The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-03-06
EDUCATED LAROR.

------~,~~--~- .~l---~-->. .-i.----
EDUCATED LABOR.
an ADDRESS. delivered Jy ANsoN BARTLErr.
ESQ, at tie Meeting of tie Claridon and
Niddlgseld Formers Clubs. at tie Free
Agr1cuituyal Hall Ia Garidon.
PUBEsHED By REQUEST.
Mn. PsTsIDEET, LADIES AND GENTLE.
MEN Wherever the race of man 10 found
10 exist on this globe. we 6nd inevitably
attached 70 the conditions Of that exist
ence, the fact that the labor Of his hands
must be applied to surrounding objects in
order 10 procure the indispensable means
Of subsistence; in other words, unless man
applies bis hands TO labor, and provides
himself with food. shelter and clothing,
thirst and hunger, cold and heat would
destroy the race, and blot it from the face
Of the earth.
Physical labor. then, being The iuev-
table concomiiant OF the existence Of man
kind, II follows as a matter OF course, that
the men and women who are performing
The labor OF the world are pursuing nat
ursl, useful course, while those who alb.
jure labor themselves and are sustained
by the labor Of others. are living In con-
slant violation Of Natures laws, as well
as the positive injunction Of Him whose
fiat was, Sin the sweat of thy brow shalt
thou eatshy bresd;;' and, Disguise II as we
may,they are but living a useless life, land.
in fact, have no right TO exist at oil. / am
willing to admit that there exists repug-
nance In mankind 10 physical labor, but
whether this is natural or artificial is a
question. II natural, then the normal
state OF mankind is one OF lstless, aimless
inactivity, and his position in the scale
OF existence Is on level with the veg
elable, .'whicb neither tolls nor spins, but
careless gro,Os !" but, IL it is artificial, il
is certainly wrong, and must come from
the pride and sel6shness Of man, In at.
tempting 10 become what HIS Maker never
intended be should be, viz, an independ-
ent being.
Tho notion is very prevalent, and. in
some particular circles, quite popular,
tha: labor is degrading that the laborer
has somehow sunk his manhood, and
taken step downwards in the scale Of
existence; that, by the mere fact Of his
being laborer, he forfeits his right TO
social position, and is no longer suitable
companion for the refined and intelligent;
and he is Stunned. scorned and spurned
by those very persons who are depend
ent on him for their daily bread and ali
the necessaries Of life while, il any one
has right to set up pretensions Of su.
lperiority, and look with scorn and con.
tempt on an other, il is the laboring mar
and laboring woman, who might do il
when brought in contact with those who
performing no labor themselves, live upor
and are sustained by ihe labor Of others.
One reason why the laborer has beer
Eregarded as degraded arises from the fact
that the laboring class, as a general rule,
have received less education and intel
lectual culture than others, and, as
knowledge is power" the educated, a;
q matter Of course, have possessed them
selves OF power and place, and from thu
! fposilions thus usurped have looked with
scorn aud contempt on their less educated
laboring brothers and sisters. Every on,
has natural. instructive feeling Of admi
ration for the beautiful, the chas.e and th,
refined, and a corresponding dislike fol
) the ugly, the brutal and the vulgar; anS
all mankind possess an intuitive impress
ion of freedom and independence. -
Hence, perhaps, the aversion Of man I,
rough. hard labor, coupled, as il general.
; with an idea Of dependence, and toleratel
only as necessity OF our being. From
this aversion of meE 10 labor arose th
enslayemeni of man by bis brother, thu
attempting 10 degrade the laborer TO lh
level Of the brute, and from this caus
. arises most Of our notions Of the degrade
tion Of labor, for with the poet hold tha
"Laboring man and laboriDg woman
Have one glery and one shame
Everything that's done lnhuman
Iniuras all Of them tho same
But have already shown that the 20
sition OF non.laborer is, in fact, sks do
graded one, and that those who 1--we on th
q fruits Of the labor Of others, without pro
I ducing anything themselves, have n
!, right to live al all and that the lahore
! is cne who should occupy the elevated pc
silion, as one Of natural, indeieasible rigbt
: Il behooyes US. think, to look about an
inquire II much that Is disagreeable, an
a great deal that Is really onerous an
bqrdensome, may not be removed fror
y the path OF the laborer, and bis muscle
2 and nerves relieved OF many q iiresom
: strain. knowledge is power" hence,
the mind Of the laborer can be thorough
laIs.as2,.l a.1 f..ll.. a..lsr.htaaads 70 a. ~