The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-28
what DO we wort ForF

The question we desire briefly to dis
cuss is not "Why do we work." but
''what do we work for ," Some may
answer at once, "For money-wages or
salaries." We do not think this is a
fall and correct reply to the question.
Labor may be the Adamite curse, but
If SO, the innate desires of man and his
restlessuess and ambition for improve
ment, have changed the curse to posi-
tive blessing and made the earth
thorn and thistle cursed-to bloom and
blossom like the rose. We work partly
because we need IT.. We need 1t for
health of mind as well as of body.
Idleness leads to decay, and decay to
death. he who through years of ac-
tive exertion leaves his employment
and ''retires from business" usually
signs his death warrant. He vegetables
for while in idleness and dies unless
he has sense enough 70 discover his
mistake in time and return to the paths
of active usefulness. There are few
more pitiable objects than the man who
after many years of active service In
business is deluded into belief that
happiness and a reward for his lRbors
are TO be found in Withdrawing from all
participation in the work Of life. Old
age Is an excuse for idleness, but the
possession OF money Is not.
We do not work for money alone.
The mechanic who would be content to
do the work of an apprentices merely
because he could earn more wages,
would be hardly worth the name OF
mechanic. The amount OF wages or
salary Is recognition OF ability and
q standard of value for services per
| formed, but not the only incentive to
exertion. A workman feels pride In
his work-in the results OF his skill
entirely unconnected with the amount
of money received for IL. II he did not,
one very strong motive for improve
ment would be lacking. Almost every
mechanic will agree with us that he
has done Jobs which afforded him more
qualification in their success than he
derived from the possession of the Pc
icuniary compensation therefor How
often man will undertakea job which
he knows beforehand will not "paY"
In cash what II costs, but mainly for
the pride of performing il successfully:
| 1t is true that ''the labOrer is worthy of
his hire" but to agree that the hire Is
the only, or even the principal incen-
tive, Is unreasonable, not sustained by
facts, and derogatOry to the "diGntty OF
labor, phrase often misused, but
| perfectly correct one. To be sure, If
the efforts OF the Yorkman-and by
this term we mean all who dO-are not
appreciated by adequate compensation
he seeks other employers who have
proper appreciation of his value.
We work for progress; for progress
individually and for the progress of the
race. One means to that progress IS
the payment for services rendered, as II
will enablelhe skillful workman and
the inventive mechanic TO carry for
ward their plans of Improvement in
manual labor or in labOr-saviDg ma
chimes. We work for the godlike pride
of creation. The machine which Is an
offspring OF the brain of the mechanic
| Is as much, and more, his than that of
his Ioins. II he is lily paid for his Ia
Dor, mental or physical he has the
compensation of a satisfaction in his
success which cannot be assured by
money only, but which must be felt in
the knowledge that he has succeeded
where others failed, and has secured an
impregnAble position as one of the pto-
neers in the grand march of improve
ment.
There are fe W pursuits which demand
more hard work-WOrk OF the brain
than that of the mechanic. In no
sense can he be considered an example
of Bunyan's "Muckrake.n He must
live in order to work, but he does not
work merely that he may live. He is
always striving to mount the next step
on the ladder, and neverdoes he mount
but that he carries with him the living,
moving world. 1t is his pride to excel:
never satisfied with InediocTity, but al
ways striving for superiority. From
the workman 10 the inventor Is but
step-a long step it may be-yet not be-
yond his powers IL he employs them
properly; and the inventor, not a me-
chanIc, Is often dependent on the
mechanic for the success of his im-
provement.