Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-29
CURE FOR BAD TRADE.
Matthew Marshall's Ideas of the
Causes of Berlin's Rioting.
MANY DRIVEN TO DESPERATION
By Lack of Work and No Bread Bound to
Break Out in Tioelnce.
REASONS FOR TIE PRESENT DISTRESS
my DRIVEN TO DESPERATION
REASONS FOR THE PRESENT DISTRESS
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

ing, 'Cures for Business Depression" Mat
thew Marshall writes as follows for to-mor
rows S,a:
The Berlin rioters are ostensibly work
men out of employment. driven TO despera
tlon by want of food for themselves and
their families. A striking incident of theii
proceedings has been the pillaging of butch
er and baker shops and the carrying away
OF their contents, one of the mob excusing
himself by saying that his children had had
nothing to cat for two days. The burden OF
their cries and their placards has been in
accord with this representation of their
case. What they profess to want is work,
and the redress of the iniquitous state OF
things which prevents them from obtaining
it. How their demonstrations are to help
them they do not make clear, but they evil
IDENTIFY assume that the Emperor can do
what they want done, ff he is only sufficient
ly impressed by shouts and violence with
the necessity OF doing IL.
That there has been for many months a
great deal Of distress among the German
people IL, suppose, a matter of no dispute.
The count did not escape the revulsion
which followed, throughout Europe, the
Barring collapse OF November 1890 and the
bad hRrvests of last summer have naturally
delayed its recovery from it. Germany is
not suffering alone from partial failure OF
its own annual food production. Its neigh
Dor, Russia, which usually furnishes it with
large amount OF rye, the staple constituent
OF the bread which its poorer citizens eat,
has this year not raised enough OF the grain
90 feed itself. and thus besides failing to
contribute 10 the necessities of Germany, it
has been unable TO buy the quantity of Ger
man commodities which it usually took in
return for what it sent.
Mr.. Marshall BIames the Tariff
Our new tariff, also, has either diminished
the American consumption of German mau-
ufactnred goods, or has compelled a reduc-
tion of the wages paid to the operators pro-
ducing them. 1t is quite possible, therefore,
that some, and perhaps many, of the rioters
who have been disturbing the peace OF the
city of Berlin are industrious workmen,
willing TO earn their bread by honest labor,
stances over which thew have no control
At the same time, hope / may not be
thought heartless if express my suspicion
that the mass of them is composed of idle
shiftless vagabonds, such as infest all great
cities, who never have any regular vocation,
but who live by their wits and by preying
upon the more orderly members of the COM
munity.
An opportunity for creating a riot, no
matter upon what pretence, is always too
good for these fellows to lose, and it seems
to me that it is to them and not to the
workingmen of whom they profess to form
part that the violence is owing, OF which the
cable has informed us. Or if they are really
workingmen, they belong to the outer circle
or fringe of them who are only one stage
above the vagabond condition, and who, in
the best times, never have steady employ
ment, because they do not deserve it. At
the nrst appearance of slackening these
men are thrown aside, while these of a
better sort are retained even at the cost of
some pecuniary sacrifice by their employers.
Real Workingmen Not Street Paraders
My own observation induces me to believe
that when, by stress of financial weather
really industrious workmen are temporarily
driven into enforced fdleness, the last thing
they think of is parading the streets and
yhouting for relief. They are not accus-
toned to that sort of behavior, and either
suffer in accomplishing silence or else turn
% legitimate agencies for help. Whether
Justly or unjustly, however, the fact remains
that the Berlin riouers put forward claim
to consideration bv the ruling powers
rs unemployed workers that is admitted by
most people to be sound If truthfully
made. 1t is one among the many proofs to
which have from time to time called at
tention, of the prevalence, In the civilized
world, of the doctrine of communism, or of
the general responsibility of the whole COM
munity for the welfare of its individual
members. 1t receives the sanction of religi-
Gus teachers, as exemplifed by the latest
encyclical of the Pope, the essays of Cardi-
nal Gibbons, REINFORCED by eminent laymen
like Andrew Carnegie, and it manifested
itself in the political world in the frequent
enactment by the legislative bodies of laws
designed as their promoters avow, for the
benefit of particular classes at the public
expense.
As illustrations, may mention the impo-
tition of prohibitory duties upon foreign
manufactured goods for the protection of
home industry, of the laws excluding the
Chinese and forbidding the importation OF
contract laborers, in order that the labor
market here may not be over-supplied, and,
in general, all laws which have for their OBJ
ject the remedy Of evils which afiict only
wider scale, and with much more plausible
ity, the unlimited free coinage of the silver
dollar is now advocated as a certain cure
for the depression from which, it is alleged,
the business of the country is suffering.
A Few Hints to Mr.. Springer.
do not propose to discuss here the sub
ject of free silver. With all Difference to
the Judgment of my friend Mr. Springer.
who thinks the people of the United States
need further enlightenment on it, think
they know pretty much all that can be said
on both sides of the question, and that when
ever they get an opportunity to express
their views upon It they viii do so intelli-
gently. All that wish to say now is that,
in my opinion, business depression cannot
be cured by legislation, either in regard to
currency or to anything else. Whenever it
occurs it is due to causes beyond human con-
troll, and whenever it ceases it ceases as the
result of a natural process. The Berliners,
who marched in procession to the Emperor's
castle last week to force him to find work
for them by an Imperial edict were not more
deluded than are theorists in this country
who fancy that men may be compelled by
law to buy more commodities than they feel
inclined to.
This really is what most of the talk about
legislation upon the subject of the currency
means. The agriculturalist finds that
owing to large crops and limited consump-
tion, the price of his produce is low,as wheat
was year ago and as cotton is this year;
the manufa cturer discovers that he and his
fellow manufacturers cannot sell as many
90 aG ha been hRratnfnro.
the merchant complains of a want of brisk
demand for his wares,and the retail dealers
sales fall off in like manner. Naturally, this
state of things is unpleasant, ana the viz
Tins are DISPOSED to welcome any PROPOSE
tion to change it for the better. If they
would consult their own memory, and take
counsel of their common sense, they would |
see that their experience is no unprece-
dented novelty, that it has occurred often
before, and that it has been as often sue
ceeded by one more agreeable.
Important Factors in Business.
In business, as in religion, politics and !
every other department of human activity,
sabtssient and Imagination are more potent |
factoys than is generally supposed. The ups |
and downs of the stock market exhibit their |
influence more clearly than the slower and |
les conspicuous fluctuations of general |
trade, but not more certainly. There are |
times when almost everybody feels like |
spending money literally in new houses,
new furniture, new clothing, social display |
and entertainments, books, pictures travel |
and amusements, as well as in new COM |
mercial and manufacturing enterprises. |
When this is the case, business is good. |
After q while men get tired of this line of |
proceeding ana 3egln & 70 rest - on 1ne1r a OARS;
under an active demand-fall, trade Ian /
yuishes, profits diminish, and there is gen. ,
eral complaint of hard times. Very often /
the revulsion is occasioned, or at least pre- /
rinitated bV natural causes such as bad /