The National tribune., 1879-12-01
Merry Christmas |!

December air for many centuries-in the glad peal
ing of bells in the choral songs of village mnstrels,
in the hearty good wishes of meeting friends in the
joyful notes of young children, III the services Of
Christian churches, in all the observances of day
consecrated to good will among men.
1t is in the last days of the last month of dying
year. 1t is on the verge of year to come to
u.s. with all that it may have in store of good or evil
We, the people of this great Nation, have just
TO be specially grateful on this especial Christ
mas. We have finally, we trust, emerged from the
Slough of Despond in which we have foundcred
almost hopelessly since 1873. Both feet extrcated
from the financial m uddle in which we Were entan
gled, seem firmly planted the solid ground
of renewed and profitable labor In all branches Of
business we are moving with steady and hopeful
impulse. All arteries and veins of internal COM
merce and production seems full Of new and healthy
blood. Everywhere the great wheels of manufac-
lures steadily turning, and looms and spindles,
furnaces and forges fill the air with their resound-
ing voices.
The mechanic arts of all kinds are being drawn
on for steady work Wages are rising slowly but
surely. Employment is given to thousands who
have been condemned to enforced idleness. Con-
tent, the child of paid labor, fills many homes
Throughout the vast breadth of the land crops Of
all kinds have been marvellous in their abundant
yield Breadstuifs of all kinds fill all the store
houses, overcrowd the elevators load down innu-
merable trains
And while these great advan tages have been
given to- this Nation, Europe is practically deprived
of them. All European countries to-day depend
ent upon the United States for their daily bread for
the year to come. Thus market at fair prices is
secure for our superabundance.
The vast steam feet of England is not enough to
transport the bread and meat and butter and cheese
which ready for transportation, and they are
fitting out with all possible speed large additions
their merchant marine
The Cotton States will this year put on the mar
ket the largest cotton crop yet raised besides
largely increasing their own capacity for home man
ufactures.
The discoveries of new mineral wealth have been
astounding. The precious metals will be yielded
from our mines in larger masses than ever before.
The currency of the Nation in gold, silver, and
paper, is uniform and abundant All of the same
value each readily convertible into the other The
balance of trade is with US as never before. Gold
flows steadily in many weeks at the rate of over
$5,00OOO0 per week
With all these great blessings, given to as indi-
viduals and as Nation, we have right to wish
each other Merry Christmas.
True it is that there homes many of them,
from which some loved face has forever gone. True
it is that there are homes where the presence of
pnching poverty and of hopeless disease still bears
hard There still many brave who gave
health away in the peris of the service and whose
just claims are not yet settled and acknowledged by
the Nation for which they suffered
There still many widows whose very living,
outside of charity depend upon allowance from the
Government, whose claims hung up in the
wretched routine of an Office which seems to treat
all such applicants as swindlers-but even for them
there is the dawning of better day.
The Representatives Of the People seem to have
heard the cry of the widow and fatherless They
seem to understand that the fact that tbaro oro