The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-25
The One Safe Way.

In lG5 !6 per cent. of the population OF
the United States was engaged in land til
lage and was both prosperous and happy;
today the percentage of popuiat ton en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits is only IL
per cent, and poverty-ridden at that.
Manufactures alone have thriven, and in
that connection alone have investments of
capital and labor reaped a rich harvest.
in lSJO the capital invested in manufac-
lures was about half billion dollars. X
doubled from 1850 10 1860: and then went
up another double by 1889. From 1850 to
1870 it again a good deal more than dou
bled The ne. value of manufactures in
1880 was 80 per cent greater than the value
OF agricultural products. But in 1850 the
value of agricultural products was much
larger than that of manufactures. This
readiustment,. If not miSadj justment of
American industries, has produced great
social changes us well. 1t has packed the
population in vast cities: it has increased
the herding tendencies; 1t has increased
wages on the farm while decreasing the
price of farm produce 1t has taken tho
better class of young people from the
farms into the cities. That these changes
should bring about in time u great dis
| ruption and lead to revolutionary senu-
ments Is not TO be wondered at.
The foregoing is taken from one of
the denominational journals of the west
and is part of an attempt to give
| philosophical explanation of the free
silver phenomenon. In the main, no
doubt, it is to a considerable degree
true. All over the world the past half
century has witnessed an unprecedent-
ed diversion of human energy from
| agricultural to industrial channels.
That this movement has progressed
more rapidly and 10 a further point in
| the United States than in the older
| countries of Europe is merely in recog-
milton OF the fact that here the path
| way to social experiment and CONNER
cial tluctuation is freer from tradition
| al distractions. What we have in
mind when we speak Of Americas su-
| perior opportunities is really that
America is as yet too young to be be-
| closgcd with old suDerstitions and old
notions which tend to fetter human
| freedom.
But coming from generalities to de-
| clear-eyed observer that the curb to
industrial development will come in
time through natural laws and cannot
be entrusted 10 artificial or superficial
legislation. 1t is not possible by stat
ute law to force return to the farms.
except perhaps to the poor farms. The
| free silver proposition. for instance. is
| by the confession of its own advocates
an utterly impotent remedy in this di-
rection. The claim made for free sill
Yer is that it would produce an artiti-
| cial rise in prices and thereby encour-
| age a still greater masSing of capital
| tries. If true. this would merely ag-
| eravate the indictment quoted above:
| if false, as most prudent economists
believe it to be. it would by dashing
pectations tend directly TO foster revo-
| lutionary sentiments.
What seems to us the sensible view
is that il we are suffering today, in q
|
concentration of energy in one depart
ment Of human activity the increased
competition and the consequently de-
creased return thus engendered will
tend in time to divert ill-requited effort
| into other channels of enterprise and
thus restore the equilibrium. 1t would
be q poor policy to make legal war on
manufacturing industry in general be-
cause of the fear that It has drawn
TOO many men into its employ. One
could never be certain that such a
course would produce a wholesome ef-
feet. But the natural law of which we
have spokenis absolutely and unerring-
ly efiicacious. The wise economist will
hesitate before attempting to improve
| lIpop "