New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-27
THE WORKERS OF MODERN TINES
A LECTURE,
BY CHALES A. DANA.
[Skelched for The Tnbure.I

[Sketched for The Tribune
| On Monday evening the Second Lecture Of the
Course before the Mechanics Institute was de.
livered by CHAs A. DANA, Esq. his subject being
The W orkers Of Modern Times" He began by
characterizing Labor the Geology Of the Socia
/ World for it underlies all our Civilization But
for Industry all that we most prize-R eligion, Jaw
Civilized Enjoyments-wouldb be nothing. Mr.
briefly sketched the earliest form of Labor-tha
OF Slavery, the natural offspring OF Sayagism to
Serdom, or the system that fixed the peasant to
the soil and TO the present system, in which men
are nominaIly their own masters The principles
which now regulate Labor may be summed up in
the word Individuasm their essence is Every
man for himself" This latter systematic Wages
System-was the only one to be considered in
treating of theHistory of Modern abor. The Lee
northumberland the transition from Serfdom to
the w ages System of abor, which took place dur
ring the Middle Ages Even in old Rome there
were Guilds, or Trade Associations in some sort
cooperative Similar institutions sprang up during
the middle ages, at least so far as TO be " Unions"
for mutual assistance and protection. Mr.. D. re-
viewed the policy ofthe age in regard to trades the
apprenticeship system, the trade corporations the
trials of skill and the extensive supervision OF the
Guilds over tradesmen and their conduct By all
these arrangements Labor secured from the
power of Capital, and mechanic ever fell into
pauperism. H referred to the organization of
the Guilds as military companies, and their
Jealous exclusivism. By their contests with the
mobiles, and through the favor of monarchs who
were Jealous OF the nobility, the Guilds
secured charters for cities, releasing them from
the usual responsibility to teuda lords and thus
arose the Free Cities-one of the most important
epochs In the formation OF modern society. Then,
for the first time was Labor recognized as an ele-
ment OF the State. BY these Guilds, Feudasm
fell mud they established the system OF hired la
Dor They introduced mechanical industry,
which has ever since exercised tar greater IN
fuence upon the world than the Agricultural
branch The vast increase of w ealth and many
of the great discoveries of Science have resulted
from Mechanical labor. Mr.. DANA went at some
lepgth into a consideration ot the w ages System,
| reviewing what he deemed it's best and it's worst
| features 1t dihused Inteiligence tostered Arts,
| increased w ealth, improved Government, pro
duced more tranquil Social state, and gave
| powerful impetus to Progress. BUTT perpetu0teda
desire to avoid abor it fired the great majority to
get the means ofmakng others work tor them that
| they might live without work. The very motive
| which produced Slavery and Serfdom IS thus per
petuated The same deslrel Is now universal instead
|
leeitimates the operation OF making others do our
work without rendering an equivalent. The Lee
turer passed to consideration OF the means used
by the non workers to produce this state OF lmmu
nifty. Labor is compelled to pay It's perpetual
tribute IdIeness, not by the old method OF Brute
Force but by the potency Of MOney-the divinity
which has assumed the throne Of Force. Money
| ia the best served God in the Olympus OF the
popular mythology. We talk loudly oto other and
! higher deites, and such indeed are wotshlped IN
& ,l- laIr.ra Win
| light and feed for Humanity the beacons OF the
Future Worshiped too, are they In the SIN
ceTe greatness OF conspiring workshops and 70
lira.hunted clubs where stalwart Men, with The
Gust and stains Of a6or for sacred robes, and the
deep voices OF their fellows for responding chorus
raising the hard hands that Productive INDUSTRY
! mas cousecrated, utter the eternal liturgy oil LID
ertv Equality and Fraternity, the advent oil Jus
tict and Liberty, Peace and Goodwill among mon
| Mr. D referred to the seizure or purchase OF the
soil by the powerful, and its rental at rates DC
ated by the necessities Of the weak, rs one Of the
| causes Of present social inequalities he eX-
| planned some of the restrictions placed ny
| the Guilds upon the tendency TO monopoly some
| of which exist in practice at the present Day
| But the Guilds themselves were not IN keeping
with the progress Of mankind and they "ele
suppressed. The first consequences were laIS 20
accession Of laborers in mechanical emPioyhehts,
actively and fertility OF invention, enterprise anu
! uIbounded competition. WoFkmen Increased
ranidl,- and in proportion to that Increase wages
! fell Employers gave not what was reaiiy earned
| but as little as they could get Work done tor
! The result Of this was extreme poverty among
yrorkmen state Of things which the Lecturer
ilInstrated in subsequent part OF his remarks by
! variety of startling facts. Mr. D. looked upon
| Commerce, as hitherto conducted, as one OF the
agencies for the spOlation OF the aborlng classes
AS the producer must SELL ana me consumer must
bnv the merchant capitalist has both, at his mercy
| and according 10 their respective necessities,
buvs cheap and sells dear. The next instrument
II snoliation was Money Lending, Usury, the
most unsparing of tyrants, winch holding IN lug
hand vast capital, grasps that Whlch nun
| drsds and thousands have toled IN pam and nope
Iessness 10 produce. Money, being the universal
medium oil business renders every man inevitably
| Tia tributary. Mr. DANA then referred 10 the
condition Of Labor in Europe IN the 18th
| Century. the introduction of machinery IN Eng
a}nd. Coming down 70 the era OF the french
Revolution, he showed the opinions OF some
of the leaders as 10 Labor and Us demand
from Government. The Revolution was over,
Feudalism abolished, but L abor was still the
nrev to war OF interests and the tyranny Of
Wealth Mr. D. gave rapid review OF the
condition OF Labor since that period, and then
nroDosed the question whether Laborers are as
well off as they ought TO be. A great mass OF
facts were here presented tend!hS 10 open tue
yes ofthe most careless TO the fearful condition
nj the Laboripg Glasses OF the Old World. In
the ' course Of these facts he quoted Of the
starting revelations made by the London Morn
Ing Chronicle year since-a hideous picture OF
y ant, oppression and crime most appalling to
contemplate. That our Laborers are not IN a
IiE condition is owing said he to sparseness oil
1o9uiarion not to absence OF and Monopoly, Ex
pdisation Of apital high profits to the Gamblers
Of Commerce, or the luck OF Money Lenders. DE
saw the same tendency mere as in Europe toward
the most deplorable results, though he was glad
TO recognize the vigorous germs Of o. oes'e of
man to free use OF the soil is taught even u
tie senate Of the United States The M9 95e "
men on every hand are combining again DTaging
5 %are Which promises sae 2.1sa. asaa
ssossg .ss5 He i o5s 5s yf'S I'd b ia