The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-02
Importance of IL Trade.


Importance of Trade.
eff there is sprightly lad in
Monroe who can read and spell
we'll and wants q trade that will
render him, as a man, independ-
ent, he can find permanent sit
uatiOn at this office.''
The above little notice from
the Monroe TELEGRAPH fOrcibly
brings to our mind the antipahy
that the generality of Southern
people have to teaching their
children the useful occupations
and professions. Whether this
feeling grows ont of the results
Of the institution of slavery or
not we are unable to say, but
that it exists, and so inherently
that it is extremely difficult of
eradication, we have no chance
to doubt. Physical labor was
wont to bc associated so closely
with tho position of the negro,
that custom made it almost a
degradation for 4 white man to
be necessarily so occupied. a
recollection going back some
fourteen years in Shreveport as
sists us to the conclusion that
during that length of time we
know of but few cases indeed
not more than half Il dozen-ot
her young men acquiring a knowl-
edge of any really good trade.
To become a good blacksmith,
carpenter, brick-layer, saddler.
practical engineer, or any other
artizan, was to at once take up
the badge of inferiority-to the
middle-class Southerner revolving
if applied to their children, and
even to the most impecuniOus
families the idea would have been
spurned as an insult. When any
useful knowledge outside of agri-
culture was to be acquired, young
men were planted out as it were
to grow up lawyers and doctors
attention as to their capacity
for these professions never once
being thought of-and the great
mass who could not afford this
training to their children allowed
them to become statesmen, clerks,
deputy officials, etc, or, what
was more to be regretted, per-
mitted them to do nothing at all,
and live as their wits best die
tatcd. A good trutlc would have
been scorned by people claiming
to be respectable, or desiring to
be respectable, or desiring to hold
their heads up in society, and the
consequence is that our cOmmun-
ity is not and never can be self
sustaining until there is a change
in such sentiment.
We do not under estimate the
Importance of a knowledge of the
professions, or of any of the light
occupations we have enumerated,
but we do reprobate the senti-
ment that throws odium upon
the mechanic or tradesman.
When we say that these occu-
pations may be we'll enough for
others, but that they will not do
for us, we unwittingly brand
those who follow the same, and
do more to keep our men imbe-
cile and our women frivolous than
possibly is thought for. When
lads are afraid to swing the ham,
mer or drive the jack plane,
misses must necessarily preserve
their dainty fingers, for the hero
of the yard measure will not de-
scend from his high estate to
smile upon beauty adorned with
Il rough hand gained in the
kitchen. The result is that we
have both sexes striving against
the common lot, and society is at
variance with the spirit of the
institutions upon which our gov
crnmcnt was first founded.
We all pratc well enough about
the dignity of labor, but seeming
ly admire it only in theory.
What better fortune can Il young
man have than a fair education
and a useful trade? Men should
be educated and trained accord
ing to their circumstances in life,
and fitted to perform the part for
which they are best adapted. 1t
does not certainly follow that Il
man must always remain a car
penter or Il blacksmith because
he has been raised one. Give
him a moderate education and Il
good calling and ten to one he
gets away above it if the stuff is
in him. If it is not, then nature
designs that he should remain Il
newer of wood and drawer of
~.