Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-03-02
Silent Revolutions

NC pIoSEeSS Ol me lCed Vi ASsoCiatIOl
is the most cheering sign of these evenifu
times. Men have in hundred ways been
educated 10 this idea. Our lodges of Odd
Fellows, our benevolent societies of the va.
rlous orders of Temperance; even our pc.
lltlcal clubs, our engine companies, and mis-
lltlary organizations, they all had their part,
in training men to combined efforts, instead
OF solitary exertions.
Society is the first condition of human
happiness. A man would rather have good
company in desert, than be alone in par
adise. The poorest society is felt TO be bet
ter than none-ihe best society is yet to be
attained.
Even the thousands who are going to
California, are banding together for econo~
my, pleasure, protection and profit. Who
thinks Of padding off alone Who talks
of the difficulty of people agreeing together !!
They go in companies Of fifty or a hundred,
| and may enjoy, in this long, adventurous
voyage, more of the pleasures Of social in
tercourse than they ever new before.
We do not mark our own progress; yet
each of these California companies is fOrm>
ing an imperfect Fourier ass ociaton. Each
ship so chartered Is a kind of floating
phalanstery, wanting a thousand comforts
and elegances indeed, but still great deal
better than each man to independently pad
die lis own canoe round Cape Horn, and
so up the pacific coast TO the bright land,
where the gold sparkles in the sunlight.
Bnt, if people can get economy, and COM
fort, society and protection, by association
in their California expeditions, what is to
hinder them from doing the same at home
If hundred men can club together to dig
gold, with all the aids of mutual help, di-
vision and machinery, why not associate in
the same way to dig potatoes What is to
hinder mechanics farming laDoring associa-
tons here, III their various trades Why
not build ships as well as charter, or sail
them, upon this principle, and if gold can
be dug, by a hundred men combining their
small capitals and their labor together for
the general good, what is TO hinder men
forming similar groups in every branch Of
productive industry.
We stopen our ewes the power Of the
combinations. One or two protective I'M
ions have shut up every store in Nantuck~
ct, and all the people are now supplied at
wholesale prices. A few suchcombinations
would break up all business as at present
conducted, in Il considerable city. Ten
years may witness an entire revolution in
trade, and "store keeping will be among
the things of bygone ages. If the retail
dealers are broken up in this way, what is
to become Of the iobbers and you, ycnng
gentlemen, who have preferred to be clerks
10 any productive employment, what is TO
become of you!
II is useless TO oppose these movements.
\ on might as well whistle against hurts
cane, or try TO stop an earthquake with a
crow-bar. II ii be satisfactorily demonstra-
ted that the men can save twenty-five per
cent. Of their earnings by protective unions
we should like TO see who is going to pre-.
vent them from doing it. If this can be
done in forty or fifty towns in New Esq
land, it may be done in every city in the
United States, when people get acquainted
with each other, and learn to do business
together in this way, they will carry out the
principle i'll other things until all the noA
producing drones of neutrality-suspicious.
bankers, traders, and all, will have their sup
ply cut off. Capital will be mere bub-
bic. What is capital! The boarded rep
reseltatve of labor. Suppose that labor
chose some other representative
Suppose all the worbmen of certain
trade club ali their labor, or productive ca
pabiity, and upon that, issue stock, or notes,
or due bills, representing their prospective
labor. Would they want any other capital?
The promise OF an association Of one hum
dred farmers, to deliver i'll New York, on
certain day so much wheat, corn, beef,
pork wool, ETC., would buy anything. So
wond the promise of so many shoemakers,
or hattcrs, or ship. builders, or men of any
other trade; and so, therefore, the gold crop
of California is half gathered, it may have
no value except that which il has as an arti-
fee Of trade, the same as iron, lead "copper"
or platlna.
If these protective unions, and other as
sociations go or, we can use all the gold we
gather, 10 exchange for the commodities oil
foreign countries, for little will be wanted
here. If whole township joins together
to buy, and sell by wholesale, there will be
a mere exchange of commodities end no
money will be needed. But we need not
speculate, for before we can settle any thing,
these changes will have been accomplished.
1t will be an unpleasant transition TO many
of us, but we must stand up to the rack.
and there is no danger there will not be a
plenty of Enthusiastically Dispatch.