Some very timely words from a book I purchased at a book sale several years ago entitled "The Question of Labour and Capital" Authored by John B. Jervis in 1877. These passages deal not only with government intrusion into everyone's life, but also the ways to a successful life. Read these passages carefully.
The Obamites will strongly disagree with every one of these statements. However, time will prove them wrong, very much to the detriment of future generations that will have to clean up his mess.
Government Aid To Labor.
I propose but few remarks under this head. The thing is so absurd in any economic view, that it would not be noticed, except for some recent claim on the aid of government to assist labour. The French made an experiment of this kind shortly after the revolution of 1848. What were known then as the comun- ists, claimed it as a duty of government to provide work for the people. This folly was listened to, and led to the establishment by government of shops for the fabrication of goods. It did not require much time to demonstrate this to be not only absurd, but ruinous to the government. Those shops, except so far as they were for military purposes, have been, as I understand, abandoned, and the idea of the communists has only been partially maintained in the way of municipal and other public works, which have been sufficiently impressive in the onerous taxes that follow in the wake of every attempt of government to do what should be done, and can much better be done, by individual enterprise. AMEN TO THAT!!
Not long since a convention of working-men met at the city of Pittsburgh. On that occasion they set forth a project for the government to furnish funds at a low rate of interest, to miners and others, as a capital that would enable them to dispense with the aid of banks, and so carry on industrial enterprise without dependence on capitalists. Their idea, probably had its origin in the supposition the government had funds, and that it was its duty to aid the working class of men. Whereas, the fact is, the government has got no money or resources, except in taxes; and if it furnish funds to one class of men, it can only do so by taxing all classes. The impolicy, the injustice of this, did not suggest itself to the convention. Such propositions are no credit to the intelligence of working-men, who should have at least the sagacity to see their absurdity. It was a chimerical proposition, and would not be worthy of notice, except that it was brought forward as a measure to adjust the question of capital and labour. The working-men should know that governments, when they have undertaken to provide for them, have done more for their degradation than for their improvement, and that the only real service the government can do for working-men, is to maintain their rights as freemen, and thus secure to them the full product of their skill, labour and enterprise in all the range of productive labour. Men are prone to forget the great truth that it is only as individuals a community can properly prosper. This is the basis and strength of our civilization, and the hope of its progress.
Remarks On My Eighth Deduction.
Namely—" That no benefit can result from any government interference or control; that the organization and prosecution of industrial enterprise, is most effective under the scrutiny of individual control."
There can be no doubt of the soundness of the above. It is no part of the function of government to meddle with the affairs of individuals, except to secure the administration of justice. It is the duty of government to protect every man in the rights of labour and enterprise, and take care that no wrong that may be attempted, shall fail of adjudication on the basis of justice, and that no one shall hold a privilege not secured to all. When governments attempt to interfere in the affairs of individuals, and dictate as to their rights of labour and exchange, they transcend their functions, and injure all labour and enterprise, and, in fact, vitiate the legitimate duties they were established to promote.
The difficulty in such cases is, the proprietors are not in a situation to understand well the methods by which their own affairs are conducted, and will mainly depend for success on the wisdom they exercise in selecting their agents.
If we leave the department of productive enterprise, and look into affairs necessarily committed to government, and trace along up from municipal to State and Federal administration, we shall have abundant evidence, as we ascend from the least to the greatest, of a regular advance in improvidence, waste and peculation. The great difficulty in government operations is that they are mostly out of the observation of those who by taxes pay the expense; and cunning men make their living by watching their opportunity to prey on the public, through managing rings and other processes. But in government affairs we have no alternative—we must commit the work to be done to representatives, and in their intelligence and honesty we must confide. In this we are sometimes successful and obtain faithful servants ; but it is certain we often fail. We have no such necessity in the business of production.
It is proper for the government and for individuals to make provision for the aged, the infirm, and all that from mental or physical imbecility are unable to provide for their own subsistence. But this takes the question out of the business circle, and we must be careful not to confound manly labour with pauperism.
It is sometimes said property is very unequally distributed. This is largely, if not essentially, an error, when applied to young men, who rarely have much property in the outset of life. If applied to those of advanced age, it merely expresses the fact— that all men do not equally avail of the facilities for thrift, that have arisen from the industry and prudence of those who have been successful. One man carefully husbands his resources, while another spends more than is needful in the indulgence of present desire.
There have been instances of men rising in disregard of their surroundings to a rank of prominence in business life. But these are exceptional cases ; the great mass of men will move on in the path they have chosen according to their education ; and the probability of correcting cardinal errors of youth in time to profit, is very small, and hence the importance of correct early training. This training must depend essentially on the parent. The young man goes into his business life according to his training. As a matter of course this will depend on the capacity of the parent for the work. It will require a good degree of self-control and perseverance. In the nature of the boy there will be much to correct in order to mould him into conformity with the exigencies of a business life. The first important point to be considered is, the son does not know as much as the father, and therefore the father should put himself in the position of an instructor, and should consider, that no one knows, in a practical degree, by intuition, and if the son does not know, it is because he has not seen or heard and is in need of information. A wise parent will always avail of any circumstances, even in the common routine of every-day affairs, to bring knowledge to the opening mind of his son, so as to fortify him against error, and illustrate truth to his mind. (This paragraph should be read and re-read, there is a lack of proper parenting instruction today, exacerbated by the fact that more than 50% of marriages fail before the children become adults. Having two mommies, or two daddies certainly is not the answer either!!)
Speaking of marriage.....
The Question Of Marriage.
Writers on industrial economy attribute much of the hardships of the labouring class to early marriages. No doubt there is some foundation for this ; but it is a subject I do not propose to discuss. There are so many circumstances influencing the question of marriage, which each one must consider for himself, that I do not see in what way I may give advice. This much, however, may be said: in marriage there is necessity of responsibility for the sustenance of wife and children, and the education of the latter. Any provident man will consider if his resources will be sufficient to meet the responsibility involved in these expenses. His judgment in this respect will very probably decide, whether he shall be a thrifty or an unthrifty man.
It is the cardinal stimulus to effort for advancing the industry and economy that promote the material, mental and moral well-being of society; and is naturally looked to, as a proper condition in the life of men. But in this, as in every enterprise of men, prudence demands that a man consider, if he have the means to meet its proper responsibilities. If he has not the means, he will probably fail to secure success. All I advise therefore is, that its consummation (of marriage) be deferred until a reasonable prospect is secured for the means of providing for its necessary responsibilities, always leaving something for thrift. I say leaving something for thrift; for the man who can see no progress towards improving his affairs, will lose courage and make life a drudgery.
That there are many who have difficulty in providing sustenance, and come to depend on public and private charity, there can be no-doubt. But to charge their condition to the hard terms imposed on them by capitalists, is a great error. The capitalist has done the same by them as he has done by those who have risen to the condition of competent independence. The capitalist has furnished these dependent men with the instruments of labour, without which they could have had no civilized work to do; and must have been driven to hunting and fishing for the means of subsistence. The charge against the capitalist is one that strikes at the foundation of our civilization. But, it may be inquired, is there no remedy ? Must our civilization be maintained at so great sacrifice as we see in the comparatively large number of dependent men ? Is this a necessary result ? To answer these questions, we have only to look over our society and see how large the proportion of men who began life with little or no resources but their skill and labour, and have reached competent conditions. How did they reach this condition? It was not by chance, but by industriously and wisely using the instruments put into their hands from the savings accumulated by their predecessors—now called capitalists. If no such instrument had been provided, they must have depended on the scanty resources of nature for the means of subsistence. With the same instruments the prudent man proceeded, until by industry and frugality he provided for his own instruments, and steadily and surely rose to the position of competent independence, if not to that of a large capitalist. The dependent class had the same opportunity—had the benefit of the same instruments, but had not the manly purpose to improve their advantages. They thought the world owed them a living—a great error of men, who forget the world owes them nothing; and that every man, who is not a pauper, is dependent on his own industry and vigilance for the subsistence he needs or desires. (HERE!!!, HERE!!!)
If we discard civilization, we must fall into barbarism. This latter result will inevitably come if the right of holding and enjoying the savings of frugal industry be denied.
I could probably include one example after another from this book that would apply to our state of affairs today. Read these select passages over and over again. The current government is attempting to turn what remains of these principles topsy turvy. The Republicans are no help, they seem to just spinning their wheels trying to find their identity again. The normal everyday citizens like me and you that work hard every day to make a living are the one's again that will bear the brunt of all of this.
The fact is progressivism does not work. Socialism does not work. The cradle to grave nanny-ism does not work. They all breed idleness and lazinesss for the masses while the few do the work for less and less overall compensation due to the excessive taxation and government intrusion that all of this involves. We are embarking on an experiment that will not only fail, but also will remove us from the list of great powers in this world. The sad fact is, this is what the architects of this mess wants to accomplish. The self hating Amercan liberal is starting to win again. Hopefully the tide will turn soon, or we will all be doomed to mediocrity.
No comments:
Post a Comment