Year: 1878

Correspondence of the Citizen.l


Our political mountain is jus


now suffering the pains and peril


of premature parturition. Eigh


months ago to-day, the conception


was grand, and seemed to be full o


blessings to suffering people, bu


after these eight months of windy


war the outcome illustrates the ole


fable Of the mountain giving birtl


to a mouse.


Dropping the simile however, il


may be remarked that the whole


some legislation of the XLVth Con


gress is sadly in disproportion tc


the time and labor ostensibly devo


ted to this business. The times


were so out of joint, and the needs


of the country so great, that there


was general disappointment at the


postponement of the called session


from June to October. During


this interval the material interests


of the country continued to suffer


more and more. Bankruptcies in


creased from day to day, factories


closed or worked on half time and


the great army of forced idlers,
tramps and beggars are nearly
doubled.


The country looked forward with
earnest hope and eager expectation
to see some immediate action by
Congress tG end the financial poll
cy which seemed specially designed
to further enrich the millionaires
and impoverish the millions. After
long and fierce struggle the silver
bill fought its way through in spite
of the organized hostility of the
gold bugs and bondholders of Wall
Street. aided by the President and
his Chancellor of the Exchequer.
This gave some hope but little help
to the suffering country. The peo-
pie protested against further con-
traction, and insisted that such
measures should be adopted as
would put the present volume of
paper money into active circulation,
and create demand for still more
of the same sort. Scores of public
buildings-custom houses, court
houses and post offices-were to be
built or finished, and the vigorous
prosecution of work of this kind,
would not only give employment to
thousands, but add millions to the
circulation. Instead of carrying
out this beneficent policy, these
works were stopped In their prog
ress, and additional turns were
given to the screw of contraction.
The months rolled wearily and
drearily along, but "the winter of
our discomfort" was not made glo-
rious summer by the coming of
June. While many good measures
have been introduced and many
members of the House have shown
a disposition to rise up and meet
the supreme demand of the hour.
the maj ority in that body has been
practically without a leader, and the
efforts OF the more patriotic have
either failed of success, or proposed
measures have been postponed for
the future. The approaching elec
tions of November have absorbed
the interest of many of both parties,
who specially desire to be their own
successors, and have carefully avoid
ed any vote that might impair such
q result.


In the mean time the masses, the
toiling millions who eat their bread
in the sweat of their brows, have
come to the front in an organized |
body that threatens the disruption if |
not the demolition of existing par
ties. The greenback-labor move
ment, popularity known as the |
National party, has thoroughly di-
vested itself of anything like com
munistic agrarianism, and seeks to |
level up, rather than level down,
our whole social and industrial sys-
tenn. A large delegation of repre-
sentative men from this organiza-
ton are now in Washington, striv
ng even in these last hours of the
session 10 secure some action that
will help II lift the great burdens
that now paralyze the industries of
.he country. Last night there was
a large mass meeting at the eastern
front of the Capitol, and a number
Of eloquent and impassioned, but
not revolutionary appeals were
made to the listening multitude.
the many thousands pres
snt there was no disposition to
noise or disorder. 1t is hard to saw
the applause was loudest
at the anathemas heaped upon
John Sherman, or at the prospect
Of establishing the eight hour law.
The proclaimed purpose of this law
IS TO give work to greater number
Of enforced idlers, and thus partial
" relieve the labor famine OF the
country.


The greenback wave has already
swollen into such volume that its
roar is like wall OF the tempest in
4 forest of pines. The masses have
come to understand that the finan-
cial policy of the last ten or twelve
years has cost the people nearly
$500, ,00o,0 900 in interest, in order to