Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-05-04


that it becoms desirable for all men
who are able, to, escape from work, by
which means the power Of production
is vastly diminished, and poverty. dis
tress and public embarrassment pro-
por,ionably increased.
AS to it's method of distribution, soci-
ETY. in its present form, converts the
merchant from what he should be, as
the mere intermediate agent between
the producer and consumer, into the
despo,ic master Of both. The true
function Of commerce, is to distribute
the products Of industry, aud should
therefore, be subordinate to industry;
and, as it is unproductive in itself, it
should be executed by the fewest pos
sible agents. On this portion Of the
subject the Address goes some length,
but directs its structures against the
system entirely, and not against its
present professors.
In its method Of consumption, it is
characterised negatively by the alb
sence of vast and important economies,
arising out Of the fact that all the fami-
lies live in isolated habitations, into
which it is impossible to introduce
extensively, modes of saving in fuel,
light, domestic labor, &C. And for the
same reason it is characterized positive
ly, by an enormous expenditure oftime
and money, which is utterly remedi-
less, under present arrangements, al
though it forces seven-eighths Of the
people Of civilized nations, to wear out
the greater portion of their lives in
accumulating the mere materials ofliv-
ing. The large majority Of men are
placed under the suicidal necessity OF
destroying their energiesin order to
keep themselves in comfortable exist
ence!
The question then arises, how socie-
ty can place itself in its true state? Not,
the Assocationists say, by commence
ing with the individual The great
error Of the philanthropists of the day
is, that they look almost exclusively TO
the reform of individual men. Only
ins,il good principles into the individu-
al, they say,-infuse the spirit Of good
into the hearts OF men, and you have
reformed society. But how eyou to
|, reach the individual, constituted associ-
ETY. now iss How are you to bring the
appliances and means of instruction to
, operate upon the mass, who labor from
morning TO night, and who have nei-
Their time nor opportunity to listen to
your lecturings How are their dulled
senses to appreciate your instruction,
after week Of unremiiting toll, when
rest, both mental and physical, is re-
quircd to prepare the system for re-
newed exerton! STEPPED in poverty
and misery to the mouth, how are they
to keep their ears open to the voice OF
counsel' They cannot--it islost upon
them.
Diue,gency Of interest character
ICES all present forms Of society. The
reverse then, convcrgency ofinferest
must point to the remedy. The only
cure for our social distresses, the only
means for real, true, social progress, isa
plan OF social organization, on the
principal Of UNITY OF INTERESTS.
Industry includes every production
OF the human faculties, and may be dis
tinguished, for the sake of precision,
/ into Domestic Service, Agriculture,
. Manufactures, Commerce, Education,
and The study and application of the
Science and the Fine Arts. All these
branches Of human activity, according
to the views of the Associationists,
must be combined in unitary organ
, ization, TO give rise TO the perfection of
society which their system contem-
plates.
This process of combination must be
begun in a township, or in bodies of
, men equivalent in extent and number
. to an ordinary township-because the
, township is the element out of which
: larger social organizations are formed;
, because in cases of experiment, little
| damage can result from failure on so
. small scale, and because the town
, ship, while it is a compact and manage
: able body, COMMONLY embraces all the
Q means tina, are necessary for CON-
\ plete and successful formation of true
: Organic Society.
r As TO the principles on which the or
, ganization should be attempted, it is
proposed. that the Association be a