The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-22

Nho has not heard, Ad or sung Of the
Dignity 4 Lsb0r? Its praises have been
rehesrsed IN story and in song bY the high
and the lOSly, by the peasant and the prince.
In he pulpit, on the forum and in the Sen
ate Chamber, divineg, philosophers and
s.aIes men have ZINE aOd again grown ELL
quent IN its defence and glori6ed the man
who earned his living BY h1ness toll, until
It required 40 fsrSent Imagination to sup
pose that the curse had been removed, aud
the golden rule become the guide Of human
actions. Bat in tins matter, as in all others,
connected With our every day exper enee, it
will De found, upon investigation, that
there exists vast difference between prae-
tiee and theory between the poetic imagiu-
alton Of the enthusiast, and tie stern reai-
ties o. ne.
And while we have no desire to screen
the guilty, OF shield the ms atiable NAV Of
capita from the censure il deserves, candor
compels the admission that workinxmen
themselves are in great measure responsi-
sible for the contempt with which they are
regarded, BY psnieTing daily TO the vitia:ed
sentiment Of which they SO loudly com
planned
How frequently have We beard the ex
preston ~ aas only a sro,Aingmaa," Gs il
that fact Of Itself should form an impossible
barrier to social recognition or advance
ment. Oaiy workiDgmEn, forsoOth Did
those who give uttersrs- to such a senti-
meDt ever ask themselves what the world
would be without her workingmen Did
they ever realize. as they should have done,
that II is to their labors th at the capitalist
Is indebted for every dollar be possesses ?
tLss i the scriptural Injunction that those
who didu's work shouldn't eat were literal
" carried out, one Of two things must
come to pass the number of laborers would
be materially increased, or the bound
ries Of our cemeteries would SOON quire
10 be enlarged: We fear not. On the con-
trary We believe they seldom give the quss.
tion q moments consideration; seldom real
Use that they are helping 10 fashion that cor
rupt public oPir'on which 10 daily crushing
them TO the earth, whish places the ban on
horny fist Of the toiler, and guages a man
By the extent Of bis possessions, rather than
By the means By which they were acquired,
or the character Of their possessOr; forgetful
Of the fact that
Honor shame from 40 condftion rise
that while
A king make a beIted knight
A lord duke. and q that
But 40 honest mans Abn hiS might
mana man for = that
IioS few workingmen, for examples would
not feel out Of place, even while listening TO
: discourse on 'THE DIGNIrr OF LABOR" or
an invocation to that q Cd who made Of one
blood oil the nations Of the earth, should
thew happen 20 rub broadcioth coat o be
brought into contact nth a periumed Miss,
whose outht their own labor had purchased
Now whence this feeling in country ike
our own One piece O. mortality afraid Of
anotber-who 10 a few, short years will be
food for worms,-Dot on account Of physical
Imperfections, for the probabilities are ten to
one, that the mechanic would be tie peer Of
The ''ehild of fortune" in that respect; not oD
account Of superior mental or intellectual
eudowm ents, but simply because BY pro
cess Of robbery, justified By lsw (?l the
fruits Of the labor Of the producer, have been
transferred to the POckeIs Of the drOne, and
that society, which PIRATES so glibly about
tie dignity Of labor" grades its member
ship by the extent of such robbery, and
bows IN obsequeOus subn. ssiOn to its die
tates.
But We do not desire to be misunderste
We wish 70 see the dig1ity Of labor exen--
plified only in q ft and becoming manner.
There il rs much difference between the
Of the bully, (Which is some
times falsely claimed for independence and
the independence Of the honest man, IS there
IS between An angel Of darkness and an
angel of light The former is vice to be I
Stunned Oh ali occasions tie latter q virtue (
70 be Sulti"A'ed oT all Who expect TO sue I
,eed ir hip's great race. The one Is the com.
pAnion OF The coward and the kaave while 1
Inc other tends to the degelopg snt Of true /
manhood and aoeords with the genius Of
our institutions. The braggArt Of al men
IS the basest fraud u2on society, and wi.h
him honor and truth can have no afiliasion.
rhe principle to which ws have referred,
Ind for the development Of which We hope
s Of another and far different character,
blind subssrviency and q reckless, unjust
demand, icing alike foreign 90 its spirit. /
The Independence we desire TO Gee pre-
vail is manly. unobtrusivs indspsndsnee,
Ehieh springs from moral ssstltads IRON . |
I0fress appreciation Of the gsnias Of our In