The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-30
LABoResAVINa INVENTIONS.

i LABOR-SAVING INVENTIONS.
i Whenever newly invented machine, b.
whicha large economy in labor is effected
becomes an accepted fact and is put into sue
cessful and extensive operation, to certain
extent it supplsnts manual labor and throw
it, for the time being. out Of dsmand. La
borers clamor, strikes are organised and
temporary upheaval from the lower impulse
occurs A few wsekj reconcile everything
The displaced lind new situations. Til
most skilled and intelligent are employed t
operate the new machine. Capital il bette
remunersted, goods are cheapened in pric'
and improved in quality, and at Last the Ia
borers themselves experience reflected
benefit from that innovation = hich at frs
caused their indignant remonstrance.
Thus the hand spinners we're superseded
by the spinning jenny with much grumblins
and threatening. The hand weavers sure
dered in like manner to the automatic power
loom, cursiDg outwardly and hwa1diy It 'n !.
machine with which one man could 40 wen
the work of hundred wesvsrA mus tne
grumbling old shippers hsvs 5000 ~ sunrise
upon the well stoned decks OF snelt vessels as
they waltzed gracefully over the blue waves
with pregnant oanrsss and full cargoes. tosee
,ho oc..o ...smere mount up to the horizon
n their rear, approach them rapidly and at
last 90 laundering, painting and plunging past
esvIx nvvk - -
hsvond the horizon before sunset
thus have old stage owners and
drivers sat disconsolate at the railroad
stations to see an iron machine draw . train
Of twenty coaches with q thousand passengers
over the old stage route with ten times the
speed and only half the fare that they used
to charge for jolting their victims over the
same space. Thus the mower, as he draws
his MILESTONE across the edge of the scythe,
must look with envy upon the machine, by
the use of which one man and two horses car
do more in one hour than he could do in
thirty. But if he throws down his scythe,
Leaves the meadow in disgust and seeks the
harvest fields. he finds man with machine
and horses cutting more wheat in an honr
than he could cradle in week, and
three other men with two horses and
machine threshing out more wheat
in fiftenn minutes than he could pound ont
with his fail in month. He complains Of
the machines which do all the work and
leave him nothing to do. HeSvotes labor
saving machines to be curse and launches
his profane epithets against all who invent
and all who use it 1t is used, nevertheless,
and the use Of it invariably brings good and
profit to him as well as to all others. The
electric telegraph helps the mail carrier
Photography is no damage to artists. The
disclosures Of the spectroscope are not hurt
full to the makers of almanacs Electrotyp-
ing does not damage the printer. No labor
saving machine Of any kind has damaged or
can damage laborers.
But while all this is quite obvious to en-
lightened intelligence, it is not SO apparent
in fact, not at all apparent, to those whose
attention is limited to the absolute present,
and who find nothing good for the day that
decreases that days wages. Hence it is i'm
portant that those who employ new labor.
saving machinery to great advantage, making
large gains and accommodating enormous for
tunes, should be iberal with their wealth, and
especially considerste of those who have
been deprived Of subsistence by losing the
work which is done by the new machine
An eminent inventor once said to us that
what success he might attain he tried to de-
serve by following the laws of nature and the |
avs of God. He was pious and most laco-
rious searcher for the hidden treasures of |
nature, who died too young to prove to the
world the soundness Of his rule of study, or |
10 enjoy the fruits of most meritorious inven-
ions Yet his was the true spirit, and the
same spirit should be largely shared by those
Who put inventions to practical use. The
exploitation of the inventors
;alent and genius puts money in the purse Of
he bold and skillful speculator. He is first
then the holder and accumulator
# capital; then the merchant and the banker,
nd last of all the laborer
The poor man is not SO poor as he
vas before. because labor-savipg machinery
loes good to all. but he is comparatively just
. poor. and feels the load Of poverty just as
much or more. This should not and need
lot be. As all are equal sharers in the light
# the sun, the smoon and every star, so
hould all share in the light which science
beds abroad upon the earth. There is even
LANCER to our race from that civilization in
which moral development lags behind that Of
he intellect We need not felicitate our
elves too much upon the discoveries and in
'entions which increase mans power over
be elements, unless his moral rature i'm
'roves in the same ratio with his practical
ntelli gence.
he AMERICAN RIFLE TEAM
VICTORIOUS,
II Ia with n failing of nrido wh;ch vv;ll 10