Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-23

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From the Springfield. Massachusetts,. Republican.
There are communities at Oneida, New
York, and Wallingford, Connecticut which
have proved more successful than any pre-
viously established in this country, those of
theShalxers excepted. Thatat Oneida embra-
ces two hundred and nine persons, and its
capital has increased in nine years from
| ST. 40 to S237, 045 This is a again Of a
fraction ever 500 each year TO each member
Of the community, children included. Ii is
not large; not as large, perhaps, as the aver
age gain Of the world, outside the community,
in the same time. But il is 10 be noted that
il is made by steady industry, and not by
trade or speculation, and that less work is
! done by the members Of the community and
more time afforded for mental culture and
recreation than among the laboring class
outside, while at the same time thesystem Of
household economy adopted affords a much
higher and more satisfactory style of living.
The moral condition of thesecommunities is
Initiated by false theory Of marriage, the
fruit Of which in a few years mastineyitably
be the general degradation of tae members
and the breaking up Of the communities
themselves. All past experiments Of the
kind teach the same lesson. The divine law
Of marriage has never been defed without
bringing social misery and ruin, and never
can be.
What is Of general and permanent inter
est in these communistic experiments is the
advantage of cooperation in labor. 1t is by
no means necessary that men should live to-
gether and eat at a common table in order TO
obtain this advantage. Mechanics of vari-
Gus trades may combine their small capitals
and become their own employers, thus Sc
curing the entire avsils of their labor, in
stead Of allowing the lions share TO 60 10
the capitalists This is already done Gu a
small scale in some branches of industry.
Ii may be undertaken with every prospect
Of success in those requiring larger capital
for machinery and buildings, and such an
enterprise, once successfully inaugurated
would as readily obtain additional capital as
other corporations In these matters the
English people are ahead Of us, perhaps, be-
cause driven 10 it by the low rates Of wages
established by combination of the employ
ers against the employed There, too, then
have been several conspicuous instances OF
capitalists receiving their employees into
partnership, 10 mutual advantage. The
Crossley brothers, carpet manufacturers,
with a capital of ten millions Of dollars, and
employing $500 men, women and children,
gave to them all an opportunity to invest
their earnings and become shareholders in
establishment, and froma small beginning
the operatives have gradually increased their
investments till they own considerable share
Of the stock, and receive a handsome sum an
nually in profits in addition TO their wages
Their increased interest in the work and
economy of the establishment has so in
creased the profits of the business that the
original stockholders have gained by the
sale of portien of their stock, instead of
losing The same principle has been adopt
ed in the extensive colliery Of Briggs & Son,
and in a large iron company at Manchester.
In the latter peculiar system is adopted ;
ten per cent. annually is allowed to the cap
italists, and the remaining profits are divi-
ded into three parts, one of which goes to
the shareholders, one to the workmen, and
the other TO the customers in proportion
TO the amount Of goods they have pur-
chased.
Cooperation in trade has been tried to
some extent in this country, but with less
success than the facts warrant, for while in
dividuals save from twenty TO fifty per cent.
by sending 10 the cities and purchasing gro
ceries and other household supplies at
wholesale prices, it would seem as if COM
bination for the same purpose might effect
at least an equal saving. In manufacturing,
while the profits on the capital invested
ranges from twenty-five TO hundred per
cent, and the laborer getswages only sufficient
for the meanest and most comfortless style
Of living, it is evidently for the interest
Of the American as well as the English Ia
borer 10 become a capitalist, if by any means
he can save enough TO make beginning.
II so desirable an object is out Of the reach
of most of our factory laborers, it is not so
In the mechanical trades. Every mechanic
is ambitious for the means and opportunity
TO go into business for himself, and many at
tempt it. But such experiments on a small
scale must necessarily be limited in their
SUCCESS They cannot have the facilities of
improved tools and machinery, nor take ad
vantage of the changes of the market, as can
the establishments with larger means and
business. And combination of means and
cooperation in labor can alone give to our
mechanics this enlarged power. 1t is man
ifestly Just. and as manifestly for the interest
of the whole community, that labor should
secure liberal share of the wealth it pro-
duces. When things are in their normal
state the law Of supply and demand brings a
fair adjustment, or an approximation to 1t.
But affairs are not in their normal state, nor
likely TO be for an indefinite time to come.
Capital has a dominant power, and only
combination and cooperation among the
producers of wealth can secure to them the
fair rewards of their labor.