The Labor enquirer., 1884-01-26
The Third Chapter Of Merritt
H. Dement'S Excellent
Book.
Why Nations Decay, and the
Remedy Saggested for
the Same.
In q Proper Condition Of Society
Everyone Shares in the
Labor.
III.

III.
If it may be taken IS true that nation
do inevitably decay, it. should not b
considered impertinent or presumins, i
this age of reason, to propose an inquiry
into the cause Of this decay, and to con
slider whether remedy may not be pos
sible therefor.
Without a dissertation on the origin
Of nations, itmay be sufficient to say
that every nation which has grown to
greatness has derived its strength from
| the fact that it contained in its organism
the proper elements of social concord
and unity and has lost its strength and
/ vitality only when these elements have
ceased to exist within it.
The chief of these elements is an
equal distribution of the burdens and
lenjoyments Of Life. Another is the pos
session by each individual Of an equal
interest and an equal voice, with every
other individual, in the government.
Another is the giving to each individual
Of the largest liberty compatible with
the general well-being.
The equal distribution of the burdens
of life means the equal distribution of
| the labor by which the necessaries Of
society, such as food, clothing, ETC., are
produced, and by which the government
| is supported. In other words, it is such
q condition Of society that each individ-
ual produces by his own labor the food
necessary for his sustenance, and the
clothing necessary for his comfort or
else, produces by his labor other things
of value, which he contributes to society
in exchange for those things which he
requires.
To feed and clothe and govern ma
ton, certain amount of labor must be
performed. The food must be raised,
the clothing must be manufactured, and
the laws must be made and administered.
There must be raised sufficient guam
tity of wheat, corn, oats, barley, fruit,
vegetables, cotton, fax, etc. There must
be raised sufficient quantity of cattle,
sheep, hogs, poultry, etc. The wool,
cotton and fax, must be woven into
cloth, and made into clothing. The
grain must be ground, and the cattle,
sheep and hogs must be slaughtered.
There must be courts to decide disputes;
there must be lawyers and doctors; there
must be moral and educational teachers,
and so on.
In a proper condition of society, every
man should do his share of this labor.
If one man shall work more intelligently
or more rapidly than another, he need
not work as many hours as the other in
order to do society the same amount of
good. The true test being that each in
dividual should contribute to society the
same amount of good result. And as
long as each man does this, no man can
be a burden upon others; and no man
will be burdened with the labor of sup
porting others. ~. Ill.
This state of society is found to exist
in all new communities. And where it
exists, and as long as it exists, there will
be contentment and prosperity; there
will be patriotism and fraternity; there
will be neither poverty nor riches;
neither extravaganza nor destitution.
But as the nation grows older this con-
dition gradually disappears. And in
stead of the people being all of one class,
with an equal distribution of burdens
and enjoyments, we find that some are
no longer carrying their share of the
burdens, and are getting more than their
share of the enioyments of life; while
others are doing more than their share
l.of work, and getting scarcely any enjoy
tment at all. We find that human beings
are naturally selfish; and that those who
can will place themselves in positions
where they will obtain the necessaries Of
life, and the enjoyments and luxuries as
well, without working for them. We
find that this class constantly increases
in number. We find them growing very
rich in the possession of property and
money; while, in the same ratio, others
are growing very poor from the lack Of
property and money. ii.
/ We find them obtaining a monopoly
of the powers of society, and using those
powers to increase their stores of money
and property, and to decrease TO that ex
tent, the stores of the others.
4 We find that those who work are very
! poor; and those who do not are very rich
We find that the men who build house.
have none of their own. We find tina
4 the men who make clothes have very
little to wear. We find that those WHIT
raise food have very little to eat.
! We find, the rich monopolizing th'
!, pleasures and recreations of life, ant
Z giving to the poor monopoly of thu
f miseries and labors of life.
d We find that the rich have 80 much en-
j ljoyment and 50 many pleasures that the.
; are sarfeited and bored and worn ou
with them: and life has to them become
Ia burden from q lack of healthy occupa