The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-24
Looking Into the Past.

In 1855 this country experienced hard
times, and again in 1896 the reins were
drawn pretty tight. In 1855 soup houses
were established at which the unem-
ployed were fed, and again during the
hard times of 1896 business was resum-
ed at the old stands, and everybody
knows how freely they were patronized
BY the thousands of men who were UNI
able to secure employment
History repeated itself in 1896. We
all remember how the workin9men petit
toned the city authorities to proceed
with public work in order that they
might be given something to do and thus
earn money with which to supply their
families with the necessaries of life. The
same condition of affairs existed in 1855.
The following from The Springfield Re
publican of January Is, of that year tells
the soITowful story:
THE committee of the unemployed
worlingmen of New York have address
ed second memorial to the city govern
ment. calling urgently for relief meas
ures and threatening that unless some
thing is done they will be directly COM
PEELED to throw off all responsibility as
10 the results now looming, like the dense
precursor of a hurricane of death, over
this unhappy city They state-exag-
oeratino the fact. we trust, that there are
in New Norl; $4,000 able-bodled men,
$4,000 women and 10000 children out OF
employment, upon whose labor are de-
pendent $4,000 others, making melan-
choly aggregate of 10000 suffering more
or less severely from restitution, having
DISPOSED of their small savings, and in
many cases of their furniture. to sup
ply their pressing daily need To feed
this host of the perishing, at least ten
cents worth of food per day each is re-
uuired, which will demand a daily eX-
penditme of Sl9.500 The bestowments
of public and private charity, liberal as
they are, are totally inadequate to sup
ply the vital wants of the suffering work
ing classes, and now deep murmurings are
heard all around the cherries hearth
stones of proud, stern-hearted men, who
would prefer death to the crouching sup
plications of repulsed beggar. The
working men ask the city government to
furnish labor to the poor, and the gov
eminent has already responded by en-
ploying some $50 men in taking down
and removing the ruins of the burnt
city hall. The men agreed that new
set of 80 should be employed every day
until all applicants had enjoyed the priv
ilege of a days labor"
On another date The Republican told
this story: The unemployed laborers
of New York have held several meetings
in the park. at which foolish and inflam-
matorv speeches have been uttered, but
have signed a reasonable petition to the
city government asking that they may be
employed in the prosecution of various
contemplated city improvements. At
the Boston soup house, just opened in the
public garden, eighty pounds of meat
are boiled in fifty gallons of water, and
the liquor thickened with rice and crush
ed barley makes very hearty soup.
1t is supplied between ten and four to all
who apply, in quantities from pint to
a gallon Neither the Boston nor New
York soup houses are opened on Sun
day, when we suppose the poor are eX-
pected to live on spiritual food"
In 1894 the tariff will be the leading
issue of the campaign, the Democratic
party having no other, except perhaps
they will tell the public about collec-
ton of bad men who managed to secure
places in the postoffice department un-
der a Democratic administration. They
will be sure, however, to cover up the
fact that the rascals were appointed to
their positions while Grover Cleveland
was president.
But what The Free Press
desires to remind workingmen of
especially is the fallacy of the
free trade doctrine. 1t is doc
trine that should not receive the support
of the working classes. The workingmen
do not want history to repeat itself
again, nor do they want a return of the
soup houses.