The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-02-12
The Times We Live In.

On all hands the cause of the
recent stagnation in trade is
assigned, by business men, to
Oyerproduction. Ii has been said
that oyerprodnction means simply
the cl0gging of the markets by too
much wealth. 1t is meant that
there is too much wheat, too much
corn, too much iron, too much coal,
too much cotton, TOO much of the
great staples of wealth generally,
preventing those who complain
from getting rs much tor what
they have for sale As they expected
to get, or to sell as much 10 others
as they expected to sell, or to make
prices to tluctuate in Il manner
profitable to modern speculation.
LII short, such an abundance of any
of the staples that spectators
cannot create Il corner in the mar
ket, aud thereby Cypress the poor
laborers in the interests of ques-
tionable methods, to say the least,
in speculation.
If We look over the world, we
will find that there never was a
time in the history of the race when
the luxuries and pleasures of lite
were SO widely disseminated aud
enjoyed by 80 large il portion OF
the commonalty of mankind as
now. The ability to afford the
luxuries and pleasures of life is
increasing very rapidly among the
working classes, and most rapidly
among the most industrious and
hardest working classes.
It has been pertinently remarked
that "putting aside the wealthy
classes, there never was Il time in
which more people could wear silk
and broadcloth, have vacations,
take journeys, eat ice cream, pro.
vide pianos and organs for their
families, go to the races, the thea
Ter, and the polo ground" than at
the present time. And it is safe TO
say that, as a rule, these classes
takeadvantage of the opportunities
offered. 1t is alSs equally true that
there is Il great deal of extreme
poverty existing throughout the
country in connection with crime
and Ignorance aud Incidence in
many places and employ ments
bat this is the exception TO the gen
eral rule o! widespread prosperity
in the middle and lower classes of
humanity generally.
That there is ii general tendency
all over the world to an increase Ia
the production of the luxurieS and
common comforts OF lite cannot be
doubted : and if this OverprOduc
lion is an evil, it is Enthusiastically
and increasing evil. This is neces
the case. Tue constant prog.
.ess made in the invention aud
manufacture of labor saving pro.
,esses, the increase of the produc-
.ivenesS OF labor, with increasing
Intelligence, cannot result other
wise than in an increase in the sur.
Illus production. This may in one
.enSe be AN evil, but II certainly is
Tot an evil when you regard it ia
he light of the comfort and pro
'ress of the race; for whatever
Increases the facilities for making
ZONE more comfortable aud
ttractIve increases the leasurcs
# home and home life, ennObleS
york, aud makes the ties to gov
rnment and an upright living ten
old stronger. 1t will also tend to
horten the hours OF labor aud in
rease those of recreation aud
.ileasure. This cannot be regarded
$ an evil by any save those who
egard "A laboring man as simply a
.rudge, and bis every hour of re-
Ieation aud pleasure, above those
ctually required tor sleep, as so
inch precious time is wasted.-
as. N. Kerr, in Chicago Current.