Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-10-18
"The dignity of Labor"

Rev. Newman Hall has delivered a
lecture OH the dignity Of Labor. +"
Labor. he SAID, was the great law of
the universe and of humanity. The
structure of the human frame betoken-
ed the activity for which we were in
tended. Health could not flourish in an
atmosphere OF sloth; the MUSCLE shrsnk
which was not STRUNG the joint stiff
ened which never moved. So it was
with our intellectual and moral powers.
That which was intended for the temple
of the Deity, without action and indus
try, became melancholy ruin. Labor
was SO essential to the health develop
ment of our faculties that we could not
at the same time be idle and happy.
Labor of the brain was essential for
directing the labor OF the body. Some
times one thought, such as that which
led to thestructure of the steam-engine,
had produced greater results than if
the author had worked with his hands
for ten thousand years. The apostle,
Paul said eff they will not work,
neither shall they eat, which meant that
if man had no right to the produce of
other peoples labor, If in some way he
did not contribute to the common
store. There was dignity in labor, be
cause it was the obedience of Gods
command. Man, more than the brutes,
was dependent on labor. He must
make his own raiment. Some men were
said to be independent. That was
mistake-none of us were indepen-
dent we were all dependent upon la
Dor. While the man of toll owed much
to the man of leisure, the man of leisure
owed his very existence to the man of
toll. Working people were more will
ing to listen to truth than the upper
classes. While the aristocracy of Judea
rejected Christ, and put him to death,
the common people received him gladly.
In like manner it was the workmen of
Germany who upheld the reformation
and supported Luther. In times of
Engigh prosecution, while there were
men of gentle blood who advocated the
cause OF truth, yet it was the multitude
of the comparatively poor who were
ready to die for right, for freedom, and
for God. Who composed those Iron.
sides, whose charge nothing could with
stand ? Who won for the English peo-
pie their liberties? In the great struggle
IN America, who were the classes that
chiefly and from the beginning recog-
nlzed the truth and maintained the
Justice OF the struggle for the Union ?
While there were distinguished people
in all ranks who upheld the noble cause,
yet it could not be denied that the ma
lorlty OF its advocates were to be found
among the working classes. From the
beginning to the end the working men
OF Great Britain supported the cause of
the Union, and monster meetings were
held night by night, at which most
earnest resolutions were enthusiast
cally passed in favor of emancipation.
Having enumerated some of the dis
tinguished men who have arisen from
humble positions, the reverend gentle
man pointed out that the example of
Christ in following the occupation of a
carpenter afforded q mighty eonfrma-
tion of his theme. Christ knew that
the larger portion of his followers
would be composed of the multitude
engaged in manual toll. He knew their
privations and the indignities they
would suffer, and therefore he resolved
to put his own royal stamp of dignity
on their position. There was dignity
in every kind of honest toll, and he
who treated anybody with lndignlty
| because of the nature of his occupatiOn
dishonored not the man but himself