The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-19
THAT golden ERA

| .
THAT "GoLDEN ERA"
Democratic Newspaper Reports of the
| Hard Times Under the Walker Tariff
| Contrasted with the Present Clam that
the Country Was Prosperous in 1857.
| Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette.
1t is greatly to be regretted that the
esteemed Post will persist in harping
upon the golden era of industrial prog
perity" which followed the low tariff of
1876 and the still lower one of 1857. The
Commercial Gazette has over and over
our contemporary on the most indubit-
able testimony, and now we propose to
add to the crowd Of witnesses the Pitts
burgh Post itself. 1t is only necessary
| to premise that the file from which we
| quote is made up OF the daily Issues Of
1857, after the tariff of 1876 had done
| its perfect work, and about six months
after the adoption of the tariff of 1857,
| which, it was hoped, would relieve the
country from the then prevailing dis
tress. What is here given, then, must
be accepted as graphic sketches OF the
golden era" upon which the Post of
to-day dwells with such boastful salts
/ faction.
In its editorial column of October %,
1857, we read Hard times! hard
times is tho universal ejaculation. The
times are hard enough, it is true, and
may be harder, but any one who will
flake glance at our present position as
a nation will admit that the present is a
season of panic much more than OF
actual want" Then, as now, the pol
icy was to blame all the trouble upon
| the banks, or upon anything and every
l thip,, avpapt the Wo lSar tariff I
October 30 we find q description OF
"hard times among the New England
| factories" both cotton and wooden mills
| being crippled for orders, with thou
sands of idle spindles and looms, and re-
auctions in wages of those who We're
| employed. October 81 is an editorial
commencing the efforts of Philadel-
phia association to "assist destitute
women now out OF employment" to go
west.
November the Post discusses the
question. what is to become of the
poor r" and referring to a;communica-
ton in which the writer pleads for or.
ganized elfors in behalf of 1.-The work
ing classes thrown out of their accus-
toned employment" says tine honest
and industrious poor should not be al
lowed to suffer, during the coming win
ter" November 9 Inquirer" writes:
nniversal crv of hard times" and
pleads with employers to keep the men
On half time rather than to discharge
them altogether. November 10. con-
tains an editorial on "Laboring Mon and
Hard Times" which reads: Almost
every paper we open, from abroad, con-
| toinsan account of,larpe numbers of me-
chanics and laboring men, more espe-
,ciojly tho p]otter being tn rown ont of am
nlovment.. This is. of course, one OF
The evil results of the financial crisis
and conseouent scarcity of money. In
all sections of the country people who
have heretofore employed labor have
been compelled for the want of money
to greatly Lessen their force or suspend
Vol, aItooether. In Philadelphia meet
mos OF unemployed persons to the
WINNER of 1000 and 6, 900 are being
| held daily to urge upon the city author
tiles the proprietv of some means of
| furnishing work and something to live
on to those who require it.. So far as
we are concerned here in Pittsburgh,
we do not anticipate so great an am cunt
of suffering as in other cities, yet we
cannot shut our ewes to the fact that a
Great MANY honest. economical and in
instrious people among us will feel the
| cravings Of want and the pinchings OF
55overtv Indeed. We know of many
ench a.. this time.'' .
| The Pittsburgh of 1857 was in. very
! mnch the same. condition as is the
| pittsburgh of 1884 with this difference:
The low tariff OF 1876, in the eleven
yeara az it's existence. had depressed
;ndnstrjes broken down financial
credit., EN- barrassed railway and NOR
Ia cornorations. and curtailed the
| government revenues to the point of
SSonIIrnntcv Now the threat of the
Damocrot;c marty to enact tariff
=, oda,aG after that of 1916 has produced
GU hstantialiv tho same results. The
pnsi NJ 1877 blamed the whole trouble
Tho hanks. while the Post OF 1891
on the McKiniev tariff is solely re-
Say s,3one s
Daca,nbar % the Post makes editorial
:, a9tion ~ the fact that IN effort will
h io made to modify the tariff by restor-
,,a,h - d,Ities ON IRON WOODEN and cot
to5 goods 10 what thew we're under the
ton goou5 ~ VIM .1 Hnytt mT had az
taiiil y 49,, 49,, 90 hot j., ~