20 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



recipient of the reward to which, it is entitled. In all ages 

 and in all countries labor has at times paused in its various 

 vocations and demanded at the hands of the state better 

 compensation for its services. 



If we were to trace the causes of discontent which 

 have led to a revolt on the part of the laboring classes, we 

 should perhaps discover that in nine-tenths of the cases they 

 were the natural outgrowth of excessive taxation or of 

 falling prices, either of which would indirectly affect the 

 wages of labor. We say indirectly because it is the most 

 effectual way of accomplishing a reduction of wages with- 

 out provoking a general revolt. Although the means are 

 sinuous, the result is always the same, and in either case 

 culminates in inadequate compensation. That in some 

 cases this may be due to natural causes, such as drouth, 

 floods, famine and pestilence, is a fact that no one will 

 attempt to deny; but that in a majority of cases the bur- 

 dens are imposed by an unwise and unequal system of 

 laws is equally true. In order to more properly simplify 

 the subject proposed to be treated in this chapter, it will be 

 necessary to devote a small space to a discussion of the 

 elementary principles of labor. In this age of progress 

 and intellectual development, it is a question whether we 

 are justifiable in accepting some of the principles laid down 

 by accepted and eminent authorities in the science of this 

 branch of English political economy. Or, perhaps, it 

 were better to say that the student of the standard author- 

 ities is at a loss to know which of the theories to accept as 

 more nearly correct. Some of these principles are stated 

 as follows: "Man has a natural aversion to labor;" 

 "Each man is naturally in an attitude of hostility to every 

 other man. ' ' We prefer rather to accept the more recent 

 one laid down by an American writer, that, "man's 

 activities are instinctive and naturally pleasurable." The 

 latter is evinced in the almost constant activity of the 



