The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-05-20
Social Science,
ZENITH ANNUAL MEETING on THE
AMERICAN ASS0CId TON

Among the most prominent persons pres
ent were: Professor b, Pierce and wife,
of Harvard University; James NJ, Bar
nard. Mrs Barnard, Gamaliel Bradford,
Elizur Wright, Wm,C Ii. Dale and Mrs
J.E. Lodge, Of Boston; Readyille Blum
Austrian Secretary Of Legations d, a,
Wells, of Norwich Conn, President OF
Che Association, and D. f, Lincoln, OF
Boston, Secretary Of the Department OF
Health. Mr. David 4, Wells, of Conecti-
cut, presided and delivered the annual
address.
Aner bricfund formal eNordium Mr.
Wells said
propose asking your attention to the
Two agencies which, more than any
others, are developing society, namely,
,he production or accumulation and the
distribution of wealth, meaning thereby
the abundance of all those things which
contribute to our well-being, comfort
and happ ness.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF INCREASED POWER OF
PRODUCTION,
Never before has man, through the
control he has acquired over the forces
Of nature and the use 10 which he has
put it, been able TO produce SO much
with a given amount of personal effort
Thus in Great Britain the force evolved
through the combustion Of coal and ap.
allied 10 the performance of mechanical
NubOriS equivalent 10 the muscular power
of 100 00O,0OO men-thdt is, the actual
laboring population is increased twelve
fold without UcCeSsilaing any "orre-
spending increase in production for the
snuport of this additional number,
Thus, too, the Suez Canal, reducing the
dime between India and England from
ElO or l2O days to thirty days, in connec-
zion with the Anglo.lndian telegraph,
Aas brought about II saving and release
of capital and labor amountingto a revo.
ButiOn. Time alone can show what is
vet to be accomplished in toe way of in
greasing the proportion of product to
manual labor, hat there is now no eVi.
den,e to indicate the approach of any
Limitation to farther progress IN that d.
rectOn. A writer IN the London Econ
eylaist in 1873, claimed that the industry
of the British population taken man for
man, was then nearly twice as produc.
tive as in 1850. No one Can review onr
industrial progress since 1850 without
feeling satisfied that our average gain in
the power Of production during that
time, in spite OF the war, has been a.
least from Is to 20 per cent Mainly
witllin the last fifteen years have the
s.reat Improvements in agricultural i'm
groyemcnts audiuagricuItura machinery
come into general use. Three men with
machinery can now make more boots
and shoes than rouil six men aided
IN 1860; we have +5O00 more mites Of
railroad to aid in The work Of exchange
and distribution; We send Our teiegrtnS
fpr half their cost fifteen years ago, and
.inally, takiu, the Pennsylvania Central
Rliroad as Il type, our freight costs us
} 4S cents pcr ton per mile, aS compared
with > II cents in lS6l
a NEW PRINCIPAL IN POLITICAL ECONOMY.
Asa curious incident Of this continued
progress 1t may De H'lt.' ''"I '''' "o'I'
doaHleht "i ldiGv 4u'l'l''eH VI 'pH''y 'I'"
"hlnery III most OrahCile' Oi 'ta P'e manu-
aartnres, ana l's replacement Oy new Is
periodically rendered a lhat'er 81 apso'
anle economical necesSlE III o,uc' 10
qroduce more l"rIeciiE auu c"t"l n.y. anu
at the same VIti'e, "'olu Il'e "eS'IuVV'ul
Di mucn greater amount oi c"Pla, u!
EnduStrlal rlNalry' Inns slriNiUgIy nus,
O. tntes an economic principe itrSt' l
think, note" ny Mr AtklilSoli' ol ho,toi'
Ihat We apsoio'e destruction Vi "ila' l'as
once been wealth. frequently MARKS !"
greater step III the progress OF clNillHa,
ti0n than any great 'hc'eaSe III iila'eri"I
accumulation, tle destruction oi llle olo
machinery ana It's iePEicellienl D! new
being the sole conditions under Which
@he cost OF production couLI De oIlliI-
aohed auu 'ie "pu"uaH'' VI P'"""'e III
WHAT WILL "A''"N ~ luz "'''''>'''' ~
We often speak uf--perhaps anticipate
IA "millennial" period, to be charactGr-
i2cd in particular by absence of want Of
all those things that minister to our COM
fort and happiness. But when that time
comes, fit ever comes, either man must
50 far change his nature as to be able to
exist in comfort without food, cluthiug
shelter and luxuries. or the forces of ma
ture must be so much further subordina-
ted as to do all our work, and be our all
sufficient ministers and servants. Fanci-
-ful as is the speculation, all true material
progress points IN this same discretion
The great result Of every new invention
sor discovery in economic processes is to
eliminate value, making things cheap
which before were dear, bringing within
she reach and use of the many what be
Fure were for the exclusive enjoyment Of
the few. Inl17OTnomas A. Beckett was
accounted extravagant for having his
narlor strewed daily with clean rushes;
ao-day few are unable to carpet their