Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-08
The Drift of Labor from the
Country to the Large
Cities.

In modern society the drift of labor is
away from farming and the country to
mechanism and business of the city. The
tendency is also toward the increase OF
corporate labor on a large scale over the
ld-fashioned small industry. In Prussia
this increase has not been great, end was
less than one per cent in the 13 years
from 1916 to 1859, while in England and
France the proportion has been vastly
greater. In Great Britain the families of
the agricultural class sunk in 1911 to
1921 from 35 to % per cent, and in 1851
fell to 1876 per cent The industrial pop
ulation, between 1911 and 1881, rose to A
per cent While the agricultural class in
1S41, in relation to 1881, had fallen off
about % per cent, the number of mechan-
ical industry and business in the same
time rose about 46 per cent. The same
movement appears in France In the
short time between 1851 and 1856 the ag-
ricultural class, including women and
children, had fallen from 56.87 to 81 81
per cent, while the number in industry
and business had risen from 2T.6S to 49, 80
per cent. The policy of Napoleon has un-
doubtedly tended to help on this increase
of mechanism and trade, and to bring
about an injudicious neglect of farming
and grazing-a state of things not well
in nation in which thirds of the
residents belong to the rural population
In France the decrease of population in
the country in 1866 was fully O.35,
while the increase in cities was 1.53-a
proportion of excess in city multitudes
that is connected with the worst aspects
of French society In other countries
the same process is going on, but not to
the same extent. Thus, in Great Britain
the city increase has been 1S7 of the pop
ulatiOn, and in the country / per cent
and in Prussia the figures are nearer
those of France, the gain in the cities be-
ing LBS, and in the country 0.76 In the
Netherlands the change has been least,
the proportion of gain being 081 for the
city, and 0-14 for the country, during the
period estimated-1S46-56. This un-
doubted growth in the population of cit
les is to be explained not merely by the
love of travel by railway, but by the pas
sion for excitement, the desire for b Oh
wages, and the pleasures and chances of
the great metropolis. The great vices
abound in cities and add to their attrac-
tlons, and do much to enervate the mas
ses there. The average length Of life, in
deed is higher in the city than in the
country-perhaps in part by better medi-
cal attendance and hospitals; but the
bone and sinew Of the nation is the coun-
try, and the defence of nations is mainly
in its agricultural class. The veteran
statistician Sussmilch put great stress
upon the superiority of the farming pop
ulation over the industrial classes as sol
diers, and ascribed the difference to the
fact that they who have land and family
to defend will fight better than the opera
tive who has only lonely fire and heartl
to guard-a statement that must be takel
with some reserve when we remembe
: what enthusiasm great numbers of peo
pie are capable of, and what wonders thu
people OF cities have done in wars of pop
ular principle and passion. Undoubtedly
the greatest evil of gathering masses into
cities is the danger of losing the sanctit,
of the family and the home, with the vir
, tues and comforts that belong to tn,
household. This point is to be looked tt
more than the gross capital of industry
| and wealth is poverty when its enormous
accumulations are purchased by the deg
radiation of the laborere Here the Ger
manic mind is nobly taking stant
against the Latin Capitalization; and it i
one OF the best hopes of modern societ,
that the German moralists and Statesmen
are following up SO loyalty the old Teu
| tonic principle, and protesting agains
) sacrificing the man and the family to tn
! despotism of numbers or of capital. Ger
! many itself has been teaching a giganti
t lesson of social ethics to the world; an,
l before and within the walls of Paris he
men from loyal homes have shown hoy
5 much truer and stronger is the courag
nurtured within the family than tina
which is developed under less happy do
t mestic and social condltions-From th
t Payroll of Christendom," by Dr.
SAMUEL OsGooD, in Harper's Nagazil
: for February.