The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-11-28

/ RAAsAt@VkF y A0 W 81 A4lO etuu
and regard labor for bread as an indis-
pensable duty, all would then be nour-
ished by tirir own work, be united by
the sam in God and in love for
one anq thus destroy the poverty
from " any suffer. No
one woS 1 hunger. Haman could
not earn enough for himself and his FAM
lily his neighbor would help him. He
would do SO because he would have no
other use for products that he could not
SELL" The logic of this is that, each man
working and producing his own bread,
there would be no one to buy and conse-
quently no place to SELL
To those who attempt to justify their
| failure to engage in productive labor on
the plea that they do this, that or the
other service for society without actual
! ly working Tolstoi speaks plainly, and
denounces the crafty and diabolical
theory of the division of labor !"
"Whoever thou art. whatever may be
thy qualities, however good thou art, in
whatever condition thou art placed,
canst thou take TRANQUILITY thy tea and
eat thy dinner, canst thou occupy thy
self with politics, fine arts, science, med
icine or teaching, when thou seest and
nearest the man who is lying at thy
door sick and starving? Mol But thou
wilt say they are not always there at my
door. 1t may be 80; but they are per-
haps but a short distance away from thy
house, and thou knowest it."
Now let us read from Bondareff: "All
my writings may be condensed in two
sayings First, why, according to the
first commandment. do you not labor
for the bread that you eat, instead of
eating that which the labor of others
has produced? Second. why in both Sec
ular and theological. books are not the
laborer and his work commended in
stead of being treated with extreme con-
tempt?'
"Adam, for having infringed Gods
command, .Ye shall not eat of the fruit
of the forbidden tree,' lost paradise not
only for himself, but for all his race
unto the end of the world We
see that having recognized his fault, he
waited to receive his punishment, and
this is Gods unexpected decree: For
having disobeyed the command I gave
you, behold your punishment. In the
sweat Of thy face shalt thou knead bread;
dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou
return. Following the coun-
sci of the serpent, Adam hoped to live in
the world without labor, but he was, on
the contrary, compelled to seek his nour-
ishment in the sweat of his face. Thus
you will see, reader, what is the result
of this desire for possessions"
"With me, says the rich man, money
labors for bread. It is false! Money
has not sinned against God. Nor was
the commandment set forth against
money. Besides that money does not
eat bread; it is not then obliged to labor
for it. How then can you say, With me
money labors for bread? Do you find
yourself entirely just before God, and
needing no commandment? But were
you more holy than the HI of Holes
you do not the less eat bre labored for
by another. 81 & the people
living do not labor for bfotei; the other
half laboring for and not selling it can
scarce support themselves. But why
should these last not know where to find
money if all the world labored for bread?'
"If all laborers understood the primi-
tive law they would not sell their bread.
Far from being useful, the sale of bread
is hurtful. This present year the har-
vest is god, and the laborer sells his
wheat to the rich man for thirty kopecks
the measure. But suppose that the next
year the harvest shall be bad and we
have a famine; the laborer will buy his
wheat from the same rich man for
ruble and fifty kopecks the measure,
and if he have not enough money to pay
for it he will sell his beasts at half price.
Thus many are ruined by selling their
wheat. When the harvest is
bad the poor man is sorrowful, but the
rich man is content, because during a
famine he increases his riches. Thus he
will call famine good harvest. while
it is the chastisement of God. And if
he joins in the prayers of the poor do not
believe him, for he is hypocrite."
] would like to give more extracts
from this exceedingly interesting work,
but lack of space forbids. Enough has
been quoted to show upon what Bonda-
ref bases his theory and the manner in
which it is justified by Tolstoi. l am
not expressing an opinion, but leave it
for each reader to think out for him
self. But upon one point all intelligent
and honest men are agreed: Whether
or not each one should produce with his
own hands the bread he consumes, mill
ions are being robbed of what they do
produce by somebody.
Jos. R, BUCHANAN
Shaving the Hours.
Several months ago few journeymen