The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-09
The Cause and the Remedy.

Inclined to take very serious view OF
the present situation. AS a matter of
TACT, the situation is Of character to
invite the minds of intelligent people to
a season of serious reflection. What
The Post says is worthy the attention of
those who betray now and then desire
to dismiss the present condition of af-
fairs with fiippant denunciation of the
lawlessness that shows its head in vari-
Dus parts Of the country, and a superb
cial protest against the strikes that Oc-
cur when the pressure of hard times
compels reduction of wages. The Post
says:
The people throughout the country are in
an almost unprecedented condition Of unrest
and discomfort, not only because of the
long continued hard times, but for the rea-
son that their representatives in Washing
ton are SO slow and apparently incompetent
TO devise measures of relief.
Although many thousands of honest work
fngmen have been out of employment for
long and weary months, the strike and boy
colt, entailing serious loss to thousands of
other Wage-earners, are, after all, but the
natural fruit of strained and unna tural con-
ditions. They are in the nature of uprisingS
against the existing order of things.
Nor is it strange that so many more thou
rands, good and reputable citizens, i'll no
wise identified with the labor organizations,
and having no special sympathy with their
aggressive demonstrations have become, in
a. measure Indifferent TO what is going
about them, and almost ready to welcome
any outbreak that may relieve the monot-
ony of their surroundings and arouse our
legislators to a more pressing and patriotic
sense of duty.
We have no apologies to make for laWless-
ness, and we should esteem it neglect of OBJ
legation not to curb, as far as possible, the
impatience of communities bowed down
with adversely. Yet is it not true that law
lessness is many times begotten of the in
adequacy of the law to protect and promote
the interests of the citizen, and can we
wonder at the popular Impotence to which
the Iaw-making power OF the government is
SO supremely Indifferent?
The Post is no alarmist? 1t has great
faith in the future. 1t would fam repose
as much confidence in the capacity of the
American people for self-goVernment as it
has knowledge of the illInitable resources
with which GOD has blessed their country.
But we are firmly Of the opinion that unless
n higher broader, better order OF states
inanship is developed, n greater zeal for the
public welfare, a more intelligent concep-
O
Ter resolve on the part of our governing
powers TO afford the suffering people OF the
United States relief and those who are sur
ferng include the great majority, the worst
Of the crisis through which we are passing
has yet to be seen.
Reasoning from effect to cause, it is
an easy matter to find the remedy which
the situation demands, but it is not so
easy to prevail upon Il temporiZing fed
eral legislature to apply it. The cry OF
distress which furnishes The Post with
a text is Il system which the democratic
party, as the representative Of the peo-
pie cannot afford to ignore, and 1t IS
the privilege, as well as the solemn duty
of the statesmen of that party to dis
cover the cause and apply the remedy
Craftsmanship, in its last analysis, is
the application of the principles OF COM
mon sense to the problems Of politics.
There is some cause for the widespread
distress and discomfort on which The
Post comments. What is it? We know
that the strikes that have occurred
Rnd are now occurring through
out the country are the result or re-
duction of wages We know, too, that
the reduction i'll wages mas been caused
nv n lack of markets for manufactured
products. We know that in spite OF the
unprecedented cheapness OF all arucleS
Of prime necessity, trade and BUSINESS
are duller than they ever. have been III
this country We know that III spite OF
the fact that flour is $3.50 barrel ana
other things cheap i'll proportion, thou-
sands of aDle-b0died men and WOhleh'
1rho are able and eager to work, are III
a destitute condition. They are less
able to buy flour now than they were
when il was selling ut IS Il barrel. why !!
PecauSe the scarcity of money III pusl-
mess and trade has placed them III Il
position where they are unable to earn
L living.
Let us pursue the investigation a lit
tIa further. Business was prosperous
two years ago, and the people VINO are
now flying the flag of distress were en-
loving the results of that prosperity
What has happened to bring about such
q vast change in the condition OF al
fairs? Nothing less than vast change
in our financial system-a change the
most violent and momentous that ever
occurred in the history of people sup
posed TO be free. Nothing less than the
deStruction-the obliteration-of the
debt-paying quality of more than half
OF the coin and currency in circulation.
Every form of paper currency afioat, as
well as the silver coinage, has been
made redeemable in gold. This has in
creased the value of gold to such an eX-
tent that the profits of human labor OF
all kinds, the prices of all the products
Of human labor and the value of ali
forms of property have fallen and
shrunk with a rapidity that is without
precedent or parallel in our economic
history.
If the value of only one Of two forms