Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-09-03
MISCELLANEOUS.
From sedgwick's Publick and Private Economy.
Causes of Poverty.

80 Knows from common obse rvaton, that in
most parts of the Garth, labour mny be mhdo TO
,,oducc more than il docs at present. We know,
that it is possible TO the whole earth that ca u
bo cultivated, into garden ground. 1t is lam,
then, that tho grca. reason why thero is not more
veal.h, and why, in such large portions Of the
world the people are wretched, and not comfort
able. is either tho want Of labor, or the right
sort OF labor.
Either then, LIST, The people nro idle. they
do no, work rs hard rs they might; or. I'd, They
work unsklfiillv, with poor tools, and in n bad
manner, as savngcs do; or, Sd; Their labor IS
wholly or in part, ppIcd-that is, they work
tho wrong things, and their labor, thorefo
brings little nothing TO pass; in other words,
their labor is in great measure unproductivc,
Yielding little or nothing of UTILITY, Of real good
10 tho great body Of tho people; it produces nci-
.hcr food, drink, nor clothes for tho body.
nor any real, delightful, desirable pleasure TO the
mind, compared with what it might produce
As was suggested before, there thousands
and thousands that do produce tho mems of
living. On the contrary, some Of these IN tho
wnv in which they 1.-Two, consume all that thou
sands produce. II is pInin, that here are causes
enough for poverty; because, If people do not
work to produce what they want, and what it is
best for them to have, how can toy avoid being
poor md miserable? It is this Improbable labor,
that brings nothing or little to pass, that shall
principally here consider.
This, then, solves tho whoIo mystery, if there
DO any mystery about tho matter. why bad gov
ernmen, bad religion, superstition, monopoly.
mako the people poor and mIscrable and it Is
that where these exist that tho people work to
disadvantage. They nre compelled TO labor for
The king, for tho nobility, for the priesthood, for
the great men who have tho monopolies, in ten
thousand contemplate, frivolous, aud Improbable
occupations, which are attended with little or no
real permanen. good 10 tho laborors. This
plains tho uncxamplcd prosperity, riches, and
happiness of Ia rye portions of the United States.
compared with other countries, that IS, that tho
aborers horc are permitted TO work for their own
benefit to work for property, ut such occupations
uscfu! to themselves. and thus to ENJOY tho
produce of their Iubprs. Happiness, thon. is one
great Of labor and wealth, as surely as that
misery, discomfort, and despair causes of lido
aud poverty. And this is the rcason why
the slave is such miserable laborcr compared
with tho white
The prosperity OF individuals depends in
great measure upon tho utility of their occupa-
tons. and Individuals make up nations. will be
the richest aud happcst whcro the useful occupa-
tons prevail. One of tho great reasons. then.
why there is SO little property in the world. and
why those who not absolutely poor are far loss
well oil than they might be, Is, that 50 many
men, women, and children, labor without bring
ing anything TO pass. or anything compared with
no moro advantage, 50 far regards tho pros
porty of the whole, than if thoy laborcd at dig
glng bitches and filing them up aSaiu or IN pump
ing water oul of one cistern into another, and so
back nslin for ovor. Now, it is certain. that
when poor man is hircd to disgrace himself and
his employer, by such disgusting waste of his
time rs this, though tho poor man may thereby
earn dollar, no does no, in any way, in tho long
run. help tho condition of othor poor mon like
himself, by increasing property for the genera
good. 1t is true that no may help himself by
gaining do,r in wages; tut il Is that
another man loses Between them both
they havo created nothing useful, of
course nothing remains more than there was be-
fore. About thirty years ago, nearly every man
wore little silk tassol at tho top of his boot. in
'front.' Tho boot was property, but the tasscl was
ncontemptbc nppendago Of man. Foor pco
pie who work for small wages, can find some
thing better TO lay their money upon; II Is for
thor interest to creats property.
II is by laboring and earning. or producing
something that can be laid up. and added to the
general heap, out Of which tho whole nation is
scd and clothed. and man can incroasc the
wealth of tho people and thus improve tho con-
dItion OF poor people in future. Every child has
seen soapbubble; 1t is pretty toy. As it cs
capes from the pipe through which it is blown it
presents the appearance, though not regular in It's
movements, of little world sent into tho air by
the breath; 1t dances about for an instant, md
then bursts, and disappears for ever, showing
that II is but bubble An immense amount Of
labor, even IN tho United States, is spent upon
what IS no better than soap bubbles. But wheat,
and rye, and cotton, and corn fertile farms beau
1fui cities, and villages, do no, spring from soap
bubbles. We SEQ every day some Of the poor
est OF the people, who are often without bread.
or meat. or comfortable clothes, occupied in man
ufncturing the soap. or the pipes or in performing
of 10 huh
bic business. |, is plain, that these poor people
had better be making shoes. hats. and coats; for
It is certain. that the moro Of these there arc in
the world. the will fall each mans sha re:
unless it be true, as Mr.. Nautilus says that there
must BIO moro heads than hats. more backs than
coats. more guests than dishes, which is denied.
The ends of Providence in regard to man can