The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-10-17
Written for the ADVOCATE
The Destruction of the Middle Glass
BY SAMUEL LEANITT.

There will be more reason to hope for
the rescue Of this American nation from
the evils that threaten its destruction when
the great Middle Class begins to discover
that it is being gradually put under foot
by the oligarchs before it. So long as the
second-rate traders, manufacturers and
farmers could feel themselves holding their
own, and if not soar into the "upper"
class, at least keeping out of the " lower, 3"
they went on complacently, and regardless
of the despairing cries of their interiors in
the social scale. But the wisest Of them
begin to see at last that their whole body
is losing ground, and bitter complaints
arise, and threats are uttered to the effect
that if things do not mend soon they will
side with the workingmen, and throw of
the yoke of the oppressors.
Manufacturers on a small scale. for in
stance, could listen without shudder
when John Quincy Adams, jr., said that
The rapid increase of manufacturing
prosperity hitherto implied no less increase
of operGtire trdnt; and commonwealth
founded on manufactures is yet house
built on the sand. But when the New
York Tribune, even in its present senile
and servile condition, utters such facts "A
the following concerning England, which
is only a few years in advance Of New
England, they begin to see that there il
something the matter. The Tribune says :
:" The decrease OF 404 factories between
1861 and 1870, accompanied by an increase
of 8, 200, COO spindles, and Al, 900 power
looms, will indicate the swift progress Of
monopoly, in concentrating the business Of
British manufacturing into the hands Of
few powerful corporations and associated
capitalists. Faster and faster does the
steam engine reject men III England, and
throw them aside as not being sufficiently
cheap. What is the interest in
behalf of which this incessant warfare
against our country's industry is kept up
II is a national monopoly engineered by
associated and corporate monopolies.
British manufacturing is forced out of
the hands Of rich individuals into the hands
Of richer individuals and combinations Of
money. At home the change presents q
bold and cold front to the operatives, and
deepens and widens the old division be-
tween capital and labor. Wages in Eng
land henceforth are grudging compromise
between power and necessity"
Knowing how rapidly our country is
learning to initiate England with regard to
manufactures, our small factory-owners
should begin to try by means Of indus
trial partnership" and other styles Of co.
operation with their employees, to strength
en- themselves for the struggle with the
greater monopolist.
| The smaller merchants again, have rea-
son to look with dread upon the progress
that the kings Of trade are making toward
its complete absorption. They see that
they cannot compete with a Clatin, who
sells sixty million dollars, worth OF goods
in year, or q Stewart who has branch
house in every great commercial city Of
Europe. They begin to know that two
facts lie open before them; and that they
must either offer themselves an traders oI
the cooperative store movement and re
ceive fAir reward for honorable service a.
managers of such institutions as the "Civi
Service States of London, or become the
fiunkies Of nabobs like Stewart. Tn,
success OF such men as the latter has thii
one great use-it is showing the middle -
well ~ lower class, that the era Of tn,
small merchant 10 passing away; and tina
the stores Of the future are to be mann
moth affairs, conducted either for tn
people by the peoples chosen representa-
tives, OF for the enriching of few mer
chant princes Ii 10 noticeable also, tina
it becomes continually harder to get int
business, and that much more capital is re
quired for this purpose nov, than was for
merly necessary.
The farmers are another portion Of th
middle class, who have need to contemplat
q change of programme. The oppressio
Of transportation companies are not tn
greatest evil that threatens them.
In q recent lecture before the New Yor
Liberal Club. said
COOPERATION vs.. CORPORATION AND MONO
PoLIEs,
should be the loudest watchword Of re
form. Indeed, men are suffering nearl,
m much N women from this Capitalization
' resulting from machinery. Trade, manu-