Telegram-herald., 1886-05-05

.as. 49,. tt-s-as- stss-a-
PlrEsai -. Pa N.s 4-The Dtsg,atos q
his csis !. publishing serles If article.
spsa national g e4estioas one ~ The Ieost
in nporlant i sh4s u Congressman Cuicheon
II The ninth district of Michigan. ca tie
censrruefion II pabie Improvements ~ a.
slemeni "a lie solution of Tie laboF ploo-
lena xr Cutcheon a,lgdes a. ne petitions
o0alins fronl tbe Knights Of labor asking
for appropriations in behalf oi The lAborinz
e.asses. aud says thai lhe great difficulty
seems 10 be al excess 81 labor
and after discussing this feature - some
length concludes that the solution of the
present perlOus situstion lies IN increasing
the demand for work, and the one way ia
which tie government can DO this is 10
inauEursIe and prosecute useful p0blr
works. Including in the term public
works. '4ay work needed by and useful 10
the public" Another army of nj least
l0O 60 men, representing a population Of
$4,000 wage workers be SAYS, might
readily be given legitimate snd useful.em.
ploymeut by the government" without
waste. and 20 the national advantage IN
every WAY.
The Congressman then outlines the fol-
lowing plan Tor carrying his proposed
scheme into effect.
First, ID BEGIN the construction Of a first
class navy. giving employment 10 not less
than ten thousand men, IA mines. furnaces,
ship-yar r.. etc.
Second 20 construct adequate coast de-
faf
forts armed with guns II power equal "a or
greater than those carried by the greatest
ships of war orts incapable of assault. i'm
poss ble Of penetration, connected with
system of harbor toTpedOes of high expios-
ives. that would offer All impossible barrier
10 the most formidable squadrons The
construction of such a system Of coast de-
lenses, be adds, might vel absorb 5000
OOO pcr year Tor nor less than ten wears. and
employ a force Of skilled and unskillcd
wOrkmen greater than that required for the
construction of the navy.
Thir1-The Government should enter up
on the construction of a system of public
buildings adaptei u the economical tran
-acliOu Of the Governments business. The
Government will continue 10 perform all the
varied functions that il now performs. and
new functions Will be added from time 10
time, according 10 the needs Of our changing
civilization. The post office system will
constantly grow in dimensions. The Tcve-
nue. SYSTEM, whether We continue TO collect
our revenues Is now, by duties upon imports
or otherwise. will always demand ample
and increasing accommodation. Courts OF
federal jurisdiction will al SayS be carried
on. aud all the vast and varied machinery
of Government must have local habiiatiOn
as well as a name.
Why not then. he asks at once inaugur-
ate the policy that the government shall
carry on its own business under its own
roof, instead of in the inconvcnient and
unecOnOmical rented tenements now So
generally in use. \ good economical build
in5 in every town of 10000 inhabitants
would be a great educator of the spirit of
nationality. IL would stand as the visible
exponent Of national care and national
power. Hundreds OF such public buildings
ought to be erected in the next ten wears.
furnishing employment at living wages 10
thousands of workmen, and relieving the
CLINT of labor in other channels.
Fourth-The Government should steadily
pursue its settled policy of improving is
rivers and harbOrs. The sOundness ot the
policy of improving the great national
water systems of the country i no longer
questioned. First. the Mississippi river and
its chiei tributaries should be further i'm
proved, until II shall, from its source to the
Gulf, form the great and safe highway Of
commerce and the regulate and moderator
of freights from the West 10 the seabOard
second the waters Of Lake Superior and the
entire lake system should be connected with
tidewater by a system of waterways capable
of carrying our commerce in time of peace.
or our armed ships i'm time of war and
situated wholly within the territory of the
United States. Third, these two great water
sysfems-the Mississippi and the lake sys-
tems-shOuld be united by a ship canal so
that grain ships or gunboats could pass
from the Mississippi TO the lakes or from
the lakes 10 the Gulf safely and speedily
II is neither creditable nor becoming that
orr American shipping on the lakes should
depend upon Canadian canals for transit to
the sea
In conclusion Mr.. Cutcheon saws. Zach
and all of these are things not only that
might be done for the relief If labor. they
are things that ought 10 be forthwith done
for the peace, dignity, honor aud safety Of
the Repubiic Not only would u relieve
labor by absorbing the surplus and equaiiz-
INK the demand with the supply, but n
would result in certain indirect benefits and
advaotage-s Bv creating use for full
revenue, il would allaY. IL Is to De hoped
The canstant agitation for change in our
revenue system which 80 unsetilcs the bust
ness IF The country. aud depresses labor
with the threat of constant
change of industrial conditions. II
w1uId relieve The present congestion of the
treasury. and pat into active circula' ion al
over She country millions Of dollars.
which would be taken uo in the channels
of trade. giving new activity 70 every form
of enploy ment it would increase the
capacity fnr consumption of the Industrial
class. and powerfully tend 20 restore The
equilibrium between production and cou-
sumption. between capital aDd labor Mean
whiF BE- viii be wise to all this movement
hy restricting Tie tendency - further dis
inrb fbIs equilibrium by the Introduction
convict or other forms of degraded labor
from abroad.