The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-20

/ assert that wages are go regulated ut present
and that they consider nil desires to be equal
~ good, because they begin by studying the
phenomena of demand and supply without
at the same moment considering the moral
tendencies implied. he snpposesf that be-
cause, for certain purposes, a thinker abstracts
from moral considerations be, denies that
moral considerations have any weight. He
might as well say that physiology consists of
directions for growing fat, or that It is wrong
10 study the laws Of nutrition because they
stow how poisoDs may be assimiated as well
| as good food. Mr.. Ruskin's wrath, indeed, IS
| not thrown away, for there are plenty of
popular doctrines about political economy
which deserve all that he can say against
them. Ineyer read passage in which re-
ference is made to the s'inexorable laws of
supply and demand" or to Economic SCI
ence," without preparing myself to encoun-
ter sophistry, and probably an immoral So
phistry. To regard the existing order of
things as final, and as imposed by irresistible
las wrong. The shrewder the blows which
MIR. Ruskin can aim at the doctrines that
life is to be always p selfish struggle,
that adulteration is only a "form Of
competition" that the only remedy for
dishonesty is to let the people cheat each
other till they are tired of it, the better;
and only regret the eXaggeration which
enables his antagonist to charge him with
unfairness. But the misfortune is this.
On that which take to be the right theory
Of political economy, the supposed mex
orable laws" do not, indeed, describe the ac.
ton of forces as eternal and unalterable as
gravitation; but they do describe certain
stage of social development through which
we must pass on our road to the mllen-
num- TO cast aside the whole existing
organization as useless and corrupt is, in
the first place, to attempt QuiXotic
tilt against windmills, and, in the next
place, to deny the existence Of the good ele-
ments which exist and are capable OF healthy
growth. The problem is not to do without
all our machinery, whether of the material
or of the human kind, but to assign to it its
proper place. Mr.. Ruskin once said to a
minister, who was lamenting the wickedness
in our great cities:
dwell, then, you must not have large
Cities"
"That," replied bis friend, "is an utterly
impractical saying, and l confess that | think
the minister was in the right"
Mr.. Ruskin, however, is too impatient or
too thorougbgoing to accept any compro-
mise with the evil thing. Covetousness, he
thinks, is at the root OF all modern evils;
our current political economy is but the
gospel of coYetousness, our social forms are
merely the external embodiment of our
spirit, and our science the servant of our
groyellins materialism. We have proved
the sun to be "a splendidly permanent rail-
road accident" and ourselves to be the de-
scendants of monkeys; but we have become
blind to the true light from heaven. Away
with the whole of the detestable fabric
founded in sin, and serving only to shelter
misery and cruelty! Before Mr.. Ruskin's
imagination there has risen picture of
new society, which shall spring from the
ashes of the old, and for which he will do
his best to secure some partial realization.
| He has begun to raise fund, chiefly by bis
own contributions, and has already bought
piece Of land. These members of the st.
Georges Comnny-that Is to be the name
of the future COMMUNICABLE lead pure and
simple lives. They will cultivate the land
by manual labor instead of "huZzing and
mazpg the blessed fields with the devils
own team" the workmen shall be paid fixed
| wages; the boys shall learn to ride and
sail; the girls to spin, weave, sew,
and cook all ordinary food exquisite
:" they shall all know how to
sing and be taught mercy to brutes, cour-
tesy to each other, rigid truth-Speaklng, anu
strict obedience. And they shall all learn
Latin, and the history of five cities-Athenss,
| Rome, Venice, Florence, and London. Lead,
! ing contented lives, in pure air, out OF
the way of unsiGhtly objects, and eman'
cipated from unnecessary mechanical oc-
cupatiop," little the community will pos
scss the first conditions for the cultivation
of the great arts; for great art is the expires
sion of a harmonious, noble, and simple
society. Let us wish Mr.. Ruskin oil sue
cess; and yet the path he is taking is strewed
with too many failures to suggest much hope
fulness-even, we fear, to himself. Utopia
| is not to be gained at bound; and there VIII
be some trouble in finding appropriate colo
nists, to say nothing of competent leaders.
The ambition is honorable, but one who
takes so melancholy view of modern So.
ciety as Mr., Ruskin must fear lest the sons OF
Belial should be too strong for hm.--Leslte
Steyhen, in FraSer'S Magazine.