The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-02
COOPERATION.

n
any to be found. He declares happi-
ness to consist in 'the due exercise of
all the faculties" By far the largest
class Of mankind have ever been en-
gagged not-in exercising daily all their
faculties, but in unduly exercising
part Of them. Some Of them were
overworked, whilst others were shrivel-
ling up and decaying from want of
exercise.
Assuming the correctness Of the fore
going,-the social problem, in the So
luton Of which we are all engaged, is
how to enable men duly to exercise all
their faculties and thus secure resultant
happiness.
Searching the pages Of history from
the earliest times, we shall find that
slavery has always existed in some
form or another, and under some
name; there have ever been rich and
poor hunger has been the task mas
ter, ignorance the chain. Happily
now, throughout the civilized world,
and especially in our own favored
land, we have not alone the hope of
something better, but we have the
actual fruition-the chain Of ignorance
Is wearing away, many of its links are
already sundered, more are about to
yield. Slavery has ceased to exist in
one form, although it still prevails in
another. The hewers of wood and
drawers Of water of this day are liter
ally men Of iron with muscles Of steel /:
they never tire; their food Is mineral
from the bowels of the earth with
this, and water 70 ell their capscious
stomachs, they never revolt, they never
tire. Sweat now falls from iron
brows; the steam engine is the slave
Of the 18th century; it has assumed
the place of the human toilers of the
past. Man now aspires to his true posi-
ton AS master he il no longer the
slave; he tolls, but it is with his intel
lect. Yet this very introduction of
machinery, relieving, as it does, the
millions from much severe physical
labor, imposes upon them new duties.
Improved machinery multiplies com
modities in every department of in
dustry. Men are relieved from the
necessity of thinking continually Of
their empty stomachs, and how to fill
them. Their physical cravings are
satisfied through moderate physical
effort. The most intelligent invent
machinery, other mechanics assist in
building machines, others furnish soul
for the machines while in operation,
and others again are its servants.
All these have time to think. Hun
ger has ceased TO be their master.
Now, love or desire for a better con-
dition Of life is the incentive which
causes them to work.
They desire to exercise all those
faculties Of which they now find them
selves possessed. Twelve hours of
worried physical labor was too much
1t was reduced to ten, it is now pre-
posed to reduce it to eight. It will be
reducedto eight, not because the Legis-
lature shall so enact, but because it
will be discovered ere long that more
work can be done then, in eight hours,
than can noaO be done in ten; and this
through the increased intelligence in
operatives, and increased power Of
machinery to multiply commodities
and further, because operatives will
be their own masters and employers.
We do not mean to say that no one
will work more than eight hours. We
believe that in mechanical employ
ments, when men are their own mas
tiers, as they will be, especially in this
country, they will vary their labor
They will not continually exercise one
set Of faculties for more than eight
hours at time, but will only cease
work in the shop that they may do
other work at home, attend to their
little gardens, mend chair, put a but
ton on closet door, nail up a shelf,
hang a picture, read the Scientific
american, or WORKINGMAN's ADvO-
CATE, get supper early, and 60 down to
the Mechanics Institute to look over
the magazines, or to hear a lecture, at
tend a meeting of stockholders at the
" foundry" or the "rolling mill" or
the "shoe factory" in which they
work, and of which they are also part
owners. Here is a future for the
American mechanic. When workmen
have time to get acquainted with each.
other they will find that they can CO
operate IN many ways. They will find
that society is but a great co. operativeI
union, in which all who are worthy
may be stockholders and directors.
The base Of operations is the home
Let each man seek to secure for him.
self lot Of ground, or some kind Of a;
local habitation. "A rolling stone,
gathers no moss" Let us save our;
money and secure ourselves comforts
able, clean, healthy, well regulated and
well arranged domiciles. Let us NO
longer allow our wives to carry water