The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-11-05

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thought tha labor can be happy" How
many ofour modern morallzers and serb
blers have quoted the foregoing proposition
it would be impossible to say !? their nans ID
legion. But how few, how -yery fen Of
their number have given to il the thought
and reflection it really deserves.
Are we to infer from the passage quoted
above that the workingman-the mechanic
and laborer-is to THINK while be WORKS:
II we were to be guided by our modern
scribblers, we would be constrained to
answer in the affirmative. But we happen
to be of school that teaches each and
every one tr think for himself, hence we
draw different conclusion from the passage
above referred to. We do not believe that
Ruskin, when be says " Ii is only by labor
that thought can be made healthy means
to say that the nottingham should think
and labor at one and the same time, that he
should wear out mind and body by the same
operation. Oh! no, Mr.. Ruskin does not
near that. he was too much of philantropist
and humanitarian for any conception like that
to enter bis brain. Now, let Us see il we
Can arrive at what Mr.. Ruskin meant
Thought" il an action or operation per
formed by the mind. Whatever is per-
formed by, or aPPertains to, the mind is
mental Thought beiag an actiCA Of the
mind is labor. and as whatever is performed
BY the mind is mental. Thought is labor,
and ash is performed by the mind il is men
tai labor-therefore thought is mental labor.
Now, how can thought be made healthy by
labor? How are we to understand healthy
in this connection, does ii refer tc the mind,
the body, or the thought itself? The
authors meaning is too clear to admit Of
dispute, the reference is to thought 1t IA
labor that is to make thought healthy y
Thought to be healthy must be sound and
practical, based upon truth and science, and
the nature of things, otherwise it is no,
healthy. When it is given forth to the
world IL must be incontrovertible fact. II
il is mere alteration ofthe mind il cannot be
healthy When an idea enters the mind or,
| in other words, the mind conceives an idea,
il is but in embryo. That embryo conceived
in chaos has to be reduced to order to be
born as a thought, and developed in fact.
Some ideas are conceived, born, and
developed in an instant, a day. week,
while others require months, years or cen
turies to work them cut. One man will
conceive an idea, and work at it until the
silvery ebb Of the tide of life warns him Of
approaching decay then comes along old
time with bis impartial "sythe, " and be, who
had given bis time TO the birth Of thought
is cut down. Another takes his place but
to meet the same fate; third follows, and,
perhaps, gives it to the world in an imper-
feet shape, and by the world il repeated.
But it is now the property of the world,
and is born anew and rs perfected. We
can now form some idea Of the immense
amount Of labor to be performed by The
mind in the conception and fruitien Of an
SS' soSs s q our n m9Fsrn seSSisAs Pef y Pbgd
that physical labor is not opposed to the
development Of thought. Under properly
regulated system Of labor we would be IT.
clined to agree with them; but under the
present system Of labOr,we have no hesitency
in saying that the physical labor Of the
present age is opposed to the development
Of thought. Let US illustrate it. We have
shown that thought is an operation Of the
mind. that it is mental labor aud it an
admitted fact that mental labor is the most
depressing Of all kinds Of labor. Now, let
US take an ordinary workman, who has
to be at bis work at seven in the morn
ing, and does not quit until SIX in the
evening. This man viii rise at FIVE; it will
require an hour to perform his morning alb
lutions and devotions; the next hour is spent
in eating breakfast and going to bis work
place it may be machine shop, factory,
mill or any Of the various branches of in
dustry, where the din and noise and confu-
sion is surpassed BY bedlam only. The
work shop is not the place for thought. The
vesper bell denotes the hour for quitting, and
the physical laborer-the workingman--
wends his way homewards; pre- strated BY
his days toll be reaches home his fatigue
increased by bis long walk. too tired to eat
much less to read or think. It is seven
perhaps eight, o'clock when be reaches hi.
domicile; mind and body enervatcd, be ther
has to prepare for his evening meal, which
when eaten, be turns to look after thing:
about home, or attend to some little bust
ness [Felating to some family matters al
attended; to brings him up to bed time, her
he retires, not to think, not to develops
whatever ideas may have been born in hi,
mind during the day. but to rest bis wearied
body and bid adieu to the world and all it:
toll for few hours. Surely physical labor
has no time to think. 1t is no argumentsc
say that great thinkers have been, and are
found among the working classes; those have
been very few, and when you take in the
great mass their number becomes 'in6nites-
mally small, and these few have placed BY
circumstances beyond their own control, in
a wrong vocation men endowed BY nature
with genius that would, under any and
all circumstances, manifest itself en- the
privileged few become satisfied to give, OF
are compelled to give, to physical labor q
position Of the time that science an modern
inventions entities it to. Wien metaphysical
man shall be required to labor but SIX in
stead Of ten and fifteen hours day, tber
the mental man will have some opportunity
to develope thought; then labor will make
thought healthy" and thought win maks
labor happy.
POLITICS, OUR MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
Last Wednesday was the day fixed fel
our municipal election. This pear we cleo
members Of the city council only. There
| Exfln II Ill., L..