Year: 1876

will yet gather, to witness the Won
derful exhibitions of human skill in
art and mechanics. The first century
Of the nations life has been marked
by wonderful amount of progression
in certain direction yet after all,
orators, statesmen and philosophers,
must admit that the progression which
has characterized the last decade of
the century is not in the line of truth,
honesty, faithfulness in the discharge
of official duty, &c.


1t is not the intention of the present
writer to call up for review all the
sins of omission and commission which
may be brought against those in power
both in Church and State. The world
as yet is in the dark. The present is
at best but an imperfect state of being;
the light that is dawning will scatter
errors by degrees-never will scatter
them wholly. We arrive at truth by
a process often humiliating to our
manhood, and so-called independence.
Men seem wise, too wise in fact to
learn common sense by experience.
What constitutes the chief difficulties
in the way of our national and local
progress We are to day complain
ing of dull times the mines are
mostly closed to active and vigorous
labor and our honest and worthy men
who are standing all the day idle are
suffering in consequence. The country
needs to day wise men, strong men in
the National and State Senate cham
bers-men who understand all the
multiplied forms Of human jurisprud-
ence and possess courage enough to
execute the laws which they make
Monopolies, no matter who or what
constitutes them, must be crushed out
Labor. to be profitable, must be un-
fettered. Capital and labor must har-
monize, go hand along the
rugged path that leads at last to con-
tentment and universal happiness.


The wants of the age do not occupy
the attention of our representatives in
Congress assembled, in any degree cor
responding to those wants. 1t may
be true that every now and then we
witness discussion upon the mighty
problem of political economy, and
when some honest patriot rises to the
Of the subject and opens
up to public view all the hidden
sources Of reckless extravaganza, he is,
forsooth, (and alas, that it is so,)
branded, ostracised, pronounced a
traitor to party and driven into OBJ
scurity.


The first step in the road to reform
must be taken by men Of strong will,
whose sense of moral honesty will
prompt them to overleap all party
lines, to scorn all party bribes, and to
aid, by their influence ard vote, all
truthful and honest men that may be
competent to fill, with some degree of
credit at least, our Legislature halls
and judicial courts, where justice is
expected to triumph over party in
trigues and mercy. Thoughtful men
all over the country are beginning to
enquire into the cause of the present
distress; certainly there must be
causes; the effects of those causes are
all the world over. There
has been for the past few years al
most an universal disposition on the
part Of those occupying rather obscure
positions, to get out of their corners
and rise by some means, and through
some influence, to an eminence from
which they have looked down with
some degree of contempt upon what
they regard as less important class
not of their "set." Sudden fortune, as it
is called, cannot elevate fool an ass
laden with gold will be but an ass still
and no human humbug or sycophan-
tic eulogy will alter the case. Alas
for us that SO many has risen" with
out possessing the first element that
constitutes gentleman. Those intel
lectual qualifications with proper cul-
ture are lacking and without them a
man will tend earthward and no hu-
man adjoining will compensate or save
them from contempt. SAMUEL.


Ennnrol Ifanoc