Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-24

There would be no proof that man is q
living soul if he had not perceptive and
conceptive faculties. To toll naturally
and instinctively like common order of
animals-build like sparrow, bore like
mole, prey like hawk, spin like q
spider-may be easy enough bat to tell
srtisticslly and intellectually like high
order of animal-loosen firm rocks into
fragments and polish and pile them into
solid and stately mansions, draw from
mines their mixed ores and sift and
mold them into machines or tools or trim.
kets, strip old forests of their tall timbers
and slice and splice them into vessels of
burden or vehicles of freight or articles
of furniture, shear wool from sheep and
gather cotton from plants and weave
and work them into wearing apparel or
carpets or quilts--is Quite different
thing. How plain may it then be seen
that suitable education is necessary to
make q man an artist or an artisan, and
that no lad who has been merely taught
the "most approved method of talking"
is qualified to enter upon the scene of
active life as an intelligent toiler until he
has passed through that course of tech
nical instruction which alone fits him for
an exalted position in the world Grand
as our schools are and glorious as is the
mode in which they teach the young
idea how to shoot" they are sadly def
cent in the way of imparting useful in
formation; and it is odd to see how they
turn out boys with no more knowledge Of
the mechanic arts in their heads than a
magistrate has of common law or an al
derman Of bellies lettres One of the mel
ancholy pleasures which result from this
neglect is that almost everyone on the
Bluff is in q wrong place, and the mopish
beauty of the thing is enhanced by the
fact that nobody seems to know where he
ought to be. Perambulsting here at lei
sure in pursuit of happiness or good
whisky one may meet Blazes, black
smith, welding law; Shanks, a shoe
maker, strs piping justice Pots, painter,
daubing politics; Dip, tallow-chandler,
drawing portraits of great men; Dives,
divine, advocating Chinese customs;
Cheesebox, green grocer, eng giueering
o railroad Bags, banker, begging for
gas factory Chsel, carpenter. cutting
his way through the Common Council
Squills, druggist, vending light litera-
ture; Baton, policeman, lecturing on
temperance Shortcake, baker, inspect
ing coal; G.ueto, cabinetmsker, teach.
ing stenography; Softsolder, a. tinker,
mending breaches on the bench; Bats, a
brewer, pleading at the bar; Shears,
a tailor, patching warrants; Mugs, =
muffinmen, performing the placid duties
of school visitor; or Gall, butcher,
mixing medicines and sodawster for the |
million. One might very we'll laugh at
this medley if it were not so expensive; |
one might also ask if the Tower of Babel |
had come to town. Forsooth this jack |
ef-sll-trade and free-snd-essy way of do.
ing business might be exceedingly funny |
if it produced anything but annoyance; |
at least it might be taken as long stride |
toward the goal Of greatness if progress
were made up like clowns breecbes Of
comic stripes Truth travels very slow.
1t is few thousand years since the com.
mand Thou shalt not kill was given,
but up to this time no philosopher in the |
Mississippi Valley seems to have discov-
cred that it applies to nations as well IS
to individuals, to school-teschers as well
es to master mechanics and hence there |
has been very large eutlays of money for
militia and weapons of destruction, while
not cent has been spent on manufac-
lures or technical education, it appearing |
quite queer to our illumiHed statesmen
that he who makes two blades of grass
grow where only one grew before should
be greater in the eyes of humanity than
a military hero who blews through horn
and slices ham with sword. The conse-
quence of this superior sort OF Judgment
is that notwithstanding all the resources
scattered about this State she is nearly
forty million dollars In debt, more than
all the New England s S;stes in q cluster
owe; and there is likelihood that such
a luckless state of things will continue as
long as we import everything we eat,
drink and wear, and never care button
whether we know how to make anything
or not. Skilled industry is the only lever
that will lift from our shoulders the imp
of poverty and place us in position OF
golden grandeur. The man who tolls
must also be the man who thinks; other
wise he will be a botch at his trade,
subject to the ridiculs Of his fellow
craftsmen, and may never rise above
the dignifed standard Of a Snowman in
society. Perhaps no sage of the Bluff
takes into consideration the fact that a
sharp toiler who produces fifty dollars a
week by his work is Eve times more
than The dull toileF who pro-
duces only ten dollars; and perhaps no
politician who loves
all colors of mankind or pap-fed patriot
who delights to liuger by the public crib
wishes 20 know ,hst the essiest way to
reduce taxstion end promote prosperity
Is TO establish a system oftechnical edu-
cation 10 our common schools. and en-