New-York daily tribune., 1844-06-05
HE TRIBUN
An Inciden.-Thc Laborins Mans Speech.


profit, Of heit ordl, manufactures :
Tbeoccasion was political meeting: theofa
tor a cuandam Federalist OF Columbia county
,rouinent in the ranks OF Van Burenism the
audience chiefly hard-working men from ad-
;o;piny manufactpry. The sentimcntwas Fccciv-
ed with burst OF applause, AMID winch iAeoTs
Tor sat down.
nur President" exclaimed voice IN note So
distinct and peculiar al once TO draw 'ne eyes u
all 10 the spaaksr-(a Ia slender man, with 'hn anu
intellectual aspect plainly but neatly cia"l- VIZ
President. am one OF those oppressed poor men
10 whom the orator mas ieie'ieU' '''"0 ~ -
NAV be heard y
Leave beng granted, he proceeded as follows
uSo,e writer has remarked tia, there Is no inh
so hunbis bu, that his lie, iaiihuly reported WI
afford some useful moral; and as an ounce u IN ~.
perience il worth pound OF theory, even my ne
NAV not be without its use. am ny uaGe
,yesvar Six ye,rs siace ! was employed IN
,nanuiactory in Rhode Island. My employers were
honest and intelligent, though wealthy men. heS
paid me fair bat not high wagea; these wages, how
ever, were puacilaiIy paid, rnd my experience has
taueht me tl,at II dollar N hand Is worth twelve
shill;nrs in promises. was industrious aud frugal,
and therefore coniented and happy. Ny wages III
6oed not on. for my support, hut also 70 accumn-
late small surplus. was pleased with my con.
dition, aud looked forward with wel!-grounded
hope 10 happy future. About tins time d speate'
came amoug u who used argumcats precisely STINT
lar TO those employed this evening. Has views were
no ell, ingenious and striking. We were captvateo
with hls theory Before, We thought ourselves well
paid we now imagined ourselves oppressed. Be
FORE we thought ourselves happy; we low began
10 think ourselves miserable he exchanse 'oi Inc
was n bad one Tor who would prefer misery and
discontent 10 happaess and peace y but ! was toe
eager in the pursuit Of the theory 10 gard rs conse
qucnces-
He, told us that the distinctions Of wealth and
poverty were merely artificial, ing their iounda-
hon in The superior wickeduess weakness ol nan
hind and wholly unsupported bv reason or justice ;
that We were ali slke Gods children, and therefore
alike entitled 10 share in his bounty that Tue ehe
structure of society was wrong and needed reform J,
that wealth, as al present employed was ihe'e'y Ill
engine OF oppression; and that the mann otJec! o.
It's posse ssor was tu grind the ince OF tie poor We
were fascinated with these views, aad began 10 con
duct accordingly. Our WORK began TO be sighted
and our employers began 20 complain. Matters rail-
from bad to worse, until finally general comblnatioh
ofthe operatives being at the headl suspended the
works. We were all of us discharged, others were
smpoyed, and in about four days the mills were
again in active operation. now ior the hrst tune
discovered that theory reduced 10 practice has i'S
practical results that though II may afford amuse-
ment for the fancy, il neither CLONES q mans back
nor fills his stomach; aud that ns the best way o.
Judging oi u is by it, fruits, so the best way oi
Judging of theory is by ita practical effects Tor
merly kaew myself happy; | now found myselI
miserable. formerly was laying up money;
now was rapidly spending ii. 90 Tar l had GER
teinly not changed for the be ter.
" In shor; tune my surplus became exhausted
and as my name had become somewhat prominent
as a refDrncr, found it difficult 10 get work from
any employers, az all alike feared nay influence ann
example Poverty now stared iae IN The lace; and
though necessity be hard school, fools, as I Il
said will learn in no otncr. determined 10 profit nj
possble) by my experience, and set my sell 10 CON
slider my present condition aud It's causes. | now
remembered that the speaker whose arguments hau
captlvated my fancy practlsed upon very diteieni
theory from that he preached; that though ne de-
nounced wealth, no one was more obsequious 10
the rich and though he sympathzed with the poor,
he never would touch the cause o poor man tf
less his fee (he ii iuwy er) was pad III advance
hence concluded th"t mans acts are the best test
OF his principles. and that when we hud u man
preaching one thing and practising another, We uhN
reasonably disuust both his doctrine and his su-
cerlty. In nv own particular, my tlleor, had ope
rated disas strously. Ii had reduced lie from COM
fort 10 want nnd had filled me wl'h discomfort, envy
and jealousy toward my more favored neIshboTs.
"Wh hat had happt ned 10 me might reasonably
happen all and theory followed by such effects
lnis Int fari, b. pronounced unsOund. But, whether
uusound or not, reflected that II was luy for NE
10 sacrifice my mUuey Independence, and comfort
SubxhAiiaL advantages. for mere idea, The vague
CONCEPTION OF another man 5 BRAIN. wei have heard
the rtch Suppose YOU or L. by prudence and M
dustry, las We'll we nIay y attain 10 independence
therefore to de stigmaiized as arisocrate =
Or,suppose W.T. leave our property 10 our cmdren,nre
they he proScribedl Aud why should We who
todHt employment, proclaim war against the iich
who aon give II Ia us Suppose all were Ia
needy as ourselves; who is 10 cmp"! Us and 1t
no man employ US, where is our bread But VIII,
denounce the farlii! IL increases the supply: how
then can it raise ti.e prcc IL increases employ
Nh lp Hvfv 4
the laborrrl II You have no Tariff, tht: nch will
buy whatever they want a6rOdd and employ
foreigners: il YOU have Tariff they will buy what
they want at home, and employ you Which oi
the two 10 YOU prefer
"NeN 10 God mans first duty is TO his family,
and nations first dut, to itself. Let the Anerlcun
Government Look GU, for the American People and
leave the Ens shsh Government 10 take care oi the
Euglish People. We, my friends practising indus
try and iiugall,y, should remrmbcra few plain max,
inns, and cannot we'll lail to be prosperous. We
should remember
al. To Judge of public men by the effects 0fAeu
measures, not th,ir professions. the people have
thriven under erthtrufnnisraton, and thert has been
corruption extravaganza, or public debt, IT may
be well enough 10 try them again but II the people
have not thriyen under their measures, the people
would be fools try them again ior, what has hap
pened once may happen t"ice what Is bred IN the
bone will show itself in the flesh ; and mans cal
ling himselfa Democrat don't make him one.
-. That ii is most prudent TO let we'll enough
alone ana though ten shiliings per day be better
than shilhngs, Yet that six shlllings per day is
better than nothing.
-. Finally we should remember that employ
men, depends upon the amount Of capital and The
activity with which it moves; and that Farlf in.
creases the amount Of capital b. preventing lis beng
drawn oil pay tor foreign goods, also The actNi
~ of that captal by eu.Aarkinc II manufacturing
enterprise, and thus circulating il through The
Try. employment poor mans capital, it sure
ly stands hun IN hand carry TO the best market.
The speaker ceased. His observations were re-
ceived In silence aud The meeting quietly dispersed
without noise or farther remark.
MARINE JOITRNAT