The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-04-05
ARE THE TIMES IMPROvING'


the communist howlers, sand'Iot shrleNel'
and tst.money blowers must soon lose thc''
occupation if the present indications OF return
ipr prosperity continue. \ few weeks ago IL
r,ororol review of the trade of Chicago Ill Inc
yi,,es. we believe every wholesale house ca'i
Cd upon reported an increase OF trade, ana 'll'
hanks reported large increase IN weekly
clearlacs over last year From PennsyN"'il"
come the most cheering reports of activity III
the iron trade, always one OF the surest 'hu'
cations Of general Improvement; ana our
eastern commercial ports continue 10 cAh'oi'
a steady increase in the expectation OF the pr"
,Ircts and manufactures of the country
One OF the staple assertions peddIed by sam
Carey rs part of his stock in trade during his
political harrangues over the country last
summer. was the cXtraYagant one that thcre
were 100000 of people that sought employ
ment out of work in the Cniled States, ana
when the sand lots orator came to MaSsachu-
sets to help Butler he SAID the proportion III
that state of these three millions OF IDLE work
iur nconle WAS 100000. The assertion was
mt 10 the test of authentic statistics by MI
Carroll d Wright, chief of the Bureau OF sta
,istics Of Labor of that state, who, after a
careful collation. Of the facts, showed that on
the 1st of August, 1878, the number Of uncm'
ploved in Massachusetts, was but 2S,5OS, ana
taking that state as a basis the whole number
IN the United Statesmen and women--SeehlhS
work could not exceed 100000. Mr. Wrghts
foures further showed that III November the
number of unemployed in Massachusetts, had
fallen to $4,000, and his report just made tor
the fst of March shows the number reduced to
$4,000.
OF conrsc. with this reduction in the number
of unemployed Mr.. Wright's figures also show
a decided reduction in wages; but comparing
the purchasing power of the wage-money now
received with the purchasing power OF the
same money when wages were nomina!ly
highest Mr. Wright's figures show that the
wages OF working people in Massachusetts to-
dav are really higher than they were at any
time from 1863 to 1873
~
that the return tide Of prosperity has set in that
no honest man can doubt II, ana the PLAIN die
tate OF common sense would seem to be that
now having after years Of loss and suffering,
rot down to hard pan and a specie basis, the
country should be allowed TO rest there The
condition is doubtless hard on the debtor class
that r., those classes that went in debt when
our currency was worth but - or so cents on
the dollar but the class who owe such debts
must have contracted them at least SIX or light
wears ago. and what with the bankrupt law
and failures and settlements since then, the
number OF that elias, remaining must be com
paraiively small, NJ most, they belong to the
wealthy or specializing class-certainly they
are not mechanics and working men, for poor
men are never in condition to- contract large
debts Men who within the last three or four
years have gone into debt have now every
chance IN their favor. 4 return OF easy times
will necessarily be accompanied with rapid
rise in real estate and all other kinds Of prop
ertv The owner Of small farm or home will
wake up with surprise in IA few years to find
that his little wealth has unconsciously dou-
bled in value under him, and that he is really
in comparatively comfortable circumstances