The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-02
From the Detroi. Tribnne.
LABOR-SAYING MACHINERY THE BEST
FRIEND OF WORKfNGMEN.

From the Detroi. Tribune.
LABOR-SAyING MACHINERY THE BEST
FRIEND OF wORKfNGMEN.
The burning and br eaking Of farm machinery
especially of reaping, and moving, and binding
machines, is form OF outrage never known IN
National party. and the commencement of
Its systematic work OF stimulating, by speeches
aud documents, an ignorant and dangerous
hatred OF those who have succeeded in accum-
ulating anything much or little. And it IS
noticeable that. wherever the " National par
ty and its doctrines are pretty we'll established
this form OF violence has broken out. We
have accounts OF such outrsges in Ohio. Indi-
ana. illinois. Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota,
Iowa and Michigan-all States in which Ma
tionalism has acquired something of foot
hold. But leaving the political aspect of the
subject ont of the question, we wish to say
something on the economic phases OF this
question OF labor-saving machinery.
Were 1t not that these outrages against the
use OF labor-saving machinery prove that there
is large class of prejudced. unrefectipg peo-
pie. who are the victims OF very false ideas on
this subject, it would seem useless in this
country. whose inventions and machinery have
raised it to one Of the grandest positions among
nations to argue at all over the plain fact that
labor saving machinery and invention are not
only the best friends OF the country as whole,
but also the best friends Of the working ella Sees
1t is self-evldent that, il the steam engine, and
improved machinery and inventions, we're
stricken out Of existence, the civilized world
would thereby be moved back into barbarism
But, this aside, every educated person knows
that in all countries where labor-saving ma
chinery most abounds there the wages Of labor
are the highest; and in all countries where
labor-saving machinery is least used, there
wages are the lowest Further, in all countries
where laborsaving machinery abounds work
lngmen live best, and are surrounded with
joyed by the rich in countries where machinery
is little used. Further, wages in all countries
rise in exact proportion to the Increase OF
labor-saving machinery. The history and sta
tistics OF the world prove this. The United
State is peculiarly the country Of invention
and labor-saving machinery; and workingmen
live the best. England employs more labor
saving machinery than any other European
and she pays higher wages to labor
than any other European country. France
next; and so on, till you get to Turkey and
Russia, where the least machinery is used, and
where wages will scarcely keep soul and body
chinery is little used; wages half cent to five
cents day, and millions starving. Two CEN
turtles ago, before England used much ma
chinery, laborers worked hard fifteen hours a
day for three pence or less, and skilled artisans
for a slx-penee to a shilling a day. In the
United States, when many now. living were
young, eight dollars a month was considered
good wages for carpenters, and less for com
mon laborers. Everything was then done by
hand labor: and a workingman's home had
table, fire hearth, benches and little rude
furniture; one SUIT of clothes was expected
to last whole year: the food was OF the
ond the laborer never had any
money to spend. Labor-savlng machinery
produced employment, and has steadily in
creased wages.
Not only does labor-sav!ng machinery pro-
high wages, but 1t also employs the largest