Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1844-10-17
Ffom the Gensva Courier.
IN Incident The I.aborirg Man ;
Speech.

Turkey carpets and ride IN their splendid
coaches md whose purses are bursting with
untold gold. wrung iiom the hard toll ct hon
est, accomplishing industry Who, saw.
are these rich nabobs that they should call
upon US, the poor men Of the country, TO be
taxed TO swell tie pronts Of the lordly manu-
faciurcs -
The occasion was political meeting the
orator qusndam Feberaisi Of Columbia
county, prominent in the ranks Of NsnBuren-
ism the audience chiefly hard working men
from an adjoining mandatory. The senti-
ment vas received with a burst OF applause,
amid which the orator sat down
"Mr. President" exclaimed voice in a
note so distinct and so peculiar MS at once to
draw the eyes Of all tn the speaker--(a slen-
der nsn, with Min and Intellectual aspect.
plainly bot neatly clad) --"Mr President, |
am one al those oppressed poor men to whom
the orator has refetred. desire TO speak
NAV be heard =
Leave being granted he proceeded as fol-
lows;
Some writer has remarked. that there is
no man so humble bu, that his life, faithfully
reported, will afford some useful moral and
rs an ounce oi experience is worth pound
Of theory. even my life may not be without
ils use. ! am by trade a weaver. Six years
since was employed in mandatory in
Rhode Island. My employers were homes,
and intelligent, though wealthy men. They
paid me fair though not high wages these
wages, however, were pulctudRy paid. and
my experience has taught me that dollar in
hand is worth twelve shillings in promises.
was industrious and frugal, and therefore
con,en,ed and happy. My wages sufIiced
not only for my support, but also 10 accumu-
late small surplus. | was pleased with my
condition, and looked forward with we'll
grounded hope TO a happy future. About
this time a speaker came among rs who used
arguments precisely similar to those employ
ed this evening His views were novel, in
genious. and striking. We were cap,ira,ed
with this theory. Before. we thought our
selves well paid we now imagine ourselves
oppressed. Before, we though, ourselves
happy; we now began TO think ourselves
miserable. The exchange was a bad one
(for who would prefer misery and discomfort
to happiness and peace y but | was too ca
ger in the pursu, OF The theory TO regard its
consequences
"lIe told US that the distinctions Of wealth
and poverty were artificial, having their FUN
d1iion in the superior wickedness or weak
ress OF mankind; and wholly uns Imported bv
reason or Justice that we are alike Gods
children, and therefore alike entitled 10 share
in his bounty that the entire structure Of So
CltlN was WRONG ana nPeOe0 reform t'lHt
wealth, as at present employed, was merely
an engine oi oppression and that the main
obiec, al its possessor was 10 Grind the face
of the poor. We were fascinated with these
views, and began Ia conduct accordingly.
sour work began to be slighted, and en-
plovers began To complain. Matters ran
from had to worse. until finally a general
combination Of the operatives ] being at The
headl suspended the works. We were all Of
us discharged, others were employed. and in
abou, four days the mills were again in active
operation ! now, for the first time discov-
cred that theory reduced TO practice has its
practical results; that though it NAV afford
amusement, for the fancy, it neither clothes a
n mans hack nor fills his stomach and that
as the best way Of Judging of a tree is by its
fruits, so the best way cf judging Of a theory
is by its practical efforts ] formerly knew
myself happy; ! now find myself miserable.
formerly was laying up money now was
rs rapidly spending il. So far ] had not GER
,anly change for the better
ain shor, time my surplus became ex-
haueied and os nv name had became some
what prominent as reiormer, found II DIT
ficnlt 10 ge, work fiom any employers, as all
alike feared my influence and example. Pow
erty now stared me in the face; and though
necessity he a hard school. fools as il is said
will learn a, no other. ! determined 10 pro-
fl il possible bv experience, and SET myself Ia
consider nv present condition and its caus
es now remember that the speaker, whose
arguments had captiyated my fancy; praciiceo
upon a very different theory from tina, he
preached that he denounced wealth, no one
was more obsequious to the itch. and though
he sympat lised with the poor, he would new
er touch the cause Of poor man unless hI'
fee [he was a lawyerl was paid in adv ance
\ l.I. al. an.s arte
hest ties, Of his principles, and that when we
find a man preaching one thing and prac'is
ing another, we may reasonably dsirusi boii
his doctrine and his sincerity. In my owf
particular my theory had opened disastrous
". Ii bad reduced me from comfort 10 wan
and filed me with discomfort, envy and jeal
ousv toward my more favored neighbors
What happened TO me might reasonably
happen to all ; and theory followed by such
effects, might fairly be pronounced unsouGd
Bri; whether unsnund or not reflected tina
" was folly for me tn sacrifice my money! in
dependence, and comfort, substantial advan
tages, tor mere idea, the vague conception
Of ann her mans brain We heard, my friend
the rlch denounced bnt why denounce III,
Tich suppose you or |, by prudence and in
doslry, rs well we may.l attain To inlepsn
dence +; are We therefore 10 he sii1malised Al
aristocrais Or suppose we leave our prop
eriv 10 "nt chidfen, are they 10 be prnscrib
ed : And why should we who wan, employ
ment, nroc'N'n, war seains, the rich who a
lone can give II To Ms SUPPOSE all wer
as needy ~ ourselves: WIN j In employ rs
where is our bread i}u, why denounce In
Tariff II increases The supply: how ca
it raise The pnee !, Increases employment
and wages % labor how then can /, ininr
the lahoreri lfyo1 have M ,atiH no ,ic
will hag w's,are- 'hey 'r,o, ,bro,I a,d .,,
plnv fo,e 'rpers II ynn havs ,,,ig Inc