The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-07-28
[for the Literary Echo
Labor and Time.

employed, working with his BODY, mind,
and heart. Activity is our natural con-
dition. While health, happiness, and
true honor belong to every correct, hon.
est worker, disquiet and disgrace rightly
attach themselves to the indolent and
rare-working. Where the ability is pos
sessed, whoever is not producer OR
helper is an excresence on society and
an injury to the world. Hence working
men and working women, working with
their might of hands, and head and heart
the true improvers and cultivators of
the world--deserve to stand in the first
rank of honor.
But it is exceedingly difficult to regulate
labor both as it respects time and wages
Mental labor presents the greatest diff
culties and at the same time receives
the least attention and shares the least
reward. Manual labor has also its diff
culties. Hence the frequent and some
times very unhappy collisions between
capitalists and laborers, between employ
ers and employees. These occur most
frequently under corporate bodies and
firms, which are said to have no con-
sciences, and hence erect monopolies
destructive to the interests and rights of
the single handed laborers. AS no one
mans reason and conscience speak
through the company, and usually the
members of the firm invest as little of
these golden articles in the capital stock
as the local and public standards of
right which are always more or less con-
controlled by our native selGshness and
cupidity, will allow; and as, on the
other hand, the demands of the en-
ployees may become excessive and un-
reasonable because not confronted by
the wisdom and conscience and equal
claims of any one man as employer, it
is inevitable that these collusions will
be of frequent occurrence. They
originate from the elements of our cor
rupt human nature and will, under these
and similar conditions and circumstances
always develope themselves. Some
times the blame belongs to the employers
and sometimes to the employees.
In respect to the conflicts or collision
between capital and labor-between
employers and employees-which is at
present agitating our State, no man
ought to be Indifferent. That is a wise
and wholesome statute, now given to us
by which, in the absence of other stipu-
lations, ten hours of manual labor shall
be regarded as days work. 1t is to
be hoped that the legal standard will soon
be voluntarily adopted by all. This is
a reasonable standard and in this age
and country of general intelligence,
abounding resources, and labor-savng
machines and implements, all can live
by it, and live well enough can obtain
enough to meet all human needs, and by
its attendant increase of health, vigor
intelligence, and invention, can more
than compete with any State or commu.
nifty which shall make q heavier draf,
upon mans physical abilities. This
standard of the hours of manual labor
leaves eight for sleep, which is proper
measure, and six for the enjoyment o.
our daily bread, our domestic privileges
the transaction of personal and family
1 business, the cultivation of the mine
t and heart (now sadly neglected) by
reading, study, attendance upon socia
i, and public meetings. TO this appor
: tionment of laboring time, no enlight
. ened and benevolent mind can object.
t Possibly all may not be able to com,
to this standard Immediately. Th,
greatest difficulties will be found Gar,
= found) in our large manufacturing es
o tablishments, where competition b,
reducing the profits and commandin,
the markets, make it dangerous anc
. often absolutely ruinous for one, or evel
4 for several, of these establishments t,
adopt anything different from establishe,
standards. So these establishments
embracing all of kind, and extendin,