The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-12-13
SHALL 1T BE REVOLUTION


SHALL 1T BE REVOLUTION3
The Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott, now
pastor of the celebrated Beecher Ply
mouth church, Brooklyn, n. Y, was
principal speaker at a college society
banquet on the evening of Nov. 22d.
His subject was "SOme Aspects of the
Industrial Problem" This topic now
uppermost in the minds of thousands
whether retired wealthy men, active
employers of labor, or Of laboring men
themselves, was 8 most Opportune sub
ject. The speaker noted especially the
spread of democratic governments
among the influential nations Of the
world and uttered these significant
words: IF men Of wealth and cul-
ture undertake to suppress and repress
the uprising of the plain and common
people, then the democracy Of wealth
will be brought out by revolution. If,
on the other hand, the gradual ditfu-
sion Of wealth is permitted to take
place, this democracy will be effected
by evolution.
Thoughtful men everywhere are
taking a similar view. The theory
entertained by some short sighted sci
fish persons that there are Labor
troubles" solely because the laborers
themselves are ignorant, selfish, quar-
relsome and vicious, must be sup
pre- ssed by the inculcation of a wider
knowledge of actual conditions. The
theory entertained by a few thinkers
| and economists, that the introduction
of labor saving machines can be made
to inure to the benefit and profit only
of ownors Of factories and organizers
of labor forces, must be met and re-
futed by sound aggressive eason The
very inventors of all this machinery
are generally poor, more often die
poor than rich, and they n often de-
prived of all direct and personal bene-
fits from their brain work by fraud
and oppressive schemes as heartless as
those which drive ambitious laborers
to poverty and desperation.
We justly boast that we afford the
poorest and humblest man and his fam
lily the means Of opportunities for in
~telligence. When intelligent, even in
a small degree, the citizen whether a
manual worker, a brain worker or an
idler, ought to see that the unprece-
denied developments of wealth In our
day cannot, because they should not,
all fall into the hands of one class
alone.
An eminent lecturer on economic
subjects, On a recent occasion said that
the water and ste am power OF the
United States alone is equivalent to
the manual power of $50, 0OO, 900 men.
This power is utilized by less than 65,-
600, 900 of people of all classes. If any
man, be he laborer or philosopher,
imagines that this amazing instrument
tally for the creation of values for
mankind is to be chiefly controlled for
the benefit and enjoyment of owners
and organizers, while the manual
labOrer Is to remain In q condition not
at all commensurate with the increase
of aggregate wealth, his delusive
dreams must some time be broken,
and we hope that they may be broken
by reason and not by physical force.
1t is lille to expect that the fortunate
and ruling classes shall be a great deal
better off than a hundred years ago,
while the manual and wage earning
classes shall be little or no better off.
When the country as whole produces
and prepares for good living fifty times
as much in proportion to numbers as
IN the last century, it is neither
v1clousness, turbulence, socialism,
communism nor anarchism when the
SA~AA4O AAOuSA puD1lC anu
private channels combined, the right
to enjoy fifty times as much as his
forefathers did in same or similar en-
pigments. 1t is not claiming the right
to as much as higher skill and organic.
ing capacity enjoys, but it is claiming
an advancement in support and enioy-
ment in the same ratio that others en-
joy. If society as a whole produces
fifty times as much as it did one hun.
dred or two hundred years ago, then
the laborer, as well as the organizer
and manager should enjoy fifty times
as much IS his forefathers, and not
stand in absolute or nearly absolute in
action while the protector, the pro-
moter, the organizer, the boss is al
lowed to reap the lions share of the
benefits of progress.
The labor classes must at the same
time recognize the fact that ours is a
republican form of government and
that the vote of the poor nan counts
for as much as the rich man in the
halls of legislation and the knowledge
necessary to cast the ballot intelli-