The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-06
SENTIMENTAL AND PRACTICAL
ECONOMICS.

Not long ago Bishop Potter, CT New York,
made an address TO the Church Association
for the Advancement of the Interests of
Labor in which he declared that the intro
duction of machinery into production is do
turning the laboring man into a simple
idiot. He illustrated his assumption by the
case OF d young man who worked machine
on which he appeared to repeat a simple
process several hours day, and closed the
illustration with the remark that 1T is no
wonder that at night time this workman
drank, gambled and fought" A number of
sentimental economists applauded these
sentiments
While the sentiments of Bishop Potter
-have been applauded, they have also been
criticised by cool-headed economists. They
declare that if the effect of machinery or
the factory system is such the bishop
has described, its existence cannot be justi
fed because it is the unqualified enemy Of
mankind If machinery is the agent of evil,
there is no remedy but the abolition of
machinery and a return to hand labor meth
DDS of production The old methods of iron
tiles, all of the machinery employed in the
worlds production which has so reduced
the cost that what were the luXuries of
the rich a century ago are now the neces-
saries of the poor, must be destroyed The
shoemaker must do all by hand, the cloth
maker must go back to the hand loom of
his grandfather or great-grandfather; even
the nails used in building must be wrought
by hand by the blacksmiths. Even the ma
chinery which has so reduced the cost of
transportation must give way to the train
of mule-drawn wagons and the stage coach.
The farmer must give up his planter and
his harvester and return to the primitive
hoe and sickle or cradle.
Such economists, men who are familiar
with the development of the factory or ma
chinery system, not only deny the state
ments of Bishop Potter, but they prove
from the history of industrial development
that the progress of the laboring, or, more
broadly speaking, the wage-earning classes,
has kept pace with the introduction of
labor-saving machinery. At the time of
Arkwright's inventions, it was a crime in
a private house and talk over their griev-
ances. When the factory system began
laborers worked sixteen hours a day for so
cents. With the introduction of machinery
the hours of labor have decreased and the
compensation has increased 1t is also
shown that those specialized worknen are
the most intelligent and receive the highest
wages. 1t requires the highest intelligence
to run an intricate machine. Instead of
spending his nights in debauchery, the spe-
cialiZed workman u.s. by reason of that fact
compelled to be temperate and regular in
his habits. The class of workers among
whom intemperance is the common evil is
that in which the least machinery is en-
ployed. Such workmen receive less wages
and are doomed to the lowest quality of
social life Those economists who advocate
the factory system wherever 1t can be APP
piled find in the increased production by
labor-saving machinery the strongest argu-
ment for shortening the working day and
for increased consumption of the products
of labor which is impossible with hand
labor and the consequent low wages