Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-10-18
Sound Doctrine for Young Men.

Some mothers and sisters, and per-
haps fathers, may be mortified because
one of the family chooses to be an
artisan rather than a clerk in acount-
ing room. So far as education goes,
perchance, "the honOrs are easy, I"
but looking to the future of life, and
suppOsing no capital but brains and
character, who has the greatest chauce
"a young man who wears out the
best of his years in posting books,
collecting debts and making sales,
with little or no hope Of promotion,
and who considers a salary of two or
three thousand per annum large pay,
or another who learns a trade
thoroughly, is an expert IN 3
handicraft always in demand, at the
highest wages, making, as has OtOn
master, even when a journeyman,
from fifteen hundred to two thousand
dollars per annum, as he gets known,
taking contracts and gradually pass
ing from the position Of operative to
that of superintendent, and finally of
"boss ?"
There are many illustrations of this
fact around us. There are two BROTH
ers here now, for example, one
physician and the other a mechanic;
the last could buy out the first and
not feel it is received, as he deserves
to be, in quite as good social circle,
and his children mix with their cous-
ins in the same associations. Not
withstanding that, some of the social
status" shOddyites, whose progenitors
were day-laborers, may turn up their
noses at them. The whole question
of this supposed mechanics inferiority
lies in the question of education and
manners, and nothing else; for, other
things being equal, that is the best
pursuit which, faithfully and intelli-
gently adhered to, furnishes steady
occupation, affords q reasonable
chance Of promotion as the result of
industry and enterprise, and above
all, leaves the man independent, and
not the.servant or slave of corpora
ton or Individual upon whom he is
dependent for his daily bread.
1t is a melancholy sight to see a
grayhaired book-keepeI or vigorous
clerk cringing and trimming to suit
the whims or caprices Of some fancied
superior, often his junior in years and
experience, who has Inherited the
"silver SPOON" and is his inferior in
intellect and all the attributes which
make man. If any one supposes
these employees do not feel the hu-
initiation and recognize their slayish
condition. he Is mistaken. Hard and
stern necessity eompels the "bated
utterance., and submissive mien the
knee is too often crooked "that thrift
may follow fawning,p and so the
mans life ebbs out; and at last he
leaves, perhaps, a widow and children
stranded on the bleak shores of the
worlds charity, to shift for them
selves as best they may. How many
of our readers will respond, "true, we
know it :" and would gladly, if they
could, take up trade and thus work
out their individual freedom.
We do not suppose that in this wide
country there is really any energetic
man suffering it he will work, but
every one who has been in California
or the far west, or in any new eoun-
try, knows that Sectors, lawyers and
store or office clerks are compara-
lively useless class-as cOntrasted
with those who understand the tilling
of the soil or are skilled mechanics.
Your professional man, while he is
usually respectable, has one great
drawback in the necessity of doing
all his work himself You cannot
preach, try causes, physic or edit a
by deputy, unless you are
a quack or humbug. The limit of
your income is your own personal
ability to earn it, save in the excep-
tiOnal cases of good fortune of the
merchant or trader, and it
is worthy of note that il is only re-
Gently that eommerciai pursuits have 1
been allowed to class with professions,
and that even now in Europe, the
unless he has wealth
enough to buy his way into society,
Is as much under the ban as the me-
chanic.
How much better, then, would it |
be if our young men, instead of yield !
ing to unworthy prejudices and frit-
tering away their time and efforts in |
and, iR most cases, un-
productive pursuits, would go to work |
at what promises prompt and certain |
support, and, with skill, sobriety and |
industry, insures future competence.
-PhiLd. Public Record.