The Springfield herald., 1904-10-28
DIsTREssFUL TIMES
AARDsHlPS THAT FOLLOWED
DEMOCRACY's SUCCESS.
Lesson that Should Be Held In Vivid
Rem m brnnce So that a Repetition
of Industrial Disaster May Bo
Avsrted.

The Inauguration OF Democratic
President in March, 1893, marked the be-
ginning of the most distressful times
ever known in this country.
In the preceding November the ma jor-
ity of the nations working people had
seen fit to try the experiment of better
ing their condition through intrusting po-
fitical power to the Democratic party in
both the administrative and legislative
branches of the government. In eX-
change for the confidence and power thus
given it. the Democratic party gave,
within six months, the working people
of the country the most frightful dose of
general calamity it had ever experienced.
Within less than one year after the in
dustrial workers had decided. in Noyem
Der of 1892 not to let well enough alone.
prosperity had set like the sun, there
was vast army of unemployed men.
and starvation and misery reigned among
tens of thousands of previously well to
do.
The suddenness and completeness with
which this terrible change in 1893 was
wrought in the fortunes of the American
people furnished fearfully bitter lesson.
But it is lesson that it is better for
us to hold in vivid remembrance at this
by taking another dose of Democracy.
A search through the files of almost
any leading newspaper in the United
States during the four winters following
the Democratic summers of 1893, 1894,
1905 and 1896 would show graphic ac-
counts of the heartrending and awful
want that followed the closing of the
mills, the wrecking of banks. and the
destruction of confidence by the Demo-
cratic party.
Testimony from Union Labor.
The following resolution charging the
Democratic party with direct responsible
ity for the fearful suffering of labor,
was adopted by the Union Labor Club
of Chicago. and was printed in the news
papers December 10, 1893:
From the midst of the most prosperous
era that the people of the United Stntes
have ever known. We are suddenly sub
merged to the depths Of despair. In our
own city 100000 men and women nre bat
tllng with starvation and cold We are not
alone in this; from every point OF the com.
pass In fair land comes the wall of
woe from freezing men and starving women
and children. Never before in the history
men, women and children dependent on the
cold charities of the world for subsistence;
never SO many factories idle; never 80 many
attempts to reduce wages. For these cal
antilles there Is cause to which were
hitherto careless and Indifferent, but which
we now thoroughly understand and appre-
which Grover Cleveland mt Its head pro-
poses to establish regardless of the suffer
Ing 1t may engender. Is now thoroughly
understood by the working people. and un-
less we. that are most interested In Its
preservation. awake ourselves and speak
In trumpet tones that policy will be pushed
to the utmost extremity
w. C. Pomeroy, vice president of the
Anna nf I,uh
coined the thirteenth annual convention
to the Chicago City Hall December u,
1893 in the following language:
'.In the name of the homeless wan
derer, in this desert Of stone and steel.
that wayfarer whose wolfish hunger
hounds him ever onward. whose sleepless
eyes wildly seek shelter and sumber.
whose black despair grows darker and
darker every hour. whose heart grows
faint for want of food, whose shivering,
shrunken form grows sick at the sight
of his own shrunken shadow, whose soul
is dead welcome you to the city, whose
motto is. 4 will. "
A Terre Haute, Ind. telegram of De-
cember u to the Associated Press said:
AT a meeting Of the Citizens Relief
Committee this afternoon, the subcommit
tees appointed to make n canvass of the
unemployed in Terre Haute reported by
wards. showing nearly loo men out OF
work"
An Associated Press telegram from
Boston, December 13 said: "A circu-
lar was issued to-day to landlords by the
associations for the unemployed, assert
lng that $4,000 workmen, having as many
persons dependent upon them. are unable
to find employment apd asking that no
rent be required of such until they are
employed. Another appeal. addressed to
the citizens OF Boston, asks them to see
that the city provides work. A move
ment is on foot for n procession of the
unemployed on the Common. and a meet
ing in Faneuil Hall next Tuesday"
Sleeping In the City Hall.
Chicago Inter Ocean, Dec 13, 10O3)
That contingent of ''the army of the
unemployed" which has found shelter for
few nights in the corridors of the City
Hall returned to its old quarters again
last night, bringing along many recruits.
The night before, forty or more of the
dodgers thought to regale themselves with
sandwiches, but were set upon by their
less fortunate and famished comrades,
and dread riot" was precipitated
which called forth police officers to quell
it. Notwithstanding this ruction, the
chilled and starving applicant was not
refused lodging room last night. He
came up to police headquarters obviously,
but was admitted.
At 10 o'clock the long frst-f1oor cor
:ridor from Washington to Randolph
street was covered with men and boys.
fast asleep on the cold, damp pave
ment. Men were half reclining on the
;stairways, and the poor wretches on the
floor had others standing over and about
them, envious of the place upon which
they lay. cramped. drawn up. and crowd
ed by others who shared their miser-
able bed.
Last night Mrs Helen NJ. Cougar
thought to give Editor Stead lesson in
the problem Of unemployed and proposed
of 1000 sandwiches among
the night dodgers at police headquarters.
This was forbidden, as a repetition of the
previous nights riot was feared, and such
sandwiches or other food that was sent
in was stored away for the night, and
when morning came, and along with it
the enforced exodus of the sleeping hun