Evening star., 1923-11-11
Fifty Years Ago
La The Star

When the panic of 1873 subsided
there was slight realization of It's ulti-
mate effect upon
Beginning Of the general pros
Hard Times. peri'y per R1, Of the h e0an- sn-
weeks after the passing of the fnan-
cial spasrn it began to be apparent
that industrial conditions had been
very badly unsettled. In The Star OF
November 4. 1873. is the following
summary of the situation:
"AIl over the country the prospect
is ominous for a gloomy winter. 1t
is estimated that the furry in Wall
street will make a difference to the
whole country OF over one thousand
millions of dollars. Indeed, the
amount OF damage done is altogether
incalcula BILE. Manufacturers every
where are cutting down their forces,
running on half-tiIne. or temporarily
suspending on account of the none
tary srringsncy and the duilness OF
trade. In all the cities the winter is
destined to be very severe upon every
class of the employed. Many of the
wholesale and retail firms are re-
ducing expenses by reducing ths
number OF their accountants clerks
and statesmen. as usually happens,
those who can least afford to go are
the first to lose their places The
where, and must remain in town
without occupation. and yet with the
greatest desire TO work, which Is one
of the most deplorable conditions OF
humanity. In New York city alone
the indications are that at least Co.,
600 or 10000 persons will be thrown
out of employment this month. and
the proportion TO the population Will
be yet larger in manufacturing towns.
Economy and even close frugality
will necessarily be the order of the
day, even in families that have lived
in luxury, in order to make both
ends meet until better times.
The present agitation by the farm
ers of this country for an increase OF
tariff on wheat and
To orners aud for a lowering OF
freight rates for
Freight Rates. tariff or wheat and
of agricultural products had It's fore
runner fifty years ago. as attested by
the following in The Star of Novem-
Der S, 1873:
whether the 'grangers' of the west
succeed in all their undertakings or
not, there is no question but railroad
rates need overhaulirg and re-
sense. At present goods can be
shipped by all-rail from New York
to Chicago via the New York Gem
tral line Through Buffalo) and back
10 Buffalo by propeller at less rate
of freight than they can be shipped
a
the same road. Now, either the local
rates from New York to Buffalo are
simply extortionate in themselves,
or else those from New York to Chi
caEo are so low that people living at
interne nediate points have to be taxed
excessively to make good the loss on
that business. In either case, it is
clear that radical reform is needed"
In The Star of November z. 1873, is
printed a dispatch from Cuba OF
the execution
Virg.inius Prisoners Of the prison
Executed in Cuba. the steamer
virginius, Bernabe Varona, Pedro
Cespetes, Jesus Del Sol and Gen.
w. A. c. Ryan, who were en- route to
Join the Cuban insurgents. This
action by the Spanish authorities
caused an immediate and intense
reaction of sympathy for the in
surgents in this country. The Star
Of November s, 1873, says:
1T is sincerely to be hoped, in the
interests of liberty. humanity and
civilization. that the illegal seizure
and atrocioLs massacre of the Cuban
patriots on the Virginius will be the
last feather on the hack of the sorely
tried forbearance of our govern
ment, and will result in the recogni-
tion by the United States of the
belIigerent rights of the Cubans-the
rigL,s ->.,t have already been accord
ed by the South American states
our government. in the proper desire
TO do it's part in maintaining the
comfy OF nations. has gone to the
utmost limit of forbearance toward
the Spanish government in their
long portracted and wholly unsuc-
cessfui efforts to put down the
patriotic movement in Cuba. The
Spanish warfare upon the Cubans has
throughout the contest been q re-
proach to civilization in It's devilish
brutality, and as it is quite evident
nat, Spain can never conquer Cuba,
= 40 t'1pt the warfare
which consists on the part OF the
Spaniafds In the brutal murder of
any hapless prisoners they may take.
should be stopped by other nations"