01-economy-第6部分

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hardy　race；　that　lived　mostly　out　of　doors；　was　once　made　here

almost　entirely　of　such　materials　as　Nature　furnished　ready　to　their

hands。　　Gookin；　who　was　superintendent　of　the　Indians　subject　to　the

Massachusetts　Colony；　writing　in　1674；　says；　〃The　best　of　their

houses　are　covered　very　neatly；　tight　and　warm；　with　barks　of　trees；

slipped　from　their　bodies　at　those　seasons　when　the　sap　is　up；　and

made　into　great　flakes；　with　pressure　of　weighty　timber；　when　they

are　green。。。。　　The　meaner　sort　are　covered　with　mats　which　they　make

of　a　kind　of　bulrush；　and　are　also　indifferently　tight　and　warm；　but

not　so　good　as　the　former。。。。　　Some　I　have　seen；　sixty　or　a　hundred

feet　long　and　thirty　feet　broad。。。。　　I　have　often　lodged　in　their

wigwams；　and　found　them　as　warm　as　the　best　English　houses。〃　　He

adds　that　they　were　commonly　carpeted　and　lined　within　with

well…wrought　embroidered　mats；　and　were　furnished　with　various

utensils。　　The　Indians　had　advanced　so　far　as　to　regulate　the　effect

of　the　wind　by　a　mat　suspended　over　the　hole　in　the　roof　and　moved

by　a　string。　　Such　a　lodge　was　in　the　first　instance　constructed　in

a　day　or　two　at　most；　and　taken　down　and　put　up　in　a　few　hours；　and

every　family　owned　one；　or　its　apartment　in　one。

　　　　In　the　savage　state　every　family　owns　a　shelter　as　good　as　the

best；　and　sufficient　for　its　coarser　and　simpler　wants；　but　I　think

that　I　speak　within　bounds　when　I　say　that；　though　the　birds　of　the

air　have　their　nests；　and　the　foxes　their　holes；　and　the　savages

their　wigwams；　in　modern　civilized　society　not　more　than　one　half

the　families　own　a　shelter。　　In　the　large　towns　and　cities；　where

civilization　especially　prevails；　the　number　of　those　who　own　a

shelter　is　a　very　small　fraction　of　the　whole。　　The　rest　pay　an

annual　tax　for　this　outside　garment　of　all；　become　indispensable

summer　and　winter；　which　would　buy　a　village　of　Indian　wigwams；　but

now　helps　to　keep　them　poor　as　long　as　they　live。　　I　do　not　mean　to

insist　here　on　the　disadvantage　of　hiring　compared　with　owning；　but

it　is　evident　that　the　savage　owns　his　shelter　because　it　costs　so

little；　while　the　civilized　man　hires　his　commonly　because　he　cannot

afford　to　own　it；　nor　can　he；　in　the　long　run；　any　better　afford　to

hire。　　But；　answers　one；　by　merely　paying　this　tax；　the　poor

civilized　man　secures　an　abode　which　is　a　palace　compared　with　the

savage's。　　An　annual　rent　of　from　twenty…five　to　a　hundred　dollars

（these　are　the　country　rates）　entitles　him　to　the　benefit　of　the

improvements　of　centuries；　spacious　apartments；　clean　paint　and

paper；　Rumford　fire…place；　back　plastering；　Venetian　blinds；　copper

pump；　spring　lock；　a　commodious　cellar；　and　many　other　things。　　But

how　happens　it　that　he　who　is　said　to　enjoy　these　things　is　so

commonly　a　poor　civilized　man；　while　the　savage；　who　has　them　not；

is　rich　as　a　savage？　　If　it　is　asserted　that　civilization　is　a　real

advance　in　the　condition　of　man　　and　I　think　that　it　is；　though

only　the　wise　improve　their　advantages　　it　must　be　shown　that　it

has　produced　better　dwellings　without　making　them　more　costly；　and

the　cost　of　a　thing　is　the　amount　of　what　I　will　call　life　which　is

required　to　be　exchanged　for　it；　immediately　or　in　the　long　run。　　An

average　house　in　this　neighborhood　costs　perhaps　eight　hundred

dollars；　and　to　lay　up　this　sum　will　take　from　ten　to　fifteen　years

of　the　laborer's　life；　even　if　he　is　not　encumbered　with　a　family　

estimating　the　pecuniary　value　of　every　man's　labor　at　one　dollar　a

day；　for　if　some　receive　more；　others　receive　less；　　so　that　he

must　have　spent　more　than　half　his　life　commonly　before　his　wigwam

will　be　earned。　　If　we　suppose　him　to　pay　a　rent　instead；　this　is

but　a　doubtful　choice　of　evils。　　Would　the　savage　have　been　wise　to

exchange　his　wigwam　for　a　palace　on　these　terms？

　　　　It　may　be　guessed　that　I　reduce　almost　the　whole　advantage　of

holding　this　superfluous　property　as　a　fund　in　store　against　the

future；　so　far　as　the　individual　is　concerned；　mainly　to　the

defraying　of　funeral　expenses。　　But　perhaps　a　man　is　not　required　to

bury　himself。　　Nevertheless　this　points　to　an　important　distinction

between　the　civilized　man　and　the　savage；　and；　no　doubt；　they　have

designs　on　us　for　our　benefit；　in　making　the　life　of　a　civilized

people　an　institution；　in　which　the　life　of　the　individual　is　to　a

great　extent　absorbed；　in　order　to　preserve　and　perfect　that　of　the

race。　　But　I　wish　to　show　at　what　a　sacrifice　this　advantage　is　at

present　obtained；　and　to　suggest　that　we　may　possibly　so　live　as　to

secure　all　the　advantage　without　suffering　any　of　the　disadvantage。

What　mean　ye　by　saying　that　the　poor　ye　have　always　with　you；　or

that　the　fathers　have　eaten　sour　grapes；　and　the　children's　teeth

are　set　on　edge？

　　　　〃As　I　live；　saith　the　Lord　God；　ye　shall　not　have　occasion　any

more　to　use　this　proverb　in　Israel。

　　　　〃Behold　all　souls　are　mine；　as　the　soul　of　the　father；　so　also

the　soul　of　the　son　is　mine：　the　soul　that　sinneth；　it　shall　die。〃

　　　　When　I　consider　my　neighbors；　the　farmers　of　Concord；　who　are　at

least　as　well　off　as　the　other　classes；　I　find　that　for　the　most

part　they　have　been　toiling　twenty；　thirty；　or　forty　years；　that

they　may　become　the　real　owners　of　their　farms；　which　commonly　they

have　inherited　with　encumbrances；　or　else　bought　with　hired　money　

and　we　may　regard　one　third　of　that　toil　as　the　cost　of　their　houses

　but　commonly　they　have　not　paid　for　them　yet。　　It　is　true；　the

encumbrances　sometimes　outweigh　the　value　of　the　farm；　so　that　the

farm　itself　becomes　one　great　encumbrance；　and　still　a　man　is　found

to　inherit　it；　being　well　acquainted　with　it；　as　he　says。　　On

applying　to　the　assessors；　I　am　surprised　to　learn　that　they　cannot

at　once　name　a　dozen　in　the　town　who　own　their　farms　free　and　clear。

If　you　would　know　the　history　of　these　homesteads；　inquire　at　the

bank　where　they　are　mortgaged。　　The　man　who　has　actually　paid　for

his　farm　with　labor　on　it　is　so　rare　that　every　neighbor　can　point

to　him。　　I　doubt　if　there　are　three　such　men　in　Concord。　　What　has

been　said　of　the　merchants；　that　a　very　large　majority；　even

ninety…seven　in　a　hundred；　are　sure　to　fail；　is　equally　true　of　the

farmers。　　With　regard　to　the　merchants；　however；　one　of　them　says

pertinently　that　a　great　part　of　their　failures　are　not　genuine

pecuniary　failures；　but　merely　failures　to　fulfil　their　engagements；

because　it　is　inconvenient；　that　is；　it　is　the　moral　character　that

breaks　down。　　But　this　puts　an　infinitely　worse　face　on　the　matter；

and　suggests；　beside；　that　probably　not　even　the　other　three　succeed

in　saving　their　souls；　but　are　perchance　bankrupt　in　a　worse　sense

than　they　who　fail　honestly。　　Bankruptcy　and　repudiation　are　the

springboards　from　which　much　of　our　civilization　vaults　and　turns

its　somersets；　but　the　savage　stands　on　the　unelastic　plank　of

famine。　　Yet　the　Middlesex　Cattle　Show　goes　off　here　with　eclat

annually；　as　if　all　the　joints　of　the　agricultural　machine　were

suent。

　　　　The　farmer　is　endeavoring　to　solve　the　problem　of　a　livelihood

by　a　formula　more　complicated　than　the　problem　itself。　　To　get　his

shoestrings　he　speculates　in　herds　of　cattle。　　With　consummate　skill

he　has　set　his　trap　with　a　hair　spring　to　catch　comfort　and

independence；　and　then；　as　he　turned　away；　got　his　own　leg　into　it。

This　is　the　reason　he　is　poor；　and　for　a　similar　reason　we　are　all

poor　in　respect　to　a　thousand　savage　comforts；　though　surrounded　by

luxuries。　　As　Chapman　sings；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　false　society　of　men　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　for　earthly　greatness

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　All　heavenly　comforts　rarefies　to　air。〃



　　　　And　when　the　farmer　has　got　his　house；　he　may　not　be　the　richer

but　the　poorer　for　it；　and　it　be　the　house　that　has　got　him。　　As　I

understand　it；　that　was　a　valid　objection　urged　by　Momus　against　the

house　which　Minerva　made；　that　she　〃had　not　made　it　movable；　by

which　means　a　bad　neighborhood　might　be　avoided〃；　and　it　may　still

be　urged；　for　our　houses　are　such　unwieldy　property　that　we　are

often　imprisoned　rather　than　housed　in　them；　and　the　bad

neighborhood　to　be　avoided　is　our　own　scurvy　selves。　　I　know　one　or

two　families；　at　least；　in　this　town；　who；　for　nearly　a　generation；

have　been　wishing　to　sell　their　houses　in　the　outskirts　and　move

into　the　village；　but　have　not　been　able　to　accomplish　it；　and　only

death　will　set　them　free。

　　　　Granted　that　the　majority　are　able　at　last　either　to　own　or　hire

the　modern　house　with　all　its　improvements。　　While　civilization　has

been　improving　our　houses；　it　has　not　equally　improved　the　men　who

are　to　inhabit　them。　　It　has　created　palaces；　but　it　was　not　so　easy

to　create　noblemen　and　kings。　　And　if　the　civilized　man's　pursuits

are　no　worthier　than　the　savage's；　if　he　is　employed　the　greater

part　of　his　life　in　obtaining　gross　necessaries　and　comforts　merely；

why　should　he　have　a　better　dwelling　than　the　former？

　　　　But　how　do　the　poor　minority　fare？　　Perhaps　it　will　be　found

that　just　in　proportion　as　some　have　been　placed　in　outward

circumstances　above　the　savage；　others　have　been　degraded　below　him。

The　luxury　of　one　class　is　counterbalanced　by　the　indigence　of

another。　　On　the　one　side　is　the　palace；　on　the　other　are　the

almshouse　and　〃silent　poor。〃　　The　myriads　who　built　the　pyramids　to

be　the　tombs　of　the　Pharaohs　were　fed　on　garlic；　and　it　may　be　were

not　decently　buried　themselves。　　The　mason　who　finishes　the　cornice

of　the　palace　returns　at　night　perchance　to　a　hut　not　so　good　as　a

wigwam。　　It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　that；　in　a　country　where　the

usual　evidences　of　civilization　exist；　the　condition　of　a　very　large

body　of　the　inhabitants　may　not　be　as　degraded　as　that　of　savages。

I　refer　to　the　degraded　poor；　not　now　to　the　degraded　rich。　　To　know

this　I　should　not　need　to　look　farther　than　to　the　shanties　which

everywhere　border　our　railroads；　th