The southern press., 1850-11-02

eunzoasuH-~enA
the Southern Quarterly, although he concurs with
me in nearly all of the positions assumed in the
lecture, and fortifes them with powerful reason
ing, dissents on this point. have, therefore re-
examined the subject with care and shall before |
close, present some facts that must be regarded as
decisive.
Passing from what ssJustice calls the ssinterest'
OF capital invested in commerce, let us follow him
TO the comparative wages of labor in manufactures
and in agriculture. He says: I" The pqges afford
ed by two pursuits be easily compared, and the
comparison sho,cs Me greater productirsness Of manu-
tactures. In England the wages Of agricultural la
borers vary from 81 SO to 50 "a per week, while
the wages of operatives in manufactures vary
from 81 II TO So 90 per week. - HThe
average wages at Lowell, as given in the Journal
of March %, from the Lowell Courier, is for fe-
males So per week clear of board; males so cents
per day" Where does agrit ulturaI labor average
any thing like this the year through,
Political economists tell us and il must be OBJ
vious TO almost every body but Justice, . that
the wages OF labor well the profits of capital
in different pursuits constantly tend to equality--
since If wages were higher in ma nufaetures than
in agriculture, there would be an immediate deser
ton OF the latter for the former, at least of that
unskilled labor common TO both, until both were
on level. This would clearly be the case unless
there was IN civilized life repugnancy 10 manu-
featuring life, which is not the case Ifthen, after
time enough has elapsed for the labor markets TO
be supplied, th ere should then be difference in
money wages OF labor IN different pursuits, il will
be found to result from the UNEQUAL expenses of
living or unequal attractions OF laborso that the
attempt to illustrate the productiven of diere
pursuits by the inequality of their wages as a per-
manent standard is a shallow falIacy
And does not the fact stare him in the face from
the present immense foreign immigration to this
country, that labor is deserving the great seats of
manufacturing industry, and their neighborhood
in Europe, and passing those Of the United States,
is focking to the agricultural employnents of the
West! The wuges of females at Lowell, which
are 81 so clear of board, instead of So per week.
are very low when we consider that il is the price
OF abandoning home in the bloom of youth and
renouncing or postponng at critical period the
hope OF marriage. The wages of the more skill
fu class OF male operatives not TO be compared
with the wages OF the lowest class of agricultural
ahorers, but with that class that rent land and
soon become small proprietors, and with these
they VIII scarcely bear comparison, when we
consider the high prices of rent, provisions, fuel
&C., in towns. There is disastrous and exces
siye tendency of labor TO city employments.
Wages are paid daily or weekly, rents weekly.
and provisions are purchased daily have seen
coal bought in Cincinnati by the single bucket
full. The class, therefore, of the improvident
or extravagant, "who live from hand to mouth .
wfo spend as fast as they earn, naturally abide in
cities. f. " ~ ..a@'...'. IS. - TT. = IN
But the higher and better class of flaborers. who
have foresight, irugalily, and sefdenial, who will
SOW and wait torthe harvest, who plant and gather
the fruit at the end Of the season, resort to agri
culture, the life at once the most favorable to The
virtues, to comfort, to independence and TO free.
dom. Justice" tells us, Az we have been often
told, Of the $SS0, 200 deposited in the savings in
stitutlons of Lowell, most Of the depostors being
| operatives. es, but IS the most Of the money
theirs that's the question. Even if it were, since
| there are about $4,000 in that place, it would
| average only about $50 each, about one fifteenth
and children in Virginia--a very meagre proy;,
sion for people IN the prime of life who are land
less, houseless, and homeless The beaver builds
his dam and his house for Il home, and to procure
subsistence for years. Even the squirrel will Law
up his 'riatsr supply of nuts for food-but large
numbers OF operatives provide for themselves only
by the day or the week. and it is the curse of their
business to foster such habits When sickness.
or age, or want of employment occurs, they are
compelled TO seek refuge in almshouses or are
tempted to crime, or perish from bad food or want
of food. Hence the paupersm, crime, and NOR,
ality Of our large cities. -
"Justice" thinks that given amount of labor
will create more value in digging bushel of Goa.
spinning cotton, or making watch springs, than in
agriculture | maintain that the labor expended in
planting an apple seed cherry seed will pro-
duce ten times--probably a hundred times-tbe
value In money>or In human suslenance than the
same amount ofiabor will yield in any of his favor
ite employment, and the proposition is too Llea,
for argument. ...s ,.-.n7's- ~ .4 ,...~ y -
"Justice" regards the subdivisions of labor as
the glory of NJ anuactures. consider it the curse
Ihe subdivision of labor is the disintegration OF
man. God has created man with many faculties
ofmind and body. The subdivision of labor con.
dennis him to few. Agriculture admits, and for
Its success requires, the exercise Of the creates,
| number OF the faculties of bodyand mind of all
employments: In that vocation almost every mus
Gle Is developed and almost every science useful.
| Hence, in that, man can attain the full symme-
try and perfection of his system. But mapufac-
lures, by the subdivision of labor require him to
renounce all his capacity except what is needed
to sharpen the point of pin, tie the ends of a
thread, or dig in the " dark and dirty mine"
For man must renounce those faculties he
cannot employ, as without exercise thew will
wither and waste away There NAV be a great
variety OF the arts and sciences involved in manu-
features. But the effect of subdividing labor is to
conhne each man to one particular function, and
the more minute the better even if he is limited 10
the employment of thumb and finger. Tie con-
sequence Is that, as he becomes great as an arti-
Ia! he becomes little as a man. His body be-
comes deiormed, his mind torpid, his offspring are
few III number and infrm in constitution. And
here is where the system Of school education and
all school education must fail. 1t is in vain to
teach to children that knowledge they are not to
employ as men-to develop their minds and then
doom them to pursuits in which their faculties
are not required. Such education for such life
is cruelty ard failure instead of blessing or a
benefaction. H
lTo BE CONTINUED.