Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1844-06-14
From the Geneva Courier.
AN INCIDEET.-TIE LABORING MANS
SPEECH

tuesc afISlOcratS VINO walk upon t1Glr tnrkoV car
pets and ride in their splendid coaches, and whose
purses bursting with untold gold. wrung from
the hard toll of honest, accomplishing industry |!
Who, say. arc those rich nab0bs. that they
should call upon us, the poor of the country !,
to be taxed to swell the profits of their lordy
manufactures -
The occasion was political meeting the ora
tor quandam Fedcralist of Columbia county,
prominent in the ranks Of Van Burensm the
audience chiefly ha working men from adj
joining mandatory. The sentiment
coivod with burst Of applause. amid which the
orator sat down.
"Mr. President exclaimed voice in note
so distinct and peculiar at to draw the
eyes Of all to tho speakcr-(a slender man with
thin and intellectual aspect. plainly but neatly
clad )-' Mr.. President am ono OF those OPP
pressed poor men, to whom tho orator has refer
red. | desire to speak may be heard .
Leave being granted he proceeded as follows j:
Some writer has remarked, that there is no
man humble, but that his life, faithfully report
cd. will afford useful moral and
ounce Of eyparlncc IS worth pound of theory.
even MY life may not BE- without its uso | am
by trade weaver. Six years since. was en-
poycd III manufactory in Rholo Island. My
employers were honest and intelligent. though
wealthy mon. They paid me fair but not high
wages. These wages however. were punctuaI-
~ paid ani my experience has taught me that
q dollar in hand is worth twelve sailiings IN prom
ises, was Industrious ana frugal, and therefore
contcntod ana happy. Ny wages sulic2d not
only Tor my support. but also TO accumulate
small surplus. | was pleased with my condition
and Iootcl forward with well grounded hope to
happy future. About this time. a speaker
came among US Who used arguments precisely
similar to those employed this evening. His
views were novel. ingenious and striking. We
wore captiyato1 with his tAaa-v- Before
thought ourselves well paid imagined
ourselves oppressed. Before, thought
selves happy: We now began to think our
selves miserable. The exchange, for
bad one (for who would prefer misery and dis
content to happiness and peace y but | was too
ca ger In the pursuit of tho theory to regard its
consequences.
lie told Us that tho distinctions of wealth and
poverty were merely artificial. having their ioun-
dation in the superior wickcdness weakness of
mankind, and wholly unsupported by reason or
Justice; that all alike Gods children.
and therefore alike entitled to share in his boun
tv; that the entire structure Of society was
wrong and needed reform that wealth, at
present employed. was merely an eng inc Of OPP
preston and that tho main object of its possess
to grind the face Of the poor. We were
fascinated with these views and began to conduct
accordingly. Our work began 10 DC sghIed aud
employers began to complain. Matters ran
from bad to worse. until finally general combi-
nation of the operatives Il being at the head)
suspended tho works. We were all of US dis
charged. others employed, and in about four
DAYS the mills again in active opcration.-
| now for the first time discovered that theory
reduced to practice has its practical results; that
though If afford amusement for the fancy. it
neither clothes a mans back nor fills his stomach
and that the best way of Judging of q tree is
by it's fruit, SO :he best way of Judging Of the
DRY is by its practical effects. | formerly knew
myself happy. now found myself miserable. L
formerly was laying up money now was as
roD idIy enenIinu So far Ind certainIy not
changed for tho better.
In n short time my surplus became exhausted
and my name had become somewhat promn-
ent as rcformor, found it difficult to get work
from any employer. all alike feared my inf1u-
enco and example. Poverty stared me in
tho face: and though necessity be hard school.
fools as it is said. will learn in no other. | de-
tormincd to profit. If possible. by my experience
and set myself to consider nv present condition
and It's causes. | now remember that the speaker
who capitivatod my fancy. practced upon very
different theory from that he preached that tho
he denounced wealth one was more obscqui
Gus to the rich and though he sympathised with
the poor he never would touch the cause Of
poor man unless his fee Che was n lawyer was
mid in advance. honcc concluded that man's
acts arc the BIS: is; OF his principles. and that
when 40 ind preachn- one thing and
nrac.fcing another. may reasonably dlstrust
both his doctrine and his sincerity. In my ownpar
;lcular case, my theory had operated dsastrousIy.
Il had reduced me from comfort TO want. and had
filed me with discomfort. envy and Jealousy. to-
wards M more favored neighbors.
..What had hap2encl to me might reason
ably happen to all: and theory followed by
such effects. might fairly be pronounced unsound.
But whether uns0und or not. | reflected that it
was folly for me- to sacrifice my money. indepen-
| Ian,s and comfort. substantial advantages. for
moro idea. tho vague conception OF another mans
b ain. We have heard, my friends. tho rich de-
noancaI but why denounce the rich Suppose
| vou or /, BY prudence or industry. las we'll we