Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-08

crooked stick he calls his plow and an
other leads the oxen, represents crude
labor, two men accomplishing little.
Our plan, whereby q man rides on a
pillow and drives his team and easily
plows three or four acres a day, repre-
sents skill in this line of work. The
old-time CLEANER. VINO would laborious-
ly clip the heads oil an acre of wheat
a day, contrasts with the harvester and
binder, which does the work OF siN men
under the old plan. So we have by our
machinery introduced skilled labor in
farming, and have brought up the pro-
d%uctiveness and profit of agriculture.
SO skilled labor pays best.
We think it equally clear and true
that the larger the variety the skill in
labor a country Or people may possess,
the better their chance for wealth. We
raise c%otton.I If we must send that
cotton to England for manufacture and
then buy from England this cotton in
its manufactured form. we lose heav-
lily. The cost Of transportation both
ways. the skilled labor which England
puts in ii, and the profits of the parties
through whose hands it passes are all
to be paid. 1t evidently is better for
us to manufacture this cotton at home.
In sending it abroad for manufacture
we suffer several items of absolute
loss. Transportation is waste. 1t rep
resents simply the carriage of IN arti-
Gle. 1t is loss which somebody must
pay. This loss ultimately is paved
by the consumer. Then if English
skilled labor manufactures our cotton,
it takes just that much Of wealth from
us; for the labor put on it adds to its
value. If England does it she gains
the wealth. If we do it we make the
gain. Nor it should be particularly re-
m%embered, that every hour all the
hands in q nation are busy in honest
labor, they are producing wealth; and
when idle they are non-productive. and
the higher the grade of labor the more
wealth it produces. Hence, if we have
sufficient diversity OF skill to supply
most OF our wants, without purchas-
ing abroad, we say IN avoiding waste
of transportation and gain IN. employ
ing own thrifty hands ard varied
skill. Thus it is policy to encourages as
much diversity of labor AID as great
skill as possible. If all our labor can
be utilized and sc diversified that all
our wants shall be met, we will hav,
the best show for prosperity.
This country, with its diversified
natural resources, its varied climate
it's clear-brained inventors and skilled
artisans, and with a system Of civiliza.
ton and government under which la
Dor is honorable, offers the best condi.
tions Tor labor the world has seen. IT
has been estimated.that,e every day each
labCref produces ut least half a dollal
of permanent, solid wealth. We have
ten millions ct workers. Thus five
millions a day are added to the wealth
OF the country. Evidently an agency
so important, and that is at the very
foundation OF u prosperity, deserves
the most careful and cordial considera-
ton. The respectabilitv of labor, it's
honor among the people, its mainten-
ance, the comfort and intelligence OF
our workers, all demands the most
onnGiinrata DI+1,tin, If l,1,, s., IL,
graded our civilization will be lowered
and our wealth will decline. And the
moment labor Shall fail to receive a
fair share Of the wealth it shall pro-
duce, or shall be compelled TO forego
home comforts or educational advant-
ages, We will start On u decline which
Will ultimately take away our glory
and sGuander our prosperity. 1t will
not be labor alone that will suffer. but
the nation will share its part. Hence
labor, as the foundation of our wealth,
should be matnrely studied. All its
conditions, every element Of strength
that attaches to it, and all that shall
advance or depreciute it should be look
ed after. SO long as our people shall
be willingly industrious we will pros
per. But when incidence. resulting
from Encouragement, appears, yagran-
cy will follow; and then decline, and
then ruin. Labor is tie source of
wealth. Should we not encourage and
protect labor?