The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-16
1861 AND 1893

IT has been commended that when Abraham Lin
coin took the office of President in 1861 he was
faced with the most serious difficulties which con-
fronted one of our chief executives at Inauguration.
1t is fairly sound opinion however, that Lincoln
took hold of rather simple situation compared to
that which Mr.. Roosevelt faces.
Our economic situation was most favorable in
1861 We we're on the brink of the most rapid
population growth in history We had re-
covered from the brief panic of 1857. 1t was the
eve of railroad expansion, and of the introduction
of machinery into the wooden industry, boot and
shoe making the manufacture of iron and steel
goods and the like
Factories were spreading rapidly. We just were
being hit by the full impact of the industrial revo-
luton. Farming still our basic industry, and
it was relatively prosperous Much of the best land
still remained to be taken up.
The political setup simple in 1861. Our pri-
marily rural economy presented few complicated
problems. Democratic political institutions were
relatively adequate to deal with them, though rep
resentative government failed to prevent us from
falling into the supreme folly of the Civil war.
AT the worst, the secession of a large and we'll
integrated section all that confronted Lincoln
Few careful historical students of the period now
believe that it would have been a calamity if the
south had been permitted to withdraw peacefully.
There serious threats to peace in foreign
relations. Our tariff rates very low.
Slavery, in spite of aboitonist ballyhoo, was no
great menace. There fewer than 100000
slaves. They had very high economic value, and
this alone enough to insure relatively humane
treatment. The south ultimately would have freed
the slaves in any event.
In 1888 are confronted with a major crisis
Population growth has slowed down. threatening our
future home market. Moreover a larger p0pula-
ton would mean only unemployed, with fur
Their installation of automatic machinery. We have
reached industrial maturity, and striking new
industries appear the horizon
We are overbult in productive plants already
but many look forward to the return of boom years
to sink still more capital in unneeded plants Auto
matte machinery is rendering obsolete relatively
new factories and throwing millions into unem-
ployment and want
Our once proud and relatively prosperous farmers
find themselves confronted with the prospect of
peasant servility. senseless and outworn tariff
policy has depressed our foreign trade, and has
made it difficult to collect the obligations owed by
our foreign debtors.
In the political field, it is now apparent that the
old anarchic democracy no longer is adequate to
requirements of overgrown and overcentralized
state The complicated problems which face US in
our complex urban world civilization stagger ex-
perts, to say nothing of ignorant politicians.
Our annual budget is double the total Civil war
debt. The Inflated noble experiment. helped fur
Their to paralyze and clog our administrative ma
chine and legal system.
One can not approve of the loose epithet of
"wage slavery" applied reclessly by AIarxans but
there no denying that laboring classes in the
United States today in fan worse condition.
materially speaking than were the Negro slaves
In 1861.
Some 14295O0O are unemployed and face pos
sible starvation, with no self-interested slave
holders to feed them. 1t is understatement to
say that there is physical suffering among the
unemployed in New York City today than among
all the slaves in the entire south in 1861.
We have a far larger national debt per capita
than in 1861. There were no pension payments in
1861. War debts join with the tariff in jeopardizing
our already fading world trade.
International relations present cheerful spec
tacle. Europe may burst into war any day, and We
g