The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-05-07
LABOR FOR G

ger ana IL VIII De seen 100 mat the WITS
Ter would annihilate the practice of a mans
Iaboring for wages. This article was
copied a! The request Of a friend, and for
the purpose Of showing the readers Of the
Voice, the ideas which seem TO pervade
the minds of some men, respecting our
present social system, This writer does
not seem TO entertain very exalted notions
of Civilization; because, as he asserts, la
boring for wages is indissolub'y connected
with it. If this e~xpounder Of Civilization
can concoct and carry into execution, a
plan Of doing business between nan and
man without virtually adopting this prin-
ciple, and show that his plan will more
highly conduce 10 the welfare of the mass,
| would like 10 be shown the outline OF
it. AS | understand the principles OF the
" Brook Farm Community" Of which
the Harbinger is the organ, n man, joining
it, and depositing a thousand Dollars
with the Treasurer, is allowed a certain
per centage for the use oflhe money while
it remains there also is allowed a certain
price for his labo: !; and when he desires,
may leave, taking with him the principal
and interest Of The money, and the balance
due for his work. In order TO do right
between the laboring members of this, or a
similar Community, the one who performs
twice the amount of labor of another,
should receive twice the amount of pay
also the first is just as much robbed Of his
earnings, by the indolent, as he would be
to receive less than he earns, from an indi>
vidunl. And. 1.-THE community say to the
farming portion of the members, "a half
acre OF corn is a days work 10 hoe if
John hoes an acre, and Thomas but one
fouth Of an acre per day, John will be
credited his excess of earning above his
living, while Thomas will be charged the
excess of living above his earning" |
see not but John will be accommodating
capital 10 be drawn from the Community
at such time as he shall judge best, and
will reaye Thomas 10 take care Of himself,
or be sci down as a Community pauper.
And if the head men say 10 those who de-
sire 10 become Mechanics, "your allow
ances will be alike, per hour ;%--choose
your occupation" [ apprehend the Com
munily would come shor, Of hands 10 per-
form The hardest part of The labors, Ii
allowed according to real labor and me-
chanieaI skill performed, aud employed,
the mos. skilful and laborious would be
accumulaling Capital to be used in the
other case. But, suppose all the people
Of this State should subscribe to the Con-
s%titulion and Bylaws of Brook Farm
Community, there must necessarily be
divisions and subdivisions under the great
whole, aud these several societies must be
differed according to he necessities Of the
case, by Supervisors, Judges, and such
other ar,hority>men as should be found
necessary, in order 10 the good regulations
of the Community and The lowest, and
different grades Of officers rendering an
account oftheir stewardship up to the o.
6cers who occupied the highest seat in the
Catalogue. Should there not be some
regulation of this kind, the Association
could not long exist. But, we shall sup>
pose tina, Community Organizations were
formed so as TO cover the whole United
States. In that case, the OCerssers must
be multiplied in the same ratio as Of one
State, and | apprehend that, until The mass
have more wisdom and morality than they
now possess, the Community plan would
not be so much preferable TO the Civil
regulations OF the New England States, as
the writer Of the article would seem 10
represent. The Brook Farm Association,
or Community, is not now without its otfi-
GERS and while that consists Of but a few
chosen and choice spirits men who are
intelligent, and have associated together
for the purpose of benefttiag each other,
the experiment of managing q large and
heterogeneous mass cannot have been
tried. Should this Association succeed TO
popularity, designing men will worm
themselves into this Society, and into pow
er, as they, or others now do 10 civil So
@cietu's arrangements and, instead Of the