Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-05-04
To Loafers.

Stand up here, my lazy rascals, and let us rea-
son about your daily vocation. Hold up your
sheepish heads and say why sentence of condem-
nation should not be passed upon your conduct.
How can you possibly have the impudence to
stretch your lazy bones out on store boxes or
block up the post Office door with your carcasses,
to the no small annoyance busy working peo-
pie who are engaged in some useful occupation!
How can you be content to pass away the time
lounging around the streets, only shifting to avoid
the rays of the sun-in company Of your equally
lazy, and equally useful companions, the dogs;
and perchance once in while setting your ca
nine friends to fighting for the sake of gratifying
your brutal love of fun! and how can you have
the unblushing impudence to gaze under every
lady's bonnet who is compelled to pass by, and
just before she is quite out of hearing indulge your
vulgar propensites by remarkings swhat gait
"what big feet" or sswhat stuck-up air. and
turning to one of your companions, inquire of
him how he'd like to hitch horses with that fema-
nine for life! You poor fools, don't you know
that her stuck-up air was caused by her having
to pass such crowd of human brutes! And don't
you know that in criticising lady's gait you
ought to be at home mending your garden gate!
And that no sensible femanine will hitch horses
with any of you, as long as you pursue your pres
ent business!
Do you suppose that you were made for no 9TH
er purpose than to ssloaf, and hinder Industrious
people by asking unmeaning questions or stand
ing in their way! And do you think it decidedly
sharp when you hail gentleman who is hurry
ing about his business, and ask him if he is walk
ing for wages?' To be sure he is walking for
wages, and you are loafng for wages which you
will surely get some day ifyou don't mend your
ways, e. free boarding in the poor house, or you
may be promoted to the higher rank of private in
the penitentiary. Time may hang heavily with
you now, but you may hang heavily in time if you
do not bestir yourself and make yourself useful.
Do you imagine that you were created to do no.
thing, and that brains were put in your great
pumpkin heads for the poor use you make of them!
Do you think it honorable to do nothing because
your fathers have enough to support you, when
you know what they have was got byhonest indus
try! And do you suppose your mothers and sis
tiers were sent into this world to cook meals and
wash shirts for such worthless scamps as you are?
And then, when night comes, what do we see
you at! Why, about grocery or liquor store of
course. There you post yourselves and make it
a rule to ask any working man who may chance
to come in, and who has earned a few shillings in
the course of the day, to treat, at the same time
urge as reason that he SIS the only man in the
crowd who is making any money And then afi
ter you have sponged enough liquor off "clever
fellows to make you drunk, you sally forth and
make night hideous with your beastly shouts, and
finally lie down in some gutter with your equally
respectable companion, the hog.
Now amt you beautiful set of fellows! Fell
ons, we ought to call you. Your brazed face
ought to be covered with shame at the idea of de-
grading poor human nature in this manner, espe-
cially when you must acknowledge that it is an
awful burden to do so. Then 60 to work like
men or take arsenic, and make yourself of some
use, by giving the printers a chance to publish
your departure under the head of "suicide."