Dignity of Labor.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 289, 23 April 1889, Page 4

Dignity of Labor.

“ Ins worn at work too often found amsng ignorant people " is sharply condemned by the New York Tribane, in an article in which reference ii made to the growing misconception among the unlettered people of the States as to the real object of education, “ There is," says the Tribune, “ too much work done in this country in a grudging way, as if the worker were offering a perpetual apology to the world for so demeaning herself. Any work. done with regard to the fee only is demeaning, slavish work, but any work done with regard lor the work in obedience to the immutable laws of God’s universe, is ennobling to the individual and should be respected. Respect for the honest workman, honor for fine oraf'smanship, should be taught the young, that the Nation may be able to raise in future generations a nee of men and women skilled in handiwork such as we now are sadly in need of. The British matrons have met this problem frankly. The deterioration of band labor in England has not been eo marked as in this country, but the royal ladies of the Queen's own household have joined cooking schools and sewing classes and interested themselves in skilled handiwork of various kinds in order to make such work popular with the vulgar or ordinary classes of women who must everywhere compose the majority of the land, In this country it is beginning to be an exception to find a workman who was born in this country. Our craftsmen and craftsrromen are generally foreigners, who work for their fee only, and yield a grudging, slavish obedience to orders as thongh they were in con inusl rebellion against the law of Heaven that by the sweat of their ■ brow they should earn their bread. The great clamour for education in a certain class of persons is more because they believe that by some mysterious way education wilt overturn the laws of Heaven, and they can by this means reap without sowing. It is a royal way to wealth They do not care for education for itself, because it elevates them, makes them wiser and capab e of being better, but because they think that by this means they can achieve a lite without work. There is no honest life in the world without This is the reason why so many O A], ’B e bred men may be pointed out as failarK.’* , , J Education, instead of widening their fie* work, has narrowed it. They are of craftsmanship, and scorn the tasks for whU’* l they are best fitted, and in which as educate d men ‘hey m.’ghtmakenoble headway: “ Education,” says Ruskin, “in its deepest sense, is no* the equalizer, but the discoverer of men."