The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-11
The Benefits Of Machinery.

The other day the introduction of
machine for Blasting" the hem of certain
germents, into factory in New England
where clothing was made, was the cause
of great complaint and almost of strike;
the reason being that one such ma.
chine would do the work of five or six
women, who would thus be thrown out
of work. This little incident, of itself
insignificant, supplies curious illustra.
ton of the tenacity with which ignorant
people, in spite of the overwhelming
evidence of experience hold to the notion
that machinery is the enemy of the
laborer. The proof that mechanical in.
vention has help any one else is of the
most conclusive character. We cannot
present the whole case here, but letus
take two or three facts.
In ancient times conquering invader
of country always concluded bis victory
by doing one thing: he swept off q large
part of the population, took them home
with him, and made them slaves. Why?
Because he wanted to remove from his
own people part of the burden of toll.
History is crammed with accounts of
such performances. In fact, the process
endured to our own time, for the capture
of negroes in Africa, and their deporta.
tion to this country to be sold as slaves,
was simply another from of the old bust.
ness. The slave trade merely supplied
demand for labor from people who wished
to reduce their own labor. Now, observe:
The invention and genersl introduction
of the steam engine ended this kind of
thing forever, for it gave to man ser.
want for more tractable, more economical,
more energetic, more tireless, than any
number of human servants could possibly
be. The first effect upon the laborer, of
this change, was to uplift him and give
him dignity. Labor is no longer Joined
with slavery.
This is the century of the steam engine.
This sans century has witnessed the eman.
cipation of the slaves in this country and
of the serfs in Russia. 1t will not close
before the slaves will be freed in Cuba
and Brazil. Then there will not be an
involuntary bondsman in any civilized
land on earth. That majestic fact, of
vast importance to the toiling man every
where, is due solely to the advancement
of mechanicle invention. And, mean
time, the general status of the laborer
has been so much advanced that he is
now for the first time in the history of
the world counted as great political
and social pwer. The laboring man to-
day is on top. That is practical, even
if it be startling, fact.
Note this, also: The laborer in civil.
lied countries now earns more money
than he ever before earned, and the
things which he requires for his comfort
and his pleasure cost least than at any
former period since the creation. II
workingmen would only read history,
thew would find much TO induce them to
greater contentment. There was not in
the British Islands, three hundred years
ago, dwelling house that would compare
in comfort with any one of the tens of
thousands of excellent homes owned in
this country to-day by men who earn ten
or twelve dollars q week. Such q man
has articles of furniture, clothing, books,
newspapers, musical instruments, oppor.
tunities of cheap conveyance, chances for
flee education, and hundreds of other
blessings which nobody had TWO centuries
ago, which the richest could hardly
procure one century ago, and all of which
have tended to make laborers more COM
Portable, happier and healthier and within
easier reach even of wealth. The whole
of these advantages have been supplied
by machinery. The poor man has them
because machines have been invented to
do the work which men used to do, and
because these machines have capacity for
production far beyond the unaided capac.
ity of man.
The truth is that the displacement of
human labor by machinery has always
been followed by an increase demand for
such labor at better wages and decrease
of the prices of the articles for which
wages are expended. In the entire range
of mechanical invention We cannot now
recall a single exception to this rule. In
view of such facts, there is something
almost pitiable in the persistence with
which working people continue to mani.
fest antagonism to the introduction of
labor saving devices. Sach hostility,
wherever and whenever it is manifested,
involves confession of objectionable
ignorance and stupidity.-Tertile Record.