Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-21
Labor and Its Reward.

Many people grumble ut what they are pleas
cd to denominate laziness in others For our
part we have often wondered how it was there
were so many Industrious people in the world
Your vitalzsd clod, whose inert body is suprOs-
cd to eucase soul, has by some wise provision Of
Nature tho happy faculty of living-or rather
numbering out his existence a. the expense of
others but the rspressing influences which
surround the Industrious man, would, we are
sure, if he were to stop work and aoalyzs them,
50 dishearten him that, like a slave bound to
galley, he would labor so mechanically aud list
lessly that life would become burthen What
incentives are there in this populous city to buoy
the energetic poor man in his toll II is true,
there are some few, who, by extraordinary luck
OF knavish cunning, have struggled through the
sphere which the masses occupy, and have land
cd safely on the plain of " comfortable indepen-
denco" These successful exceptions are rare,
aud but prove the rule of non-reward for body
worn out and years fruitlessly employed.
Let us take a case in point, and from an exa-
mination of the income and expenditure of
mechanic, who is untiring, industrious, anxious;
endeavor co arrive at definite understanding
Of those incentives which encourage him to sus
tain his part in the battle of life. 10 give fair
margin to our calculations, We will suppose that
he earns ten dollars week. Nov, provided
sickness or other causes do not intervene-if he
works ffty-two weeks, he viii have earned $500
Being married man, he has wife, two chill
dren. and himself to olothe, feed and shelter
from the elements He is desrous Of living COM
forsably-not huddled up in the garret of SONS
cid barrack, nor buried in damp cellar, near
his place Of business-his apartments then will
cost him from $3.50 to 5000 year Wewill take
tae first named sum-$l5O, this deducted from
1920, leaves 1910 for provisions, clothing, and
uel. In order that he may live comfortably,
but plainly, it will cost not less than four dollars
week, or one dollar head to provision his
household Fifty-two weeks, multiplied by four,
gives total of $2OS paid to the grocer Deduct
s2OS from 1910, and balance of $l62 is left
with which to procure clothing aud purchase
fuel The clothing of himself and family will
cost say, fifty cents week each, or $l04 year
Deduct $1O4 from 1852 and there is a balance Of
$5s in hand. The family cannot very we'll burn
less than three tons of coal, or what is equal TO
it In fuel, in one yeGr-three TONS st six dollars
ton, mako eighteen dollars No one will say that
this is too much money to exread'for twelve
months fuel. Now deduct $lS from $58, and
we have $40 from which to renew furniture
Breakage, etc., in a family of four, two of whom
are children, will perhaps amount to fifty cents q
week, or twenty-five dollars in twelve months
1926 from $40, and $l5 dollars are left over to
meet ordinary contingent expenses. His wife
as most ladies do-has an occasional party. She
seldom entertains her friends, fearful that her
hospitality may run away with her slight savings,
and gives but one extra tea monthit is a rule
with her never to give dinners-she Of course con-
siders it becoming to entertain her friends with
little EXTRA, as the phrase goes 1t will cost
her at least ST for preserves, cakes, etc. Twelve
extra teas st one dollar a tea, deducted from the
$l5 on hand, leaves splendid balance of So,
which is paid to the carrier for his daily paper.
Here we have mechanic enjoying the COM
Portable income of $40 weee, or $500 year,
lust able to make both ends meet. We see that
it is only by the sirictest economy he is enabled
to live on this liberal return for his labor No
account is taken of. loss of time sickness in the
family, or provision for old age. He is in the
prime of life, and this is the reward of his toll (;
Of the expenditure of his strength; of the flower
Of his manhood. When he takes his slate and
figures up his income and out-go what incentive,
save absolute starvation, has he to pursue years
Of thriftless toll. There are thousands of honest
upright, industrious mechanics, with larger fam,
lies to provide for, and onefourth less income for
their maintainance. And yet we have sneering
pl ilosophers and philanthropic economists con-
tinually praying the laborer to save Ito hoard
up something for old age. In heavens name,
how are they to economise more than they do 2
Language like this is an insult to the poor man.
1t is mere shallow pretence and affrOnting ridi-
cule How the man instanced manages to grub
through life is as much mystery to him as to
air, or should he take a run into the country
with his family, he would be in debt the balance
Of his life. Suppose the toiler should be so un-
fortunate as to have a sick wife or child from
whence is he to obtain the means wherewith to
liquidate the physicians bill Or suppose old
age overtakes him, how is he to lift his head and
say the hard labor of his youth has provided him
with competency for his declining days. Your
gentleman, with two or three thousand dollars a
year, may preach economy to the halfstarved
laborer, but would, if made acquainted with
the poor mans circumstances, be loath to increase
his daily wages. 1t is enough for him that he
has a slave, with a white skin, and that loss OF
labor would bring to his feet petitioner for
employment at any price "The path of the
iniquitous is hard, says the psalmist; but alas
the rugged hill which the upright industrious
man is compelled to climb, is harder