Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-24
Agricultural Labor versus Agricultural
Machinery.

A few roughs among the tramping farm
laborers in the great wheat-fields of the
West have excited almost a panic in the
country by threatening to destroy the self
binding reapers that have lately been intro
duced. The organs of the financial interest
cry for troops" and the average city and
suburban editor moralizes on the wicked
ness of communism, with very vague ideas OF
what that dreadful thing may be. As for
the Western grain growers, though some of
them appear to have scared little at the
first opening of this threatened rebellion OF
the =" hands," most of them have loaded the
old shot gun, and declared "by gum" they
had better keep clear of our premises, if they
mean mischief.
OF course we agree with all the philosophers
and political economists that any man who
is opposed to labor-saving machinery is fool
But then again we do not suppose that there
are many such fools in the world-certainly
not sufficient to require standing army in
this republic to protect the farmers, or any
body else, against them. Even the laborers
who have been giving these notices against
the new reaper are not, we venture to say,
against labor-saving machinery in the alb
stract. They like well enough the cheap
shoes and cheap clothing and cheap food
that the use of such machinery affords them
and their families. They are just simply
opposed to this particular machine at this
particular time, for the sufficient reason, as
it appears to them, that while it may make
wheat cheaper next year, it takes that bread
out of their mouths to-day, which is neces-
sary to keep them alive until next year comes.
The question of labor-saving machinery
in its relations to manual labor is a great,
though really a simple one, if those who un-
dertake to discuss it would only dare to do
so prefectly unawed by the dread frown of
the capital that is drawing to itself too large
a share of the advantages of mechanical in
vention. Let the results of this great change
introduced by machinery be fairly divided
among those who furnish the money to build
the machines and those who operate them,
and all alike will be benefited. There will
be no starvation, nor any lack of work. The
industrious workman and the enterprising
financialist will alike prosper, in mutual
amity. But if greed gets the better of the
conscience of the one so that he retains too
much to his own share, poverty will surely
come to the other and with poverty bitter
thoughts, ripening into violent actions. Let
our legislators overhaul the laws of the last
three decades and see if they have not I'M
Willingly, perhaps, been giving capital the
under-holt in this matter. If that is So
reason requires wise revision of our statute
books to the end that justice may prevail
and that "a government of the people, by
the people, for the people," may not perish
from the earth.
To the farmers we would again and again
repeat the time-worn saying that eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty We can
not leave the primary meetings to be run by
self-seeking politicians without having
legislatures and congresses that are but
markets where Unjust laws are made for pay.
We want only good and able men in our
government, and we can only get them by
seeing to it ourselves. When we get such
governments we shall see, for the first two
years, at least, three laws repealed to one
enacted, until we get down to the simple,
plain and honest government of our an
cestors, or can replace even that with bet
ter. Apropos to this subject, we find in the
Springfield Republican an extract from a
sermon recently preached in that city by
the Rev. G. L. Morgan, portion of which
we reprint;
And then again, as in every period of distress
when thousands are thrown out of work, we heal
the mutterings of communism. 1t is not thiDl
that excites in America any great alarm Thanh
God, we have, for the present at least, nation
OF working men and women who can think TO
themselves, and who know that the socialistc or,
is that of demagogues who would climb to powe
upon the shoulders OF the poor and hungry. |
may be the cloud shall grow blacker, and that, a
last year, the frenzy of few may lead other
more ignorant to deeds of lawlessness. But sucl
an outburst can only be short-lived. The incen
diary papers sent through the West ordering tn
farmers to dispense with their elfbnding reaper
have no origin with men who have themseve
come from the farm life, but wholly with tn
lawless and for the most part foreign-born socia
lists of our cities. And yet while danger to gu
institutions from the communstic cry OF Dow
property and Down homes is not now grea
we are not to forget that it may become so as tn
years advance. No one who observes the time
can fail to see that the problems which hay
stirred Europe are going to stir America, III
growth Of great corporations ia wonderful alread,
and is to be still more 80. We see the process
already in the control which three men substai
tally possess over the great railway that spans o,
continent Think of the thousands upon thol
sands of men, OF women and children, who al
absolutely at the mercy of three men-three me
who may use their power and their property
they will This concentration of wealth is goir
on more and more. 1t must so more surely, mo
swiftly, If unrestricted in free land like our
The great capitalists will resist such restriction
they will give their influence many of them TO Il
establishment of an empire rather than yield
jot, but just here the great intelligent midd
class must stand firm. With one arm we mu
hold the great centripetal force of capital, wi
the other we must hold fast the reckless cent
fuga force of socialism, and both we must col
pei TO submit To that equal restriction which
the single foundation for free state. None c.
deny that as affairs arc now tending there is
steadily growing gap between the rich and poo
Our boast in the past has been and our safety h
lain in the great middle class, neither rich n
poor, but able TO live in comfort and educate
children. But it IL threatening fact that h
class grows steadily smaller; the rich are few
and richer and growing jealous OF pecuniary ns
Capital Is consequently locked up or it is invest
In mammoth corporations which few men &C
troll There is but one remedy for this state
things but one barrier to divert the current, a
that Is the spirit OF the love Of Jesus Christ rs
can and ought to be revealed in his whole visil
church Unless the boosted but utterly self
law of supply and demand which now bel
the sanction Of our best textbooks on Politi
Economy, be vastly modified in practice by