The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-11-24

ties than work can be found for; and
though the business of most cities annual
ly increases through the growth of the
the Country trading with them, vet the
pressure for employment in cities con-
stantly outruns the demand for labor, and
if New York were to increase its trade and
consequently its population by ten or
twenty per cent. year for the next CEN
tury, there would at all times be thousands
waiting here for chances to do something,
and many starved out or impelled to evil
courses for want of honest business. The
gigantic sea of Foreign immigration in
cessantly rolling in upon us, bringing
thousands each month to our City (some
of them most ingenious, expert, and capa-
ble) who must have work promptly or 60
to the Poor House, and who are Injured to
lower wages and poorer living than A.
mericans will submit themselves to, will
keep the general Labor market glutted
and the average recompense of hired labor
low for term of which we cannot foresee
the end.
"But do you contend that no American
youth should eUer migrate from the Coun-
try to one our Cities?" No, Sir we do
not. What we do maintain is this
Whoever leaves the Country to come hith-
er should feel sure that he has faculties,
capacities, powers, for which the Country
affords him no scope, and that the City is
his proper sphere ofusefulness. He should
next be sure that he has ability to procure
a livelihood while he shall be laboring to
attain that sphere which he regards as his
ultimate destination. No youth should
migrate to a City without thorough mas
terry of some mechanical trade or handi-
craft such as is prosecuted in Cities, al
though he may not intend to follow it ex.
cept in case of dire necessity. Teaching,
Clerking, Law, &C., are SO very precarious
except to men of established reputation
and business, that it is next to madness
for youth to come here relying upon
them. With good trade, and hearty
to work, strict temperance, and
habits of economy, it will be hard to starve
out a man who has once found employ
ment; not so with one who is trained only
for Teacher or Clerk, or who sis will
ling to do anything''-which means that
he knows how to do nothing. With these
our City has always been, and always
will be crowded. pays for burying the
greater part Of them.
The young man fit to come to City
does not begin by importuning some rela-
tive or friend to find or make place for
him. Having first qualified himself so far
as he may, for usefulness here, he comes
understanding that he must begin at the
foot of the class and work his way up
Having found place to stop, he makes
himself acquainted with those places where
work in his line may be found, sees the
advertisements of"Wants" in the leading
ournals at an early hour each morning,
notes those which hold out some prospects
for him, and accepts the first place offered
10 him which he can take honorably and
ill acceptably. He who commences in
his way is quite likely to get on.
But for him whose chief object is to live
or even to acquire wealth |
BY honest industry, the City is not the
place. The masses Of men and women
work far steadier and harder here for a
pare subsistence than they do away from
he Cities. To say nothing of the ruder
manual toll by which no man can support
/ family in comfort, the average earnings
# good mechanics will not exceed eight
lollars per week the year round, or $40O
,er annum. This will seem considerable
o mechanics who can hire a good house
md garden for $50 to $50, with often a
trip of pasture or meadow attached; but
ct such one consider that here almost
my kind of a house costs from $500 to
$500 per annum, and the meanest dog
lole into which family can be crowded
perhaps up two flights of stairs-will
cost him 800, with like charges for fuel,
milk, vegetables, &c., and he will under
tand the whole subject much better. A
,ood mechanic can support his family
'etter by five days. labor per week in the
country than by six in this or almost any
,reat city. 1.a .r.n
"But men do get rich in the city.''-Yes,
hey do. One in thousand who come
lere in quest of fortune achieve it, and
hey are generally men who would do the
;ame anywhere. Scrutinize closely the
ives of those who have made fortunes in
,ities, and you will find that they were
,arly risers, hard workers, sharp dealers
ind close calculators-a sort very difficult
o starve. Having thus obtained a good
tart early in life, the rest was easy: for
le must be 6 naturai-born fool or worse
yho cannot with money and credit aocu-
nulate property anywhere. Theproblem
We are considering is, How men are to do
vho have not money, or at best have very
title. rt.s Isre9l
We are not forgetting that there are
ONE rare but snowy instances Of men
vho have made fortunes by some dashing | {
peculation or run of luck in trade-but
hese are few to disturb the general calcu-
alton. Whoever wishes to try his luck
It gambling is not obliged TO come to the
,ity for that purpose, or at least need not
emoye hither. Three days will usually L