Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-04-26
wHATDO WE WORK FoRY

The question we desire briefly to discuss
is not "tchy do we work 2 but what do we
work for p Some may answer at once
For money, wages or salaries. We do
not think this IS a correct and fell reply to
the question Labor may be the Adamlte
curse, but if so, the innate desires of man
and his restlessness and ambition for I'M
provement have changed the curse to pos
tive blessing and made the earth-thorn
and thistle cursed-to bloom and blossom
like the rose. We work partly because we
need il. We need it for health Of mind as
we'll as of body. Idleness leads to decay
and decay to death. He who through years
of active ezertion leaves his employment
and 'retires from business, usually sigus
his death warrant. He vegetables for awhile
in idleness and dies, unless he has sense
enough to 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 active service IN
business IS duluded into belief that happi-
ness and a reward for his laboTs 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 apprentice, merely because he
could earn more wages, would be hardly
worthy the name of mechanic The amount
of wages or salary Is a recognition Of ability
and a standard of value for services perform
ed, but not the only incentive to exertion.
A workman feels pride in his work-in the
results Of his skill-entirely unconuected
with the amount Of money received for It.
L Z -. g,1Av.- To-
Improvement would be lacking Almost
every mechanic will agree with US that he
has done jobs which afforded him more graf
ihcation in their success, than he derived
from the possession Of the pecunlary com
pensation therefor. How often man will
undertake job which he knows beforehand
will not pay" in cash what it costs, but
mainly fog the pride Of performing success
fully. 1t is true that ''the laborer is Wor-
thy of his hire, but to agree that the hire
is the only, or even the principal incentive
is unreasonable not sustained by facts, and
derogatory to the dignity of labor, a
phrase often misused but a perfectly cor
rect one. To be sure, if the efforts of the
workman-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 indi-
Individually and for the progress of the race.
One means to that progress is the pay
ment for services rendered, as it will en-
able the skilliul workman and the inventive
mechanic to carry forward their plans of
improvement in manual labor or in labor
saving machines. 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
loins. If he is lily paid for his labor, men
tai 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 be has succeeded
where others failed. and has secured an i'm
pregnable position as one Of the pioneers in
the grand march of improvement.
There are few pursuits which demand