CONSEQUENCES OF MACHINERY. 



of mechanics would reduce the working class to complete 

 inaction, have been followed by others quite of a different 

 character, and on which it appears indispensable to dwell 

 for a moment. 



By suppressing all efforts of strength in manufactories, 

 machines allow of a great number of children of both 

 sexes being called in. Some industrial and some avari 

 cious parents often abuse this power. The time devoted 

 to work is most unreasonably long. For the daily pay 

 of eight or ten centimes, some minds are devoted to eter 

 nal stupidity, which a few hours of study would have 

 rendered fruitful; limbs are condemned to be rickety, 

 that required open air, and exercise in the wholesome 

 rays of the sun for their development. 



To ask a legislator to put an end to this hideous ex 

 haustion of the poor by the rich ; to solicit measures for 

 combating the demoralization which is the usual conse 

 quence of numerous gatherings of young work-people ; 

 to try to introduce and distribute certain machines among 

 the cottages, so that, according to the seasons, agricultural 

 labours might be interspersed with the industrial ; this 

 would be an act of humanity, an act of patriotism ; this 

 would show a knowledge of the present requirements of 

 the working classes. But to persist in executing labori 

 ously and expensively, by hand, worlds that machines can 

 perform in a twinkling and at a low price, would but as 

 similate proletaries to brutes. To ask daily efforts from 

 them which ruin their health, and which science can pro 

 cure a hundredfold by the action of wind, of water, or of 

 steam, would be going in the contrary direction to the 

 wished-for result : this would be devoting the poor to 

 nudity ; reserving exclusively for the rich a host of enjoy- 

 ments, which at present are shared by everybody : this, 



