The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-04-18

the top, keeping close to $3.50. Mr..
Blackstone, therefore, cannot be charged
with wanting to unload upon the govern
ment = property that is burdensome to
It's present holders. One explanation Is
that the gentleman was provoked over
the operation of the interstate law, and
another that he was fearful Of COM
plete break up Of the railroad pool and
consequent competitive war Of rates
that would prove disastrous to all rail-
road interests.
Let the incentive be what it may, there
Is significance in the fact that this ex-
perienced railroad man indorses, under
any circumstances, a principle which has
been fought SO long and is being so Bit
terly opposed at present by men of his
class-the principle that to the govern
ment alone belongs the right Of operating
the channels for transporting freight,
passengers and intelligence. Coming, as
1t does, at a time when the attention of
congress is being asked on the subjects
of government telegraph and express
carriage, il is naturally arousing consid-
The most important movement of re-
cent years in the United States is that of
the farmers at present. 1t ia important
both because Of the great multitude of
adherents and the radical measures it
proposes. The Farmers Alliance and
affiliated organizations claim a member
ship roll of over 100000 The major
portion of these are in the south and
west, with concentration Of strength
which, il properly directed, is bound to
be potent in any economic or political
contest. While the efforts to amalga-
mate the Knights OF Labor, American
Federation of Labor and Farmers AL
lance have not wholly succeeded, yet
friendly relations have been established,
and the official heads Of these organiza-
tons have, so far as was in their power,
promised united action to secure mutual
benefits. This may mean great deal,
or it may amount to no more than such
semi-combinations in the past.
If the farmers, mechanics and laborers
Of any one state were to stand together
for one election their will could not be
resisted, and il such movement en-
braced the entire country political rev.
olution would be the result. Either or
both Of these situations is not impossible.
That the condition of the agriculturists
Of the United States is deplorable and
grave no one who is at all familiar with
the facts doubts. The price of products
so IL, Go lol.
their farms mortgaged, and there is a
general and steady depreciation of farm
ing property. Statements have been
made upon the floor of the United States
senate recently to this effect, and they
have not been successfully contradicted.
Now, what do the farmers ask? There
is a general demand for governmental
assistance, and measures have been intro
duced in the senate to provide for giving
it. One proposition Is to have the gov
eminent loan money to the people, Sc
cured by realty or otherwise, at a low
rate Of interest. Another is for the gov
eminent to establish bonded warehouses,
where the farmers grain may be stored,
and he be enabled to draw against it from
the United States treasury. And why
not? The government loans money on
bonds, paying instead Of receiving inter-
est, and has thereby fostered an institu-
ton which most Of the farmers claim is
positive injury to the people. Why
should it not then loan money to aid an
industry without which the country
would 20 to ruin? There is food for
thought here, and it is being consumed
in large mouthfuls.
In an article on the eight hour ques-
ton, which appeared recently in The
New York Sun, Mr.. Matthew Marshall
made statements that brought Samuel
Gompers forward with reply. Mr..
Marshall said: ''Since the product of
eight hours labor, everything else being
equal, cannot be so great as the product
of ten hours, there will be one-fifth less
product of labor to be distributed among
consumers, and therefore the same
amount of wages will buy one-fifth less
of everything which the laborer needs
than 1t did before" 1.
Mr.. Gompers very naturally found the
weakness of this statement i'm the words,
everything else being equal" He calls
attention to the results Of past reduc-
tions in the hours of labor, and claims
that wages have advanced in the call
ings which have shortened the work day,
and that the conditions generally of those
concerned have been improved. The
Sun, in a comment upon Mr.. Gompers'
article, says: GAS to unskilled labor,
nothing that Mr.. Gompers says affects
Matthew Marshall's proposition, that its
greatest danger is from the competition
OF the unemployed. This has been SO
demonstrated over and over
again that it is beyond rational dispute"
An unanswerable argument of the
eight hour men is that reduction in the
work day will necessitate the employ
ment of those who now cannot get work.
Hence there need be no fear that the ag-
gregate product will be less under an
eight hour regime than at present Mr..
Marshall admits the presence of great
army of unemployed. These at work,
the "competition-which is beyond ra-
tional dispute" according to The Sun,