The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09

OF nature, though there was no monopoly
| OF land PROFESSIONALLY, the two or three
I millions that inhabited England in the days
of the Plantagenets had more room and
| larger shares OF the free gift Of nature than
the thirty millions have now We are re-
| minded. however, that the working classes
Of those days lived In cliirnneyless novels,
and had but a single garment apiece. not
more wearing liner then than now wear SILK
Round the gates OF the monasteries gath
cred beggars, for whom, when the monas-
teries had been dissolved had 10 be framed
the ruthless vagrancy laws Of the Tudors.
lSOathsome diseases. sucl, az !eprosy. were
common and third of the population was
carried on by the Black Death. Local
fanines were frequent, owing to the want OF
machinery for distribution If dissatis-
faction was not manifested in strikes, 1t was
manifested In the instruction Of Wat Tyler,
In there less poverty in unprogressive coun-
tries, such az the kingdoms of the East, or
Spain and Italy, than IN those which have
been the seals Of prOgress?" Our author
regards it as clearly proved thst. of the
increased wealth Of England and other in
largest SHARE has gone to.w wages. Neither
does he doubt that tho remuneration OF
manual labor has risen. compared with that
of intellectual work. In America there are
mechanics. not few. paid at higher rate
than men who have undergone expensive
ed,ications. Progress. therefore, is not the
mate OF poverty. To say that it is the source
Of poverty is preposterous. n progress
stops, would poverty stop with it,
Our author regards the proposition that
We have all right to live upon the land
is absurd unless the cities are 10 he aban-
doned, and we are to revert to the primeval
state, AZ civilized societies are constitu-
ted, we cannot alt be husbandnen, or per-
sonally make any use Of land, From an eco"
nomical point Of view, what We want al
community is that the soil shall produce
as much food as possible, Facts az well
as reason seem 70 show that u high rate OF
production is attained only where tenure
is secure. The greater the security OF
tenure the more of HIS labor and capital
will the husbantlman put into his land. and
the larger will be The harvest 1T has been
said. and, though an over-statement the
man the freehold in desert. he will make
It a garden. and, il you give him the lease
OF a garden. he will make it desert. The
spur which proprietorship lends To indus
try is proverbially keen In the case Of owner
ship Of land. The French peasant ia
remarkable proof Of this. Originally. all
ownership was tribal; and, II tribal owner
ship has, in all civilized countries. given
place 70 private ownership, this ia the YER
dict Of civilization in favor OF the present
system. Where tribal ownership has lin
gered, IA in Russia and in Afehanistan.
general hsrbarism has lingered with H..
The idea that wicked company of land
grabbers aggressed upon the public prop
erty, and set up a monopoly In their own
favor. ia a fancy AZ hsseess IA the Social
Contract Of Rousseau. or any Of the other
Pigments respecting social origins which
our knowledge Of primeval history has
dispsIle,i'
tlsewht re in the same essay, strikers are
cautioned not to forget that they are them
selves buyers IA we'll IN producers. and,
therefore. employers as well as employed;
so that. if they can strike against the rest
Of the community, the other trades can
strike against them, and. wages being raised
all round, nobody will be the gamer They
ought also to remember that they are parts
Of III s s i:m, on the well-hetns
OF which. as a whole, that Of all its members
depends, and which is deranged. az whole
by the disturbance OF any portion OF it
A strike in one section OF n trade throws
~ md
children in the other sections. A strike
| in certain departments, such az those OF
| RAILWAYS and coal mines will stop the wheels
| OF commerce and industry; in others. 1t
will cause incalculable loss and suffering
while in all cases share OF The loss must
! come back through the general market on
! the striker What, asks Mr.. Goodwin smith
would the artisan say II, when he had becu
| hurt by a machine. tho surgeon wer" 70
! Put his head ont OF the window and say
| that the surgeons were on -,rike' A tc
! the CUSTOM Of artisans 10 speak Of them
selves exclusively US workingmeaa. we are
reminded that everybody who is not idle
| IL u workingman. whether he works will
| his brain or with his hands. and whatever
part ho may play in the service OF variec
and complex civilization. Manual labor i;
also taught to believe that MI wealth is
produced by II, and of right belongs TO II
Has nothing" inquiries our author, come
| down 20 I, from the past? IL che whole
! machinery OF commerce, national and inter
| national. is the whole frame OF civilization
! the mere product Of manual labor2 Sup
pose a body Of wOrkingnsr were set dow
In a country by themselves, with no In
heritance from the past, no capital. M
guidance, no Instruments Of production
other than heir own hands, would thu
extinction OF poverty he the result?' Thu
idea that Multiplication Of laborers. with
out increase OF the natural means of pro
duction, will increase the produce Seems
to possess some minds. Our author weul'
like to have the expo riment tried, and q
see whether, by dumping thousan'
Socialists on hundred acres OF land yo'
can increase the yield 40 that they sha
all be fed. II is another unfounded assump
ton that capitalists and the wealthy class
no matter what may be done TO them. vii
always be in existence, and will pTesen
themselves, like sheep, for An annual shear
ing. But these sheep once sheared, wi
grow no more wool. Men will not ear
and save wealth for the confscator. Tn
store once rified and the wealth spent
AZ 10y the workmen II probably would be
in meat. drink and tobacco, there, woul
| IT. .E.A II