Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-22

NOT GOOD SOIL FOR THE COMMUNE
The hard times developes Il good bit o.
communism among the working classes
and so 'ielies for The propagation of all
sorts of odd fancies about how the world
ought to run spring up like mushrooms in
the spring rains. The present aspect OF
these societies is not pleasant and doubt
less we shall have trouble with riotino
strikers, rs we had last summer But the
danger is but temporary. All these blood
thirsty associations that hold that prop
erly is robbery, will melt away in the first
month of returning prosperity. The very
freedom which all sorts of societies have
to promulgate their notions and make
them effective, disarms them at once Rev
olutionary associations need considerable
of persecution to make them flourish We
do not believe, therefore, that any dang er
is 10 be apprehended from any communis-
tic notions that have temporarily obtained
sway with our working men, but doubtless
temporary troubles will grow out of them
in some localities. 1t is rather hard get
ting over the flush days of the war and
resuming plain styles of living, and some
allowance must be made for the unreason-
BILE demands of artisans. As rule a me-
chanic will growl more about his table
fare than his employers. This comes
about quite naturally, for it is the superior
knowledge of the philosophy of life that
makes the one the employer, and the want
of it the employed. People of wealth will
breakfast on oat meal because it is better
for them to do SO, but the laboring man
dislikes it because he has notion that the
| xyprl1 hin, |, b.,
that he is ground down to oat meal
The world owes every man Il living, is
the motto of tho communists and the
tramp. and good many respectable me-
chancs complain that the world owes
them work and does not give it to them
Well, the world does give every man a
chance to get a living, and in this country
very comfortable one. Even to day,
when business is at a stand still, the trou-
BILE is not that men cannot get work, but
they cannot get the sort of work they
would like, at what they consider remu-
nerative wages. Workingmen say we do
not get wages. We must live, and capital
lists must give us work and fair play. 1t
would seem as though the simplest man
might see that though you may lead a
drink. Labor can only control capital
when it can make capital profit
by it. Labor is subject to the law
of supply and demand. and no amount of
false teaching and vaporing by crazed
theorists will ever make it different. Hard
times will come to any nation occasional
ly, and the laboring man will always suffer
greatly by these times. He is seldom
ever prepared for the rainy day. The
Tact is that the mass of men are not fitted
to accumulate money. and will always
live from hand to mouth, and so fur as this
country is concerned, the prosperity of
men who work for wages has not been in
creased by advancing the rate of pay.
The number of farm hands who became
land owners was not so great during the
era of high wages just past as it was of
the men who fifty years ago worked for
the minimum price. High wages is pleas.
ant and desirable, and every good citizen
would be glad to see every workman well
paid. But this docs not necessarily bring
prosperity, as temptations to extravaganza
increase with ones purse. The working
people rs rule are men oftoo much good
sense to be captured by foreign agitators
who have found home in this country.
They know that in no other land are the
same possibilities open to their class.
They know fnrther that from them spring
the men who become capitalists. leaders
of great business enterprise and the states
man who manage the affairs of the nation.
We are nation of workmen, and too wise |
to destroy ourselves to please any idle set
Of theorists who make demagogical ap--
peals to the men who are suffering tenn
porary hardships incident to great de-
preston in business. America is not good |
soil for the commune. 1t cannot be trans
planted here. = Cambridge Post.