Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-26
ExrRAvAeANoE OF TIRE DAY.

After the panic of ten years ago spread
mourning and desolation throughout the
land, one benefit, at least, was wrought by
the calamity large portion of our people
were led to economic their means, to dis
pense with show and personal indulgences,
and to live in a style more becoming the
simplicity of republicanism than they had
been doing. The last few years of prosper
ity and gold Importation appear, unfortu-
nately, to have obliterated the valuable les
son taught by adversely. The extension of
our imports shows that luxury and extrava-
gance have resumed their reign, and the ill
effects of the change are beginning to de-
velop themselves. An instance is seen
in the step just taken by the Textile
Fabric Manufacturers Association of Phil
adelphia. At their meeting last week they
decided to reduce the production of the
lower grades of goods one-half, prin-
cipally jeans and common cotton goods.
This leaves thousands of industrious
spinners, weavers, dyers, and others bereft
of one-half their work and income. The
class of common goods does not sell. Bad
crops last year, floods, and the higher price
of provisions, have decreased the purchasing
power of large portion of the people. 1t
is noticeable, also, that the South is now
manufacturing the cheaper cotton fabrics it
requires for itself. The main point in all
this, however, is that the extravagant desires
of the day soar above the merely useful
materials of wear. Only the finest, and most
ornamented and snowy is good enough for
the richer class. Those manufacturers who
can produce these articles have more orders
than they can fill, the run" is for fabrics of
the higher grade. Here comes in deplora-
BILE feature, for which not only the luxury of
fashion but the greed of monopoly is to
blame. American workmen have not the
skill to produce the higher class of goods 80
much in demand, and they have TO be i'm
ported from abroad; the value of dress goods
material of the superior grades imported
during the last fiscal year is estimated to
be S22,000,000. "At no period since we
were a nation" says a New York
writer, has the habit of lavish expenditure
been asextreme and general as now. In dry
goods, tquipages, jewelry, cookery and every
other department of elegant life, the great
demand runs on the higher grades of goods,
which American workmen do not produce.
Here comes in the abomination of monopoly,
which is affecting our commerce 80 unfavor-
ably in many important branches. In GER
tain departments the men refuse to allow the
employment, beyond a very small proper
ton, OF apprentices, in order that wages may
be kept up. This restricts the number of
skilled American workmen, and the expendi-
tEre that should be made among our own
people goes abroad. In this way the effects
of extravaganza are aggravated by the evils
of monopoly, and SO commerce and the coun-
try suffers, and the werkingmen are left with
out the employment that should supply the
means of comfortable living. The grasping
for riches and the love of display cost the
country dear, not only in money but in anI-
ieties, struggles and bitter sorrows, that in SO
favored land as ours never ought to assail the
honest, sober and industrious portion of the
population.