The herald., 1894-04-29
HOW TO MEET THE CRISIS.

A Review of the Situation in an open
Letter.
Hon. F. NJ. Cockrell, Washington, D. C.
My DEAR SENATOR :-"Why stand ye
here ell the day idle? 2" is tho question
which millions of American citizens sre
asking of the present congress. "Per-
ilous times" are upon us, and even while
Rome is burning congress seems to be
intoxicated with the eplendor and peace
which surround it.
am not an alsrmist. have gone
through one bloody civil war, and my
memory is full of ghsstlisr pictures OF
those bloody days than the genius OF
Dante irescoed on the walls OF mis- In
ferno. The possibilities of the near
future are darker to my mind than the
days OF '6l. In 1861, state lines and
national boundaries defined, to great
extent, the locality of the conflict, but
should conf ilct como now between tn 9
Industr!als and the government, the
seat of war would be in our own
kitehens- between employer and ON.
ployss-between the masses who have
nothing aud those who have something
in other words, between labor and cap
itsl.
Congress cannot stick it's head in the
sand and thus avoid graphing with the
great question of the hour. The unem-
ployed armies, composed ss they are OF
al the cut-throata, communities, GRIM
inals, and very many worthy men, Can
not be satiatied or eilencsd with the red
tape iormaliJies of ordinary congressional
legislation. The hungry edge OF appe-
tlte cannot be sppeaeed by the mer 0
Imagination of q feast in the good milleD-
nial dave TO follow low tariff and the
rehabilitation of silver. A hungry
atomach has no conscience, and 1T does
not appesse the gnaWingE of hunger to
argue with it that all this hunger has
besn brought about by 30 years OF
vicious legislation. The hungry stomach
wants to be relieved first and then
argue afterwards. This is not tne time
e. Ter nov III to Hhiuugty tramp St6 t6ah q
| whole treaties on the economic lRwa
which should govern the country. Can
/ the government furnish she loaf OF bread
now? This ia the vital question.
! [ am analtsrahly opposed to govern
mens paternaiism. | believe govern
ment was established to protect the
life, liberty and property" of the in.
| diyidual. aad not to look out to find
employment or support for him. The
! government does not owe q support tc
anyone.
But while thia is true it ia just SO true
that the legislation of the past so years
has collected from consumers millions
OF dollars, levied TO pay the difference
between the prlces OF cheap foreign
labor and QUO homs price for sama labor
which hae never gone into the iaborers
pocksts, but has gone to build Carnegie
castles in Scotland and palatial homes
OF capitalists throughout our eastern
cities.
A high protective tariff has been il
operation for 20 years, but strikes have
been the regular order of things In al
the protected industries. There ha
hardly been an important disturoanc
in any of the unprotected industries.
The Republican legieration OF tn pas
so wears has sown the seed, snd 1t
truitAge is now unhappily blossoming II
a Democratic administration, and tn
uureasoning and unthinking multitude
Law all the bitter taste of this polsonou
fruit to tho Democratic party, simply be
cause it is now in possession of the gov
ernment. 1t is tho fear on ths part
the baron chiefa that these colosss
profits are going to be lessened by re
duchon OF the tariff that has cause
thsm to shat down their manufacture
and made them become the leaders
their discharged worklngmen III a cru
sado to Washington, ostensibly In th
interest of labor but really to forca con
eress to continue the Mckinley bill, b.
which they could impoverish the masse
under the idea Of protection OF Amer
can labor. Nearly all the high pro
, tectionists prate as lovers OF mankin
and gush over the brotherhood
man." while their whole practice Q
! we'll as theory is based on the impoVe
! ishment of every laborsr in Europe
enrich the laborer whose home happer
) to be on this aide of the Atlantic.
The question is too vast and many
> sided 10 argue while Rome Is burning.
We are now at that point where pra
i tical atateam anship is needed, uatrar
. melled by precedengs, regardless OF rt
+ tape and strictly constitutional method
to take bold of the great emergency no
i. at hand and do something to Allay Il
y aeething discomfort and to pour oil {
> the troub bled vaters.
L AsI have hintsd, we cannot argl
their stomachs.
In this dire extremity. which l q
i sorry to soy the country seems to reali
i more than their congress does, cou
: not congress organize some public wor
q to give employ yment to the hungry mu
a titudes who are now posing as the
dustrial army? 1t win not always do
! stand literally on constitutional pret
n dents, upon formulas adopted in ordi
It ary times.
l. Why not put thousands OF these Iab'
% ers upon such work as the Hennep
Il canal opening, opening up nsvigati
i between the lakes and the Missisaip
n and other thousands at reservoiring s
,r mountain streams OF Utah, Arizona al
N California for the irrigation of the al
ii but fertile plains of those states end t.
"a ritories for dsmming the Colorado riV
81 and spreading its waters over vast are
Of government laBd now worthless,
~ suses ptible OF feeding millions by
- application oil water; the constructi
l. Of The Nicaragua canal. or the buildi