The record-union., 1894-04-26
INDUSTRIAL ARMY.
Plan for the Relief of the Unemployed
Masses.

From the San Francisco Evening Postl
The proposition of Representative Davis,
the Kansas Populist. who has introduced
into the House bill for the relief of the
unemployed, is not so foolish as at first
glance it appears. Mr.. Davis bill directs
the Secretary of War to Immediately en-
list SOC, 600 men to serve for one year as
a National Industrial Army. They are to
be treated as regular soldiers, and are TO
receive the same pay and allowances as
are now accorded the United states troops.
During their year of service they are to be
employed upon the public works OF the
country, under the direction OF the War
Department Engineers, and to compensate
them the bill provides for the issuance of
$50, GOO, 900 in currency.
AS plan for relieving the distress that
now prevails among the laboring classes
of the country, Mr.. Davis bill has some
features that will commend it to thinking
men, however much sensible financiers
may scoff at the scheme for initiating the
currency with which he has incumbered
it. There is no question but that the
prime cause of the commercial depressions
which overWhelm the country every fif-
teen or sixteen years are due TO the credit
system and production. At stated
periods the nation becomes plethoric. 1t
is filled with materials, raw and manu-
factured, for which there is no market,
and the credit of every man in business is
exhausted. A squeeze follows, and those
who are able save themselves as best they
may. The mprovident-thosew who have
accumulated nothing with which to tide
over the crisis-are thrown out Of EN-
| ployment Immediately, and, while the
capitalists are going through the in
solvency court and settling their balances,
| they are left on the streets to starve. Uni
versal idleness speedily results in con-
suming the surplus, the markets begin to
boom again, and soon everybody is at
work once more.
What better method can be devised for
carrying the improvident masses over the
depressed period than that suggested by
Representative Davis? If paternalism is
to be the order of the day in modern gov
ment, this is the most innocent form of it.
The wisest statesmen of the world have
held that one of the most sacred duties OF
a nation was to maintain state of COM
mercial activity by which every work
| man might obtain employment. Even
Thomas Jefferson considered that an es-
sential of good government. A national
industrial army would not be trained to
the use of arms with which, like the Ro-
man legions, to subvert the constitution.
1t would simply be withdrawn for while
from active industry, and while helping
the prOvident classes to consume the sur
plus and restore the commercial equilib-
rum, would improve the rivers, harbors
and fortitications of the country.
Beyond all question large body of
non-producers will eventually be neces-
sary TO maintain prosperity in the United
States. The large standing armies of Eu-
rope, by withdrawing many men from
commerce, provide plenty of employ
ment for those who remain in such pur-
suits. In this country, however, every
man is busily at work. Even the wealthy,
who might live upon their incomes, are
struggling to add to their possessions.
Until this restless activity gives place to
the non-producing classes which main
tain the equilibrium in older nations, Mr..
Davis industrial army scheme is good
suggestion. His method of raising
money, however, might be amended. An
issue of S50,000,000 in greenbacks would
probably produce more harm than pro-
viding employment for half million
men would do good.