The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-01-25
A PILGRIM LESSON
Economic Polity of the Adventures fol
"a Free Religious Life.

"a Free Religious Life.
In reviewing the events Of the SOC
years since the landing at Plymouth il
is natural to give first consideration
to the cultural, religious, moral and
political effects of the Pilgrim infu-
ence. The men and women who came
to the American wilderness had little
thought of economics, did not come
across the Atlantic to better their ma
terial condition. Their thoughts were
of the next world rather than of this
their preoccupation related to things
OF the soul rather than of the body.
Yet it is pertinent to dwell at this
time, when many minds are confused
with respect to the creation and dis
! tribution of wealth, on the economic
policy of the first settlers OF New Eng
! land
| Great have been the changes of the
three centuries. An undeveloped CON
tinent, with its fields, its forests, its
mineral stores, its waterways about as
they were when glacial ice receded,
has been subdued to the uses of man
Taking into account edifces, railways,
machinery, land brought under cultiva-
ton, mines opened, and all other fac
tors Of the Transformation, no equal
population has ever done so much work
in so short a time.
While heaping up the vast accumu-
lation the workers have lived gener-
ously and wastefully. SO great has
been the overplus of energy that the
fruits of one hands efforts provided
ample sustenance, leaving that of the
other event for improvement. The Eu-
ropeans have labored thousands of
years on their vineyards, while Ameri-
cans have had but three centuries, and
yet our vineyard in most respects Is
now the better dressed But it is said
that we have had the blessing of virgin
resources True, but so have backward
lrazii and Russia. II is said that our
population is exceptional. Racially ii
is the same as that of Europe. We
must look elsewhere, then, for the real
cause. Is there any adequate explana-
ton except that in some way our in
stitutions, both those embodied in writ
ten instruments and those more i'm
portant ones which relate to habits
and ways of doing things, have been |
the fountains OF energy and of plenty |
When the Pilgrims came they were |
communists and colleetiyists on the |
model OF primitive Christianity. But |
finding themselves facing starvation,
that sloth was creeping in, they faced |
about and turned TO capitalism with it's
of individual initiative |
and its assumptions that the major in.
terest Of society is an enlarged produc-
ton and that distribution is second.
iry problem.
Other parts of the country were pa
and to some extent COLLECTIVE
st. but New England became intensely
II hung up the prizes of
assured private possession and thus
inventiveness and enterprise
And the children of the Pilgrim be-
anne richer than their neighbors,
hough their region was the least dow.
red by nature of all the sections of the
The example was infectious
md all America grew to be highly capt.
alistie.
Many descendants OF the first set
lers now have double of the validity
i the capitalistic system. II seemN
aradoXical TO them that men NAV best
erve their fellows by pursuing their
wn advantage. The inequities Of dis
are obvious and are much
welt on. But contrasting in a broad
ray the America of 1920 and the
america of 1920, it will be conceded ,
hat the capitalistic system has worked ,
rell-has not only accelerated produc-
ion but has difrused benefits among
he masses Of the people such as has
ever before been equalled. So il is
ot strange that the greater number ,
{ our citizens close their ears to the g
things OF socialistic salvation and fall I
aek on the principle that the system !
'hich works the best is the best 2
ew York Tribune. r