New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-10-14
Causes of the Poverty of the LaborinS
G!Rsscs.

If we examine the condition of Civilized Ma
tons, where the Mechanical Arts, the Sciences,
Machinery and other means Of producing Wealth
exist in abundance, the Producing or La
boring Classes poor-Poorer in proportion as all
those means of production are more abundant. In
th. Counrrvthe Mass arc bottcr off because there
vast extent Of soil and thin population, and be-
cause Machinery is not applied to Agriculture, so
that the ruinous competition Of Machinery, which
works against the Mass instead of for them, is not
near as here it Ia in Europe, where there
is no escape fer the people to Agriculture when
driven from Manufactures. But our prosperity is
temporary, and is decreasing rapidly as population
increases.
The Producing or Labcring Glasses form the
majority Of the People they the source of the
Prospe and Wealth of the Country, and their
interests merit the highest socitude OF our States
men. 1t is sacred duty on their part TO search
earnestly for the causes of the Poverty, which, to
greater or less extent Expresses them, and they
can discover those causes to labor to remove thcm
The causes are discovered: we pointed out in our
last article the great and leading ones they are;
First. Reductive and ruinous Competition be-
tween the Producing Classes for employment,
which reduces wages gradually to the lowest point;
Second Machinery, which works against, and
not for, tue Mass.
So long as these principles exist in Society, the
People must, with time sink into indulgence, and
netting can prevent it-nethcr the best OF GOV
ernrnents-Aer Protcction-nor Free lrnde
system must be discovered which will do away
with these two false principles and replace them
BY opposite ones
Our system Of hostile composition is complete
war in Trade and Industry. War, says MI
chael Chevalier, a distinguished Political Econo-
mist (Which is abandoning the battlefield, has
sought last refuge in Industry, where It has
found it We must abolish this trghtiul war
and establish something better in its place, \
Tariff is partial check: it prevents the large
Capitalists of Europe, who can give long credits,
undcr,ell for time and who have the cheap labor
Of furnished Operatives, from breaking down our
Manufacturers it prevents external Competition
or War, and so far we approve of 1t: but lar'
does not protect the Working Clusses at home 1t
protects only the Capitalist who invests in Manu-
| features and the Master Manufacturer; it leaves
reductive Competition to fierce down the wages OF
the Working Glasses, and Machinery to work
against them.
| Protection, as now advocated, is incomplete !
we mn,t make it complete by extending it to the
Producing and Working Glasses. and not expose
them to merciIess Competition and the unequal
war of Capital against Labor.
We could explain to the Press and TO Political
| Leaders a system which would effect this great
end-which would establish equitable division
of profits, so as to give Capital and Labor their just
| proportions-unite the individual with the col
ectiye interest, and establish concert of action
| but would they listen to Us? We fear not. Ind-
| yidual interest, and personal pride and ambition
exist toe strongly in the minds OF Men in our So
cieties to allow them to seek earnestly, generously
and devotedly for absolute Truth and the Happ-
ness Of all.
The advocates Of Free Trade wish to give to false
Competition and Individual Action their fullest de-
velopment: the most ultra among them wish that
no restrictions of any kind should be laid that any
one for example, who wishes turn Doctor, can
do so. or that any one who wishes to carry the
Mails, can enter into the business. This you'd
enlv strengthen the universal confusion, disorder
chcatery and ennity which now exist in Society,
and hasten the subsection of the Mass to the con-
troll OF Capital.
Protection, as now advocated, can, on the other