New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-15
MONEY AND BRAINS.

this country and elsewhere yet nothing could
be more wide of the truth. There can be no
such thing as surplus Labor, though il is posi-.
bic to crowd too many people within limited
area; as, for instance, into city, whose trade
is temporarily if not generally insufficient to
support them. II the population OF this coun-
try were double, treble, quadruple, ten'fold it's
present aggregate, it might be worse for the
poor. because Of the increased price Of land,
but not because of any natural and necessary
dearth of employment resulting from increased
density Of population. For every thousand add.
ed to the population of State or country
involves increase Of consumption as well as OF
production; implies eaters and wearers as well
as growers and makers. The child born to-day
ia necessarily a consumer before it becomes q
producer of wealth; 50 usually is the freshly
landed immigrant A large and rapid Influx Of
population involves largely increased require
ment not only of food and clothes but Of
houses, implements, fuel and arabic soil. And
in fact Employment is almost uniformly more
deficient in a community whose population il
stationary or diminishing than in one whose in
habitants are rapidly increasing.
The common notion that mere Capital-that
is, larger proportion Of Wealth to Population
is the true and necessary basis Of mehora-
ton in the employment and Tecompense OF
Labor, though it is Propounded as an axiom
by many writers on Political Economy, is at
best inaccurate. sudden and large increase
Of wealth in a community may improve the
condition OF its Laboriug Poor, but does 10,
necessarily secure that result. 1t may increase
the cost Of living more than the wages oi
Labor, and thus prove positive bnnc to The
greater number. Undoubtedly, the immigration
of a thousand unattended milionaiIes into this
country would give employment 10 a consider
able number of builders, fuTnishers, gardeners,
domestic servants, &C., &C.; but ii they were
only millionares-that is, if they were simply
rich people who came hither to spend their
money and enjoy hfe-thcir immigration would
be questionable benefit to the country and
it's Laboring Class.
For the real need OF this az Of most countries is
moi so much Money as Brains--that is, the en-
pacity united with the disposition TO organize
and give efficiency 10 Labor, thus utilizing pro-
ductiye capacity and beneGcially creating wealth.
Eli Whitney, by hi- invention OF the Cotton Gin,
added more 10 the wealth Of our Planting State.
than al the rich men who ever settled within their
limits. Fitch aud Fulton, by making steam nayi-
cation practicable, have added more to the real
wealth of this country than all the capitalists who
ever settled in it. Watt, Arkwight, and their
British compeers in invention, who, by their
steam-engiue, spinningjcnny, &c, made En-
gland the worlds workshop through her tempo
rarily unriyaled chcapness Of production, Aycre
the real conquerOrs of Napoleon, though the
glory was ascribed to Nelson and Wellington.
In every community there is fuctuating
residuum Of unemployed Labor--that il, of un-
used capacity for the production of wealth. aud
be is public benefactOr who deyiscs and calls
into activity the means whereby this residuum
is sensibly reduced. IT, for example. one should
appear who would show us how to make the
inmates of each alms-hOusc earn their own
including the rent Of tie premises
occupied and cultivated by them, he would be
hailed as social dcliyerer. Yet
this has been done in special localities and for
a term of years; what We need is tho genius
able to render the achievement universal aud
unfailiDg And if one should come forward and
offer guarantees that he would, if the field were
conceded to him, give food shelter aud cloth
Ing to all who were able and willing to give him,
however tronsiently, labor in return he would
deserve and receive the warmest acclamations,
because he would save millions of dollars now
,quandcrcd in wel.meant but undeseryed aims
giving, while he would rescue crowds from that
,areer Of idle and useless mendicity which,
hOugh perhaps begun in absolute need, is
'pt 10 be prolonged from sheer laziness and
moral degradation, and thus tO end in deprayity
md crime.
Yes, the great want Of the age is not Money
'ut Brains-the genius requisite to blend La
'Or with Capital, keep both fully employed,
nd render each in the highest degree effect
We and benefcent. There never is, nor was,
Tor will be, any lack of Capital for any III
estment which is generally recognized as at
nee safe and profitable. Yet Capital and La
'or often rest and rust, to the detriment Of
18th and Of all, for want of Brains TO combine
md set them in motion. II, for example, any