing
in numbers, wealth influence, and, alas
immortality, too; while the farming in
terest had a hard struggle to keep it
footing; the increase in the later bein
scarcely appreciable, while that of otI
er branches of business was very rapid
The first shock of war paralYZed for
time everything; all trade was at
stand-stiIl in 81 But the government
entered the market as a purchaser G
every kind Of manufactured materia
and produce, business suddenly revived
and for four years the creative powe
of the north was taxed to its utmost {
supply material for the waste of war.
Il This seemed to be prosperity, but
was not. The government went in DEB
) 70 pay for it all; and the people const
tuting the government were all the tim
assuming that debt, which is now bein
PAID by the slow process of industry
and that load helps very materially {
: make our progress tedious and painful.
But had no war ensued, the course c
: events wrought by the power OF stear
, and electricity was eliminating, an
soon must have reached point of stas
nation and CONFUSION The cities an
towns had so greatly outgrown the cOuI
; try, that q large per cent. of idle hand
: and hungry stomachs was accommodating
The country has been deserted by til
Ilabor which should have been retaine
to develop i while the cities have bee
overrun and crowded by class of labo
; which found little 10 do, and which hal
ling no education to fit il for eountr
life, could not be made available imms
diately in this new and strange field