The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-03-25
A CRITICAL PERIOD.


What does it mean when it is said
that there are 2 million men out of
employment in the United States?
Who are the 2 million, and where
are they? What proportion do they
bear to the entire wage-earning popu.
Iation? What can be predicted of the
condition of the country, the welfare
of our people, the success of our insti-
tutions, with 2 million men out of
work?
The last census gave the number of
bread-winners of all occupations at 20
million. OF these more than 10 million
were engaged in farming. Profes-
sional men, and those engaged in do
mestic and personal service account
ed for Z million more. This left less
than u million engaged in trades
and transportion, manufacturing and
mechanical callings. And of these II
million more than million were
agents, real estate dealers, bankers
and bank officials, bookkeepers, clerks
mail carriers, merchants, messenger,
errand and office boys, stenographers,
etc, whose employment is necessarily
pretty constant and comparatively few
of whom are idle. So there are left
some million men, actually employed
as wage earners, at the time of the
last census, from among whom the
ranks of the idle are recruited. Allow.
ing for the normal increase since the
s last census, there are today perhaps
II or IL million of this class. Taking
the highest figure, about one laboring-
man out of six is out of employment.
And the most of these have been idle
for considerably more than year.
In New York the Times says that
Unemployment is twice as severe as
it has been for any period for which
We have accurate record" This more
than bears out Mr. Gompers' state
ment that there are more workmen
idle now than there were either in
1893 or In 1873. The number of idle
men in New York city alone is put at
100000 and of these $4,000 are idle
because they cannot find work. This
means that in the metropolis there are
20 per cent more healthy, able-bodied
and willing men than there are jobs
with which to provide them.
Such is the condition of the country
that confronts congress and the Taft
administration. Two million idle men
means from to 10 million people cut |
off from their source of livelihood. 1t
means that the most of these are suf- !
fering actual hardship-are victims of
hunger and cold and humiliating and
degrading poverty.
What caused it? Where shall the
blame be placed? What remedies are
to be invoked? These are problems
enough for any administration to face. |
Is it going to be necessary, in order |
to bring about restoration of pros
perity, and give these idle men a |
chance to support their families, to .
give the trusts and combines-their full |
pound Of flesh? Must the government !
take hands off? Must there be uncon- |
demands as to tariff, as to currency, |
as to trust regulation, and all the 20
litical policies that affect them? Has
the country been given a touch of
starvation that it might the easier be !
whipped into submission?
The Roosevelt administration con-
stituted an era of agitation, of the be-
ginning of reform. Is the Taft ad. |
ministration to witness an end of the !
agitstiOn and submission anew TO
the vcke as the prrae CT bread for
American women and children? 1t is
critical period in the republics his.
tory that confronts us.