The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-03-27
KnoWLEpGE - roMER.

Occupying. as does this maxim, central
position in the department Of life. it natu-
rally flows out IN 10 channels. Like
q greai spring gurgin, ON the bill and IT.
riga6ng all below, knowledge glides into al
and sweetens all onjoyments. As the dew
Snd the ram never slight the flowers, neither
does science or pleasures. II fruetifes and
invigorates al we do aud all we can enjoy.
On the authority Of Solomon in the first
chapter Of Proverbs, wisdom is the priE-
eIpAl thiag," her ways being full Of pleasure
and her paths Of peace.
As laborers on the earth, we ought 70
take tho commanding position to which we
ere entitled. When their Creator said to
ou- first parents, "In the sweat Of thy face
shalt thou eat bread" and long afterwards
Paul repeated, ''if any will not work let him
not eat" labor was elevated rather than de-
graded, and those upon whom il was eDjoin-
ed, blessed rather than cursed. Never has
there been diffnsed through society more
dreadful error than that which makes lator
diTeputAble Like blasting midew, il
vithers every plant Of life on which il falls.
There being IN most errors little rede, 10
ing truth, they can cIsin liberation, but in
this nothing Is seen but unmixed aud I'M
mtigated fslsehoods. The idea that labor
is disreputable, or anything else but honors-
Die, is such a bold-fsce lie, that il has dam
eyed even the devils character to tell Il.
Since none but hopeless fools can believe 1
nor any but desperate knsves practice it.,
Satin must have stopped to the very lowest
grades in propsgat.ng it. Dragging out a
miserable existing, IS does this notion IN
the mAsDs Of ignorance, let the simple rays
Of intelligence be poured 10 TO dissipste it
This will give to labor, in the estimation Of
all, its true moral dignity aud indeed araod-
ueT.
al the desire Of esteem is natural and, il
its proper place, commendsble, We should
al labor to earn and receive i'll 10 this end
and in this connection, how important does
the dissemination Of knoFledge become to
the laboreE. Those never deserving hoaors
are too often overwhelmed witn them BY the
thOughless, Ignorant crowd, led on by heart
less demagogues. No medicine can heal
such a disordered condition of the public
mind like knowledge arising out Of common
sense. Besides correcting the false idea that
labor, 10 itself. is mean and 10 be Stunned
BY the elite, sound information always be-
gets self respect in its possessor. This in
vites, and, indeed, generally commands the
esteem Of others. The power thus acquired
is Of incalculsble value to the citizen, and
when properly diffused will be to his coun-
try. Intellectual moral sItsinments, with
out effort, conserve their owo dignity and
diffuse their own influence. As no lady
needs to proclaim Der own beauty, nor giant
bis own strength, neither does The person Of
intelligence bic OVID laarning. II viii make
itself seem fact, blessing It's possessor and
al bis associates.
Not only, as We bsve sald will the seoul
sitiOn Of knowledge raise The seli-respect Of
him who gains il, but diminish the selres-
TEEN Of such as d 'es pect the laborer. All
good scholars and noble minds respect the
honest Workingmar as they DO themselves.
40 incident in c. eral Washington's life
illustrates this. Returning in bis carriage
from the capitol to big home in The country,
be sent his servent one morning ahead 10
have the ferrymsn ready to set him across
river near by. Seeing a countryman about
to drive his great load Of hay into long,
nanow lane, which would delay the gener.
aPs carriage, the servant ordered him to
hold up and give the road to the president
The farmer answered that he had as good
right TO the road as the president, and bet
ter right if he should get on it fret, and
drove "a. Boiling over with indignation
the servant represented the insult to His
ExcellencY aud re oeiyed the reply from
Wsshington-"S0 he had Z" His fellow-cin-
zen, with bis broad load Of hay, earned by
honest toll and drawn to bis barn bv his
faithful yoke Of oxen, though impeding
nDthtNhht hib AdfSl5 W uOuDk received the
esteem 81 Washington more than score OF
srisLocrats, too mean to work. The farmer
knew Y rights and the president respected
him for asserting themi
Let no one suppose that there il not time
&c study. Whether we have to work but the
eight or the old ten hours, time may be bad
to acquire knowledge. Franklin and Bur
rett, to whom We have referred, bad
each 70 wonk, the one at type setting and
the other at blaeksmitning, from ten to
twelve hours per day, and yet each attained 4
through study 70 positions Of eminence and
power. Neither could claim unusual tall |
ents. BY a love Of truth and patient re-
search, saving al their spare time, they
earned ali they got. Labor and economy 4
made their fortunes ia their trades and at 4
their books. What they have done others
can do. They, and others like them, have
verified the maxim that ''lsbor conQuers all |
thirg-." As general thing, not from the
rich nor from the US, feeling above
toll, but from the poor and working classes
q society came orr good. and great men.
BETTING THE CONTINENT.
We connot appreciate without understand
ing, is az axiom which should explain why