The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-16
MAN VERSUS MACHINE.

Just as we get all our wonderful ma
chinery invented and in operation to save
human labor, and just as we get society
and business thoroughly organized for
gigantic undertakings, there arises the
old question, rs it worth the powder?
Have we gained or lost, after alp
Emerson's law of compensation con-
fronts us at the summit of our nineteenth
century achievements. We have invent
ed powerful machines, and lost skill of
hand and eye. We have created great
organizations, and-fost individuality and
genius. We have created the machine:
and lost the man. We have vast cor
poratiens, molding and mobtlizing large
aggregations of labor and capital; but
where is the brave, independent man of
freedom, who has heart and a soul he
dares call his own, and is not part and
parcel of a souliess machine?
Organization in trade has given US the
department store; and a hundred indie
pendent retail merchants are bankrupt
ed and become automatons in the groove
of the bigger machine. Organization in
manufacturing has placed the industries
of the country in the NAV of the trust,
and the small manufacturer must elect
between applying for job under the.
trust and being wiped off the Industrial
map. What industry or what trade is
open to the young man of small capital?
If he opens store, the chances are ten
to- one he fails inside ten years. If
he starts a small factory, he is mira
Gle if neither bankruptcy nor the trust
| take him in tow before the world be-
| comes aware he is manufacturing.
Organization in the factory specializes
| labor, but the inspired mechanic. with
/ hand and eye of power and skill, has
| given way to the monotonous figure which
all day long and all the year through
| feeds certain sized thread or wire Into
the same old hungry machine. Interest,
enthusiasm, ambition and hope perish
at such prospect With the improve
| ment of the machine a lower standard Of
| brains and skill is required to operate 1t.
!. With the perfection of the organization
a smaller amount of courage, genius
| and responsibility is asked, of the indi-
vidual With the development of the
great corporation, the demand for men Of
| sympathy, soul and individual manhood
weakens until these virtues seem to the
successful possessor drug on the mar
i ket.
In perfeeting our wonderful industrial
organization, we have cut out a vast
network of beautiful grooves; but woe
to him who gets out of the groove. That
| man is done fer. To the young man Of
courage and ambition the age says coldIy
'Hunt a groove" The young man pro-
tests-''But I have a conscience and a
genius and 1 need freedom" And the aga
repeats in practical and icy tones: ':Hunt
a groove, there. hunt a groove This
| applies not only to business, but to re-
Hgion and education: Never did the
world see such powerful church organ "a.
| ton and extensive church membership:
and never has the world seen so little
depth of religious fervor. Never was tho
/ church such popular and wealthy So
cial organization, and never did it exhibit
so few Luthers, Knoxes, Peter the Her.
mits and martyrs. Our school systems.
! too, are immense. They are as well or
ganized as our trusts and department.