New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-21
ANOTHER PHASE OF THE LABOR QUESTION.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: | have few words to write OF inc
farm-abor question. I have all along been charmeu
with the melody Of THE TRIBUNEs on move your
family West" until found by painful experience that
theros great dcarth Of good practical iarn ''oor
within dozen miles Of New.York as there can De any
where on this side OF the Missouri Granted that Now
York is swarminp with dcrs or nonproducers who can
find work at the West, 1t Is equally true th"' II
they had any taste for farm labor, any CAPACITY
for enduring It's calm and solitude, thcy heed
not travel 20 miles away to find It, working n'',o
place myself as well as can with haihourS stlo'
over 1t in the morning and glimpse out OF inc "'hu"
at night on my return from business hho ~ "'''o'
impossible to secure the 100 days of actual farmaor
need during the year. paying e day. ana eKihg IL ou
with German women who, for 81 o. will exhibit just
about one Irislman power-a noteworthy saving lho
trouble ia that American youth dont ike NJ
whether they find 1t East or west
, ncrod mn a cherry-faced old EngsAman the other
dav bowed but strong and faithful. He had landed
pcnnilcss at Castle Garden coonized his family on
Wards Island and "tOok the tramp. bringing up at my
Iitchen-door lie godsend slept in the barn. ate
IN tho kitchen, and did "a power" Of cleaning up and
Fall work In less than week he had surahtes and
money enough to warrant him In taking his family of
the island and setting up little home for himself among
the hills of Essex lie has his poorest day. ana Tor
a man like hima genuine chaw-bacOn. to whom physlcai
comfort ond the simplest code OF duty ana honesty SUI
fee he has happiness IIundrcds-of that class
could do well better, and we don't want them 10
move out West They sOrely needed here.
But let suggest to THE TRIBUNE. we do not raise
that class of beings on American farms Emigration To
far lands other sights and sounds adventure great cit
les work further away from contact with the dung-h
the ambition to strike out for himself are bred into the
American farmers with his first lesson In geo.
graphv The story Of Franklin and that later Frank
lin teaches It, All that there Is OF game and fire IN the
blood appeals for a change. conccde that farme Ia
besscdy innoccnt-and lonesome 1t lacks that contact
with humanity which is the inspiration OF the social ma
ture of the youth 1t involves In all small families the
constant and rksOme association OF the boy
with the parent always an unheaithlul con-
dton in life. 1t ia measurably hermit oxist-
cncc, dulling and deadcning the faculties. And when
you tell such yOungster to move out West into pro-
founder solitudcs-wel he will not do it. lie "H seek
something besides featherbed and fat ham, and for
the mere sake with his kind will be found
engaged in hOrsctraing, or some other form OF dcRer
II he stays at home he will subject himself to almost
any hardships rather than remain II is the impulse OF
the eagct leave its nest and ont OF the class have
named that brave and successful In pro-
fcssiona or commercial life 1t is human nature de-
velong itself by natural process OF sdnSa Tcro ia
class of young of what may be called without viola,
field for The fields sake. read it as it were book, and
throw all the resources of careful cducation III that
direction. Born farmers, Dreu SCHOLARS, anu ualHtu
gentlemen. theirs is fate happy ~ that OF book
in stately library There is SIN another class
nearer to their work. but studous. O,scrvan thinking
"a yconanry indeed But the two together are not enough
am scaking especially OF the wants O the region
Immediately around NrwYOrk, the thousands OF waste
acres within miles .of the City Hall which might
employ other thousands of men. No sensible person VIII
buy lands for farming purposes within that circle put
he nav well buy investment aud then ste now
nearly he can come TO making land held at $1,000 or 5000
an acre pay part Of the interest on that Investment
There are who do it, who live partially rent Tree
"ron what they raise and then have plenty or time TO
plot their lands and put them In market for villa sites,
without interfering with their daily business In the city
No philosophy to the contrary notwithstanding IL Is
iaton 1t s the same impulse that poured the farming
population OF the North into the plains OF the SOuth
during the Of the Rebellion drawing them away
from home by magnetic force that was as StrOnG as
their patriotism, BStrlm that desplsed dan
ger, hardship and death itself; noble passion
without which should have passive
peasantry instead Of heroic yeolnanry. But here
lived through Of wild excitement, breasted
battle and drank where deepest torrents hOw are
now within observation the most quiet farm men In
They have had their I'LL of the craze OF the
memory Tor their companion in their lonely toll And
Just like these. as the business man grows older
| and the rocking OF even rough sea
becomes mOnOtonOus. his heart turns toward tho cOn
try and he socks him hillside home where no can
refresh his youth and cOnsecrate his manhood with
memories come back to him. Between lies the struggle
Of the caOrOus active life. and the great merchant or
shrcwd lawyer is show his Oldasioned neigh
bors that after all he knows something about iarning-
not forgotten from his youth. H.
ShddyStde Dec. T. 1871.