The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-08-22

Economy in Labor.

Labor saving machines and appli-
ances and devices, various of kinds,
that have been introduced and
adopted within the last forty years,
are doing more TO bankrupt the Am.
ericau people MS a class than all other
cause combined. The tariff qucs-
ton and the financial problem are
mere pigmies when compared with
this labor saving mania, and more
particularly is this true in its appli-
cation to the farming community.
Fully four. iifths OF the farms under
mortgage in the United States today
is the direct and inevitable result Of
thi, vast and uncallcd.for amount Of
labor.-aviug machinery. 1t has
caused, and is still causing stagna.
ton and general prostration in every
walk Of life wherein manual labor
has heretofore been the prime factor
which must, rs a natural sequence,
cast its lighting shadow on every
business interest within The honn'a'
ries of our government, except those
Of the money shark, usurer, ma
chincrv iiend, and the professional
politician. a
But what is the object Of all tins
economy IN labor, anyway; Has it
ever been necessary, or would it
have been necessary now. if it had
never been introduced and adopted ::
We answer emphatically, never.
And common sense echoes and re.
echoes back from every corner of
our vast cXpanse of territory, the
answer, never,
The principal object in this change
from hand-labor to that If ma
rhinery was, of course, increased
production and decreased expenses,
no matter what the result to those
dependent on manuel labor for sup.
port. Mans inh1m hog disposition,
nur,ured ard developed in a small
way by previous financial success,
ha. no care for any but himself. He
set out with the intention Of going
the whole hog, and Of going it as
nearly entirely alone as possible.
lie wanted it all to himself. Today
he is reaping the reward of his pig
gish greed and disregard Of manly
principle. His farm is mortgaged
up to its full valuation, with no pros
pect whatever of his even being able
To pay out. Tomorrow the ina.
chinery iiend will probably be able
to sell him something new in his line,
provided lie is willing to take his
chances on a time payment.
This class Of persons never learn
anything. Experience cannot pene-
trate their thick skulls. They know
probably as much now rs they did
when they commenced sliding down
the financial hill, but nothing more,
Tie only consolation they have left.
if any. is the knowledge that the
temple they so foolishly pulled down
ana whose ruins have engulfed them,
has also cngulfed millions of theil
cr.twhile horny-handed fellow be.
irgs buucaln the same ruin. We dc
no. know that God will ever etef.
nglly damn a fool, yet it seems to Ii,
that at times the provocation is very
great.
Why. just think of it!-Accord'
ing to the " Northwestern Miller
Of JUNE, 1894, right Az the com
mencemcnt Of the wheat harvest
there were over 333, 0OO, 900 bushel,
of Old wheat in sight (storage) il
the United States, outside Of VIVA
the wheat growers may have had il
reserve. Estimating the population
! Of the UaitpG states at ven 60 600,
. 600. we here have a fraction Of ovel
Up bushels Of wheat TO every man
woman and child in the nation
more than enough to have furnished
sufficient breadstuff for all, if there
had not been II grain Of wheat or corr
harvested last year, and yet we occa
gi0na!ly find a noolle-head who ha'
the |gudnciOUs aGrOntry TO tell us
that there is no oyer-produGtion-
never has been any.
Again, we are told that the foreign
demand is at fault, matthias greatly
fallen off in the last decade and tha'
it is now principally supplied by
countries thai were formerly com
p%aratiyely non-producing, but whicl
are now taking the lead in whea
growing.
This, TO some extent, is no doub
true, but it is not true to the exten
aud in the sense that interested par
ties would have us believe. Com
p%aratiyely speaking, our exports O
wheat are about if not quite as grea
as they ever were. We are raisin,
q great deal more of that commodit,
than we ever raised before, and al,
. axn0rtinu lass Tho oausn NJ his (;