Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-12-09
UNREST THAT CAME
AFTER CIVIL VAR
As BAD AS today
HIGH PRICES ARE BLAMED FOR
STRlk S AND BOLSHEviCk
TALK OF REVOLUTION WHICH,
SPREADS OVER COUNTRY.

A day among the newspaper files of
1S65-7O will cure any mans w0rrie,
over America going to the bow Vows.
Immediately after the civil war the
country was far more disturbed and
the outlook darker than now. FIX.
traVagance strikes, riots, murders.
martial law were everywhere. just as
now. And The country got over II.
Writing OF the reckless prodiealiiy
of the American people in 1865 a New
YORK correspondent Of the London
Times says:
This war has brought the lcYity OF
the American character out in bald re-.
lief. The indulgence in every varicty
Of pleasure. luxury and extravaganza
is simply shocking There is SOM
Thing saddening In the high glee witt
which the people here look upon d
grievOis national calamity, The jew.
elers' shops in all their cities have
trebled their trade: the love Of fine
dresses and ornaments on the part of
women amounts to madness, The.
have money and they must enjoy it
Call for Big Diamonds.
The New York independent adds:
Ask Stewart about he demand for
camel hair shawls His answer is,
Monstrous'' Ask Tiffany what kind
M diamonds are called for Ne will
reply, The urCdie1ous. as near hen
egg size as possible: price no objec;. ="
From The files of American papers
II Is seen that interest In horse RAJ,
ing was keen and that grand opera
enjoyed great Prosperity The thee
ters never had been more crowded
Gayety was epidemic in Washing
ton. The springfield Republican de-
clared that Washington was druut (
and Keeling in a whirl Of dissipation.
where only the best women devoted
any time to acme, husband or chit
dren
The reason Tor this outburst of jol-
LITIGATION VAS ascribcd to reaction
from the strain OF war and the ulen.i.
full supply Of money in the hands -
all classes
Industrial Unrest.
Soon after the war ended peace IA
the industrial world gave way to dis
content Wages remained statlona :
and prices for commodities rose. This
was due to the imitation of the Gu !.
rency caused by the introduction q
paper money,
Labor says one writer assum i
an attitude Of hostility toward sni
ployers and took concerted measure
for self.defense"
Eggs jumped from /, cents d dozen
to %. cheese went from to Is cents
pound, potatoes advanced from s. %
bushel to 81 20 all necessities rose
in value from 60 to 100 per cent.
Wages Jagged behind The a,era G.
increase in all the trades was about
- per cent.
As the discrepancy between wages
and values OF food and clothing be
came greater industrial unrest tended
toward revolution Labor entered into
determined effort to Offset the shrinN.
age of the dollar by forcing wages m
and capital united to keep them down.
The low pay Of women was special
grievance.
The employment Of negroes in the
northern cities led to violent protest,
bloodshed and murder. Long hore-
men particularly took oftense at this
invasion, Along the docks Of Chicago,
Detroit, Cleveland. Buffalo. Alban,
New York, Brooklyn and Boston negro
strikebreakers brought on fierce riots
in which many OF both races Ncr"
killed.
Troops Broke Strike.
Labor was exasperated also by the
attempts of employers to increase the
already enormous inflow Of cheap
labor through immigration. Many
strikes were waged and lost
The quality of labor deteriorateG
long hours caused physical democrat
cation. idlencss and crime At pubic
meetings the country was declared T.
drifting to ruin
Many localities were placed und"l
martial law Military commanders
forbade atrikes and enforced their or
ders by arrests.
The Reading Railroad tied up by
striking engineers, was seized by the
government and run by the milital!
power of the United States; the Ntril-
ing longshoremen in New York stood
idle while transports were loaded IN
der q strong guard of soldiers
Some of the laboring men Joined
the army, some went to farms In tn"
west Others roved about seeking work
and fraction remained in industrial
centers and formed unions.
Strikes kept up tor years. but win
less violence While trades rarc.E
stayed out till every employer capt
ulated The methods Of the strik
were the same as today,
Capital began to make concession
and gradually a better feeling he'd
sway, but it was long time before
the country settled down to norma,
conditions.