New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-08-15
Social Science.
Defects OF the System of separate or
isolated Families.
Communicated

There Is perhaps no more ettectual means OF
convincing people Of the superiority Of Assocla-
ton over the present system of Society than to
point out to them the defects of the system under
which they live. In late article we explained
ssss of the defects Of Agriculture, as nsw pro-
sssated by separate families, between whom no
concert Of action or unity Of interests exists. we
will, in the present article, examine some OF the
defects Of the System of Isolated HouseholdS, or
system which assigns to each family separate
house by itself, with q separate interest in So
cety.
lst. Absence of Liberty and Variety in occu-
pations and social relations.
single family prosecutes but one branch OF
business or industry. by Industry we under
stand Agriculture, Manufactures and Mechan-
ics.) AS a consequence, there is no variety or
choice of occupations The individual is nailed
the entire day and year through at one round OF
monotonous labor, which becomes latiguing and
repusivc in the extreme from It's long contlnu-
ance. There is very little choice, either, IN the
single family Of social relations; if characters
are unsuitcd or uncongenial, which Is often the
case, there arc forced union and contact which
cngender duplicity, deception, opposition, and
often disgust-rendcrng life scene of self-sacrl-
flee and destroying all liberty and enthusiasm
Cd. Absence of Unity in plans and In their
execution
Between isolated or separate families, with
conflicting interests, there can be no general con-
cert OF action and unity ofam and purpose. In
agriculture, for example, the greatest incoherence
and ignorance reign; the country IS cultivated
without any method or order, ana without any
view to adapting production to consumption
There is no concert among farmers to obtain the
finest breeds OF animals and the finest species of
fruits and grains; nor is there any to de-
stroy vernn-such rats, &c. In commerce,
manufactures, and other departments of society,
competition, strife incoherent action, conflict and
dscord exist between individuals and families, so
that in all the industrial, commercial and finan-
cal operations of society there is total absence
of concerted action, of method, and Of order and
unity.
3D. Ruin Of the Children by the death of the
Father.
Women and Children, under present social ar
rangemcnts and with the present defective organ
Zation of Labor, take, as general rule, no part
in productive Industry; as consequence they
are entirely dependent upon the Father. How Of
ten does his premature death sink them into utter
ruin, leaving them beggars, dependent upon the
cold charities of the world, and exposed to evils
and dangers of every kind! Should not the con-
stantlr recurring example OF such mlsfortuncs
convince people,. and particularly fathers, OF the
necessity of a Social Order in which some Social
Providence will exist, and in which all children
will receive practical or industrial, as well
as scientific education, so that they would be-
come Producers and have career open before
them which would secure them an independence ?
4th. Inconsistency of individuals in their under
takings.
The improvements and enterprises of lndlvld-
uals and families are rarely continued or carried
out by descendants and inhertors the son changes
the plans of the father; the person who purcha-
scs a farm. mandatory, q mill changes those OF
the previous owner. The consequences are waste
full mutilation abandonment of works com.
lnCnceu, ana COllSldlL - 80
operations and arrangements. In addition to TINS,
improvements which require long period OF time
to bring to maturity, are rarely commenced, which
is q source of immense loss, and Of great lmper-
lection in Industry.
.1th Want of capital, knowledge and skill
This want is most strongly felt among the
agricultural Glasses ; not one family out OF
hundred, and in fact out ola thousand, has the
means of prosecuting Agriculture as it should be-
9Th Absence of economy in hands, ma
chinery, &c.
How much time is lost by stoppage OF work,
farming, by the idleness Of hands and teams dur
ing rainy days and winter months
It'll Conflict of enterprises between rivals.
Isolated individuals engaged in their various
pursuits and enterprises, wage, under the name
of free competition, regular war against each
other, which renders Commerce and Industry
chaos, a gambling operation, in which three
fourtlis are disappointed and ruined.
eth Reciprocal frauds, trcspasscs and larcen!cs.
The endless prosecutions and lawsuits which
take place show how great is the number offrauds,
receptions and trcspasses which occur in the
business affairs Of men, and how filed is society
with aggression, violence, calumny and hatred.
9th Bad care and early mortality Of children.
Children in the isolated households OF the Poor
and Destitute, (and they compose the majority
are mscraby provided for, both as regards educa-
ton and physical wants; in our large cities the
mortality of little children is frghtful; we have
no statistical details of the number in this coun-
try, but in the poor quarters of Paris eleven out OF
twelve il is ascertained die in the course Of the