Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-11-25
THE LAW OF INDUSTRY.

wealth increases ana VOuceh-
-trated there is danger, especially In
our cities, lest we may share in the
opinion, so common In other lands,
that there Is something Of degradation
or of reproach connected with the Idea
OF toll. 1t is n most insidlous notion,
creeping unawares into the hearts OF
many who would despise and abjure
1t as a theory, and silently diffnsing Its
poisonous influence over their lives.
To be able to live without excrtion is
looked upon as n privilege worthy OF
almost any present effort or sacrifice
to obtain. Men who have arrived at
that desired haven, by whatever steps,
are admired, fiattered and enyied, aud
public opinion onciroles them with q
dignity and honor which arc often far
beyond their real deserts. Some
who would scorn the imputation Of
depising labor or honoring idleneSs,
do yet, perhaps almost unconsciously,
regard men, not according to their
personal endowments or characters,
but chiefly their external circum,
stances. The simple ability TO be idle
Is too often a passport Into society,
where character, energy and education
alone would fail" to fiud admittance.
Half the excuses and apologies In the
world are made for being busy q
strange sort Of shame seems to accom-
pany the fact, when In reality 1t Is the
idler who owes the world an apology
for his very presence; his own exist,
ence ought to ill him with continual
shame. 1t Is however, not so much
labor In. itself which we thus secretly
dlshonor, as tho necessity for labor,
The rich man may engage in any work
his taste prefers without forfelting the
worlds applause; but If his circum-
stances change, and he continue the
same labor, not because he chooses,
but because he must. though his Whole
nature and character remain upaltered,
he will be first pltied and then for
saken by those who once courted and
enyied him. Now it Is just this neces-
slty for labor that gives 1t at once Its
highest dignity and It's greatest I'm
portance. The most obvious reason
for working Is to supply our physical
wants. We all need food, clothing
and shelter, and we. labor to obtain 1t.
Having done this, our wants still null
tlply, and We work on to procure COM
forts and Injuries of every description.
Our houses must be furnished, our
children educated, our minds informed
or amused. and our tastes gratitied.
All this IL right For these and sim-
liar objects tho large majority of peo-
pie are toiling, and In SO doing are
bepeitting. not only themselves, but
society at large. There lies, deeper
than all this, q necessity for labor but
little recognized, a law Of industry,
seldom fathomed, which Is that ex-
ertion is the basis Of all human i'm
provement or happiness. Every one
who has watched an infant knows that
its ceaseless activity Is the chief means
by which It acquires knowledge or
secures pleasure. Deny 1t liberty of
motion, and you have destroyed Its
happiness, If not its very life. All
education Is but the awakening Of the
powers to their full activity. If this
be not done, instruction is useless.
Our senses only convey knowledge or
pleasure In tho proportion to which
we exercise them. The entire nlechan-
ism Of the body shows Its adaptation
for work, and If we impose idleness
on any member It becomes useless.
The whole world of matter Is open to
man ; but unless he work It up into
form by his labor, 1t Is for him q shape
less, unmeaning mass. ills not alone
that man'must use his powers In order
to procure certain outward results, but
by this means only is he able to enjoy
them. Could any one BY q miracle be
at once absolved from this law; could
he have all his wishes instantly graf
flied without personal effort, he would
soon cease to enjoy, then eas to de-
sire, and, finally, cease to live, from
the misery and WEAKNESS of inertness.
Labor Is, iu fact, the very essence Of
true dignity, and the mark of superb
ority. The animal Is higher than the
tree, because of his voluntary motion,
and the man Is higher than the animal
only as he puts forth his powers ener-
g~etically and gladly for noble
purposes. The distinguishing glory
OF man Is his ability to improve; but
this Is dependent on his willingness to
work. The idler, be he poor or rich,
grades his manhood and forfeits his IT,
tie to life or happiness. Labor Is In
deed a necessity, but one which, instead
Of being ashamed OF, we may we'll re-
gard rs our chief honor. II we rightly
%apprehend 1t We shallprlze It not only
as a means to procure material bene-
fits, but as the channel through which
all improvement of mind, all stability
Of character, all virtue and happiness
must flow. It Is, In fact, the founda-
ton Of all that makes life worth llv-
Ing, the basis of all that Is sacred, no.
BILE or progressive. None are exempt
from this law. 1t binds alike the rich
and the poor, the old and the young,
the man and the woman. "If any
man will not work. neither shall he
cat" Is unfailingly true In a far
broader sense than Is usually thought
of. Though he may eat OF food which
he has not earned, he can mover eat Of
the tree of knowledge or tho tree of
life. He cannot develop his mind, his
Loork or HE cbaracter he must live