The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-30
Labor and Wealth.

the representative of the farm laborers {
Of Great Britain. The combination among I
these laborers to obtain higher wages may
or may not be successful from pecuniary
point of view. Yet it cannot wholly fail
for it is not possible for the agricultural
laborers of that country, the lowest class In
scale of English civilization, to meet for
the discussion of economic principles, OF
affiliated societies, of giving to their farm
masters and to the world reasons for in
creased pay, without more improvement IN
intelligence. And, as labor becomes more
intelligent, it always becomes more pro-
ductive. On his return from Engiana,
of the effect on the human mind of belong
ing to o class that looked forward to no
elevation In society or in wealth, and that
slways dwelt In hoases Inherited from their
ancestry, and passing uDn ma from oo 0ne
pared them with the came class in this
country, all expecting to rise from the |
situatien of the laborer to that of the far
mer or employer, and all expecting to
build homes that should improve on those
Of their birth. The stimulus of an expecta-
ton to rise In the world by ones own efforts
develops Intelligence moro than any other
motive. But this stimulus must have both
mental and physical nourishment, or IL
cannot develop itself through whole classes
of society. But neither the English nor
the Irish peasantry have received wages
sufficient to maintain brain-power. There
| ia a recognizable connection between the
pay and the food the workman receives,
and the product of his mind as we'll as the
labor of the body. When labor, as it has
existed for generations in India, only real
ICES seven cents . day for its services, the
| whole life is spent in supporting existence.
The demands of the body tax the physical
capacities to the utmost, and leave neither
room nor ability for mental Improvement.
I'll become
Christians, and many of their churches are
wholly composed of native converts. But,
as q race, they have not intellectual
ability sufficient to raise upa ministry that
shall guide the native mind IN theological
! belief neither does this race possess ply
steal ability to form o reliable soldiery.
The East. Indian must look to his mission
, airy for his creed, as the Sepoy LOOKS to MS
English officer for guidance.
The laborer in this country receives
, higher pay than in any other part OF the
: world, and HE intelligence averages higher.
, The proportion of skilled to unskilled labor
= ia also greater here. Labor is the germ OF
!. wealth; and is productive in proportion to
the amount of Intelligence involved In IT,
!, In all branches of business, the !aborer /.
. the wealth maker of the community but
3 in the majority of instances he furnishes
. only the brute force, and his employer the
3 intelligence that makes that force valuable
i wealth should be, as lite e.ymology indi.
Gates. ~
. everywhere the veal. In nearly all cases
: it is the result of the application of minG
!, TO matter. No wealth is possible until ma
!. terial things comes under the power o
). mind. The mere fact of ownership in
wolves an appropriation, and an appropri
j. of the raw material of wealth but j
.. remains mere matter till appropri
u ated and improved by intelligent labor
le The forest on our Western frontier is Of n'
10 pecuniary value till it is reached by tn
= advancing wave of population IT'S appro
~ priatiou for the coming wants of that pop
y ulatiou stamps it's value. In itself laoo
:, Is of but little use, except as guided by IN
10 telligencs and intended for public welfare
10 The end must be considered as well as tn
"A means.
1T mids of Egypt rs to build the mercautil
marine of America ; but the Py ramids con
r. tributed nothing to the comfort or WeSlt
70 of Egypt. The Escuriat cost htty mllllon'
to and SO did the Pacific Railroad; but the on
~ perpetuates an individual and bis dynasty
d. while the transportation of the other bene
of fies the patton aud the world. 1t Is, ther
of FORE when labor in wolves thought, auo
e. the means to q useful end, that 1t become
as most productive. The weaith OF Gre'
of Britain 10 proverbial. 1t has been Obtain
Ii cd by the Intelligence of the masters of b.
K factories guiding large numbers of hand
de and supplementipg the force of those hanE
Is, by machinery which has required gener'
in atoms of thoughtful men to bring to
he present state of ficiency. 1t is the pow
.e- of machinery Awaiting iteelf of the elemen
at of Nature it is the call of tue nation
ng steam, and wind, and water, that gives
~ England her ascendency over the man,
It facuring peoples, who follow the hand
he crafts that their fathers have bequeath'
nd to them.
g q IL took but few years for England to st,
he every loom in Turkey. She reduced t
rrs expectation of cloths from India from Il
d. hundred million pounds year to noth'n
ng for her machinery, tireless, unceasing, |
ns, volving much inventive thought, wac mo
Ike than a match for all the hand power
the the world. The Indian spinner, giving
the whole life in his little cottage TO the Pr
ing duction of one piece of cotton after onotn
on was as intelligent a. the English factor
ian operative. Bat the latter was folloWl
IN the directions of master whose wealth 9
or Abled him to employ scientific and thong!