The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-09-18
LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.

Chicago Tribune: Gentlemen who
are advocating the readjustment of
the tariff and the distributing of
business interests and of the existing
conditions which make for general
prosperity are hard to please. They
are mischievous or ignorant Although
they are confronted with unexam-
pied prospesity in every part of the
country they do not seem to know it..
There are few idle men in any branch
of industry. Every competent work
man who really wishes employment
has little difficulty in finding it. The
want" columns of the newspapers are
filled with demands for all kinds of Ia
Dor and the Situations wanted" col
umns have dwindled in corresponding
degree In addition to the marvellous
activity in every line of manufacture
and trade, the country is on the eve
of the most abundant harvests known
in years. Apparently there will be no
crop failure of any kind. Corn, wheat
and cotton will be marketed in enor-
nous quantities, and undoubtedly will
fetch good prices. There will be an
abundance of corn for feeding cattle,
which should make lower prices for
beef, and the packers will have better
profits at lower prices than they have
had this year ~
What ails these chronic malcon-
tents whose feelings find expression
in the jeremaids of such calamity
howlers as Bryan? What is the mat
ter with them? Are they distressed
because of abounding prosperity? Do
they in a spirit Of malice or reckless
ness long to experiment with
another condition of affairs? Have
they not yet learned the lesson that
it is "better to leave well enough
alone?" Might it not be advantage
GUS for Chicago, for instance, to feel
the impulse of the good times all
about us and reap some of the bene-
fits which other cities are enjoying?
| The effort to disturb existing condi-
tions in trade and business for the
purpose of giving occupation to a GER
| tain class of restless politicians who
have nothing to do In prosperous
times is unwise, if not something
worse, and exhibits the wanton spirit
of the small boy who deraces public
buildings, destroys private property
and tortures animals to give expires
sion to his superabundant "cussed'
ness" Some of those who are
so anxious to try "the other side" and
experiment with depression and dis
aster appear to desire the fulfillment
of these prophecies of evil even il
their fellow citizens have to suffer
| therefrom. Others from lack of eX
perience or from sheer selfishness
having no other occupation but poll
tics, and being on the losing side, evi
IDENTIFY think that bad times for Other
people may be good times for them
Those who in this spirit wish fol
change should read Mr.. Allerton's let
ter, printed on Tuesday last, his ref
erence to 1904, when as the result Of
demoralizing business and disturbing
prosperity everyone was idle, old mer
and young men asking for a job"
Those who desire this condition oi
things, those who would like to sec
the fires put out in the great mills al
South Chicago-men walking the
streets this winter looking in vain fol
employment, the highways full o
tramps and hobos the corridors o
the city hall and police stations
crowded with vagrants-men, womer
and children actually perishing from
hunger and Goodwill do what they
can to reverse present conditions
They will subscribe to the program
which the calamity howlers would lik'
, to have carried out for the delectatioi
! of their misguided followers. 1t Il
] only candidates out Of office and poll
ticians out of jobs who would have
t change" They will not be gratified
t for prosperity is the issue and al
! other questions are secondary"