north america-1-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　pay　could　be　driven　to　the　labor　market　of　Western　America　for　a　spell。　　And　moreover；　which　astonished　me；　I　have　seen　men　driven　and　hurried；　as　it　were　forced　forward　at　their　work；　in　a　manner　which；　to　an　English　workman；　would　be　intolerable。　　This　surprised　me　much；　as　it　was　at　variance　with　ouror　perhaps　I　should　say　with　mypreconceived　ideas　as　to　American　freedom。　　I　had　fancied　that　an　American　citizen　would　not　submit　to　be　driven；　that　the　spirit　of　the　country；　if　not　the　spirit　of　the　individual；　would　have　made　it　impossible。　　I　thought　that　the　shoe　would　have　pinched　quite　on　the　other　foot。　　But　I　found　that　such　driving　did　exist；　and　American　masters　in　the　West　with　whom　I　had　an　opportunity　of　discussing　the　subject　all　admitted　it。　　〃Those　men'll　never　half　move　unless　they're　driven；〃　a　foreman　said　to　me　once　as　we　stood　together　over　some　twenty　men　who　were　at　their　work。　　〃They　kinder　look　for　it；　and　don't　well　know　how　to　get　along　when　they　miss　it。〃　　It　was　not　his　business　at　this　moment　to　drivenor　was　he　driving。　　He　was　standing　at　some　little　distance　from　the　scene　with　me；　and　speculating　on　the　sight　before　him。　　I　thought　the　men　were　working　at　their　best；　but　their　movements　did　not　satisfy　his　practiced　eye；　and　he　saw　at　a　glance　that　there　was　no　one　immediately　over　them。　But　there　is　worse　even　than　this。　　Wages　in　these　regions　are　what　we　should　call　high。　　An　agricultural　laborer　will　earn　perhaps　fifteen　dollars　a　month　and　his　board；　and　a　town　laborer　will　earn　a　dollar　a　day。　　A　dollar　may　be　taken　as　representing　four　shillings；　though　it　is　in　fact　more。　　Food　in　these　parts　is　much　cheaper　than　in　England；　and　therefore　the　wages　must　be　considered　as　very　good。　　In　making；　however；　a　just　calculation　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　clothing　is　dearer　than　in　England；　and　that　much　more　of　it　is　necessary。　　The　wages　nevertheless　are　high；　and　will　enable　the　laborer　to　save　money；　if　only　he　can　get　them　paid。　　The　complaint　that　wages　are　held　back；　and　not　even　ultimately　paid；　is　very　common。　　There　is　no　fixed　rule　for　satisfying　all　such　claims　once　a　week；　and　thus　debts　to　laborers　are　contracted；　and　when　contracted　are　ignored。　　With　us　there　is　a　feeling　that　it　is　pitiful；　mean　almost　beyond　expression；　to　wrong　a　laborer　of　his　hire。　　We　have　men　who　go　in　debt　to　tradesmen　perhaps　without　a　thought　of　paying　them；　but　when　we　speak　of　such　a　one　who　has　descended　into　the　lowest　mire　of　insolvency；　we　say　that　he　has　not　paid　his　washerwoman。　　Out　there　in　the　West　the　washerwoman　is　as　fair　game　as　the　tailor；　the　domestic　servant　as　the　wine　merchant。　　If　a　man　be　honest　he　will　not　willingly　take　either　goods　or　labor　without　payment；　and　it　may　be　hard　to　prove　that　he　who　takes　the　latter　is　more　dishonest　than　he　who　takes　the　former；　but　with　us　there　is　a　prejudice　in　favor　of　one's　washerwoman　by　which　the　Western　mind　is　not　weakened。　　〃They　certainly　have　to　be　smart　to　get　it；〃　a　gentleman　said　to　me　whom　I　had　taxed　on　the　subject。　　〃You　see；　on　the　frontier　a　man　is　bound　to　be　smart。　　If　he　aint　smart；　he'd　better　go　back　East；　perhaps　as　far　as　Europe；　he'll　do　there。〃　　I　had　got　my　answer；　and　my　friend　had　turned　the　question；　but　the　fact　was　admitted　by　him；　as　it　had　been　by　many　others。　Why　this　should　be　so　is　a　question　to　answer　which　thoroughly　would　require　a　volume　in　itself。　　As　to　the　driving；　why　should　men　submit　to　it；　seeing　that　labor　is　abundant；　and　that　in　all　newly…settled　countries　the　laborer　is　the　true　hero　of　the　age？　In　answer　to　this　is　to　be　alleged　the　fact　that　hired　labor　is　chiefly　done　by　fresh　comers；　by　Irish　and　Germans；　who　have　not　as　yet　among　them　any　combination　sufficient　to　protect　them　from　such　usage。　　The　men　over　them　are　new　as　masters；　masters　who　are　rough　themselves；　who　themselves　have　been　roughly　driven；　and　who　have　not　learned　to　be　gracious　to　those　below　them。　　It　is　a　part　of　their　contract　that　very　hard　work　shall　be　exacted；　and　the　driving　resolves　itself　into　this：　that　the　master；　looking　after　his　own　interest；　is　constantly　accusing　his　laborer　of　a　breach　of　his　part　of　the　contract。　　The　men　no　doubt　do　become　used　to　it；　and　slacken　probably　in　their　endeavors　when　the　tongue　of　the　master　or　foreman　is　not　heard。　　But　as　to　that　matter　of　non…　payment　of　wages；　the　men　must　live；　and　here；　as　elsewhere；　the　master　who　omits　to　pay　once　will　hardly　find　laborers　in　future。　The　matter　would　remedy　itself　elsewhere；　and　does　it　not　do　so　here？　　This　of　course　is　so；　and　it　is　not　to　be　understood　that　labor　as　a　rule　is　defrauded　of　its　hire。　　But　the　relation　of　the　master　and　the　man　admit　of　such　fraud　here　much　more　frequently　than　in　England。　　In　England　the　laborer　who　did　not　get　his　wages　on　the　Saturday；　could　not　go　on　for　the　next　week。　　To　him；　under　such　circumstances；　the　world　would　be　coming　to　an　end。　　But　in　the　Western　States　the　laborer　does　not　live　so　completely　from　hand　to　mouth。　　He　is　rarely　paid　by　the　week；　is　accustomed　to　give　some　credit；　and；　till　hard　pressed　by　bad　circumstances；　generally　has　something　by　him。　　They　do　save　money；　and　are　thus　fattened　up　to　a　state　which　admits　of　victimization。　　I　cannot　owe　money　to　the　little　village　cobbler　who　mends　my　shoes；　because　he　demands　and　receives　his　payment　when　his　job　is　done。　　But　to　my　friend　in　Regent　Street　I　extend　my　custom　on　a　different　system；　and　when　I　make　my　start　for　continental　life　I　have　with　him　a　matter　of　unsettled　business　to　a　considerable　extent。　　The　American　laborer　is　in　the　condition　of　the　Regent　Street　bootmaker；　excepting　in　this　respect；　that　he　gives　his　credit　under　compulsion。　　〃But　does　not　the　law　set　him　right？　　Is　there　no　law　against　debtors？〃　　The　laws　against　debtors　are　plain　enough　as　they　are　written　down；　but　seem　to　be　anything　but　plain　when　called　into　action。　　They　are　perfectly　understood；　and　operations　are　carried　on　with　the　express　purpose　of　evading　them。　　If　you　proceed　against　a　man；　you　find　that　his　property　is　in　the　hands　of　some　one　else。　　You　work　in　fact　for　Jones；　who　lives　in　the　street　next　to　you；　but　when　you　quarrel　with　Jones　about　your　wages；　you　find　that　according　to　law　you　have　been　working　for　Smith；　in　another　State。　　In　all　countries　such　dodges　are　probably　practicable。　　But　men　will　or　will　not　have　recourse　to　such　dodges　according　to　the　light　in　which　they　are　regarded　by　the　community。　In　the　Western　States　such　dodges　do　not　appear　to　be　regarded　as　disgraceful。　　〃It　behoves　a　frontier　man　to　be　smart；　sir。〃　Honesty　is　the　best　policy。　　That　is　a　doctrine　which　has　been　widely　preached；　and　which　has　recommended　itself　to　many　minds　as　being　one　of　absolute　truth。　　It　is　not　very　ennobling　in　its　sentiment；　seeing　that　it　advocates　a　special　virtue；　not　on　the　ground　that　that　virtue　is　in　itself　a　thing　beautiful；　but　on　account　of　the　immediate　reward　which　will　be　its　consequence。　Smith　is　enjoined　not　to　cheat　Jones；　because　he　will；　in　the　long　run；　make　more　money　by　dealing　with　Jones　on　the　square。　　This　is　not　teaching　of　the　highest　order；　but　it　is　teaching　well　adapted　to　human　circumstances；　and　has　obtained　for　itself　a　wide　credit。　One　is　driven；　however；　to　doubt　whether　even　this　teaching　is　not　too　high　for　the　frontier　man。　　Is　it　possible　that　a　frontier　man　should　be　scrupulous　and　at　the　same　time　successful？　　Hitherto　those　who　have　allowed　scruples　to　stand　in　their　way　have　not　succeeded；　and　they　who　have　succeeded　and　made　for　themselves　great　names；　who　have　been　the　pioneers　of　civilization；　have　not　allowed　ideas　of　exact　honesty　to　stand　in　their　way。　　From　General　Jason　down　to　General　Fremont　there　have　been　men　of　great　aspirations　but　of　slight　scruples。　　They　have　been　ambitious　of　power　and　desirous　of　progress；　but　somewhat　regardless　how　power　and　progress　shall　be　attained。　　Clive　and　Warren　Hastings　were　great　frontier　men；　but　we　cannot　imagine　that　they　had　ever　realized　the　doctrine　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy。　　Cortez；　and　even　Columbus；　the　prince　of　frontier　men；　are　in　the　same　category。　　The　names　of　such　heroes　is　legion；　but　with　none　of　them　has　absolute　honesty　been　a　favorite　virtue。　　〃It　behoves　a　frontier　man　to　be　smart；　sir。〃　　Such；　in　that　or　other　language；　has　been　the　prevailing　idea。　　Such　is　the　prevailing　idea。　　And　one　feels　driven　to　ask　one's　self　whether　such　must　not　be　the　prevailing　idea　with　those　who　leave　the　world　and　its　rules　behind　them；　and　go　forth　with　the　resolve　that　the　world　and　its　rules　shall　follow　them。　Of　filibustering；　annexation；　and　polishing　savages　off　the　face　of　creation　there　has　been　a　great　deal；　and　who　can　deny　that　humanity　has　been　the　gainer？　　It　seems　to　those　who　look　widely　back　over　history；　that　all　such　works　have　been　carried　on　in　obedience　to　God's　laws。　　When　Jacob　by　Rebecca's　aid　cheated　his　elder　brother；　he　was　very　smart；　but　we　cannot　but　suppose　that　a　better　race　was　by　this　smartness　put　in　possession　of　the　patriarchal　scepter。　　Esau　was　polished　off；　and　readers　of　Scripture　wonder　why　heaven；　with　its　thunder；　did　not　open　over　the　heads　of　Rebecca　and　her　son。　　But　Jacob；　with　al