The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-10-10
Labor and Educ alton.

Labor is the source from which springs the
wealth OF nations, the great agent giving sus-
tenancc and life to the world education, the
unfailing promoter of moral, social, and polti-
cal prosperity and advancement; labor and cdu-
cation operating hand in hand, the fountain
from which spring stores Of wealth, refined, pu-
| rified and lasting
But do these agents work together as they
should, producing the salutary results of Il COM
panionship, refining and clevating the one and
strengthening and tempcring the other? | am
convinced that these great active agents, each
working its own important end, do not operate
in that concert which alone can prove conducive
to the highest physical, social and intellectual
good ofa people Labor aims not to acquire
! the elevation, polish and refinement which edu.
cation gives to her yotares; education, on the
other hand, too often refuses to partake of the
firm, enduring spirit, or receive the wholesome
training that labor imparts; consequently, the
one retains much of its former roughness, stands
aloof from the great current of progress, and
thousands OF laborcrs remain uniformed and
unrefined ; the other, clothed too often in gar
mcnt Of pitiable sciolism and resting in false
and shallow pride, lacks the tlrmness and pow
er which alone can serve to render it noble and
useful
Laboring men and professional men stand too
far apart as regards both their social relations
| and their general mental culture. There is no
reason why the laborer should be behind the
lawyer or physician in the requirement of what
| is usually termed general information; the pro-
fcssor or the student must lay aside his text.
| books If he would acquaint himself with the
topics of the day, and become the possessor of
fund OF general information, without which he
lacks the most essential part of education. The
laborer is often at leisurc-what is there to pre-
vent him, when the implements of manual toll
are laid aside, from conversng with the geniu-
ses of history, poetry and fiction; from acQuain-
ting himselfwith the sanitary teachings of Phys
iology, or the enlghtening and elevating truths
OF Philosophy? His opportunities to acquire
knowledge apart from his particular vocation
| are as numerous rs those of the professional
man-why need that knowledge be less?
1t is to be greatly deplored that so many of
| our most worthy nonprofessional men consider
| it useless expenditure of both time and means
| to give the SONS of whom they purpose making
farmers and mechanics any more education than
they can obtain by attending school three
| months each year until eighteen or twenty one,
no allowance being made for what they may for
get during the interims. This idea finds its way
into the minds Of boys quite early in their school
career, and their reply if asked why they do not
attend school, or study, will be, 81 never expect
| to be,a preacher, lawyer, or o doctor, conse-
quently it is useless to spend my time i'm acaur-
| ing what will be ofno use to me-" No use
what deplorable mistake Let the young men
OF to-day be educated without regard to prospec-
tive calling and the ueXt generation will reach
higher moral and intellectual standard than
is to day the boast Of any nation let laboring
men be educated, and educated man learning to
labor manually Unnecessary, and the result will
be the extinction of petty distinctions and detri-
mental prejudices existing between the two ele-
ments national character will be elevated, the
social and intellectual world will be revolution
lied, and classes now distinct will be brought
into that union which is essential to the har.
mony and social happiness of oil. CIV.
N.S--