The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-10-08
Let us Honor and Reward Labor.

The Memphis appeal gives these
extracts from the speech of VIM. j
/ Sykes at Wayne Furnace in regard
to the value of labor. He said, in
addressing the employees about the
furnace Il have mentioned to you
the case of the young man in Lin.
coin county, who subscribed one
! third of the whole amount of his prop
erty to build railroad, which prop
erty consisted of a wagon, and two
horses worth three hundred dollars,
because, as he said. he would be able,
as soon as the road was put under
contract. to earn two hundred and
sixteen dollars every three months
with his wagon and team, and out of
this amount he would have to pay
only fifteen dollars on his subscrip-
ton, and this would leave him two
hundred and one dollars every three
months, or eight hundred and four
dollars per annum. In two years
this would amount to sixteen hun
dred and eight dollars. besides his
one hundred dollars of stock. As it
was with him, so it may be with any
of you who are willing to work, no
matter how poor you may consider
yourselves. or be considered by 9th
ers. Who does not wish to honor and
reward la or? What is it that cre-
ates wealth? Who built the splen-
did mansions. and made them The
abode Of elegance, refinement and
luxury? Who put afoat the mag
niicent ships that. with white wings,
carry the commerce of the world to
earth's remotest bounds! Who pro-
duce the rich freights with which
they are laden? The men who till
the soil, who work the mines, who
run the furnaces and who toll in the
shops, are the men who make the
worlds wealth, and to whom civili-
cation is indebted for it's comforts
and it blessings. Not only the labor
of the hand, but the labor of the
brain should be rewarded and honor |
ed. The inventors of the cottOn-gin,
of the spinning-ienny, Of the steam
engine are. in the true sense of the |
word, workers. and are classed |
among the worlds greatest benefac-
tors. He who does nothing, either
by his hands or his brains, to i'm
prove the condition of mankind, and |
who lives alone to CRAFTY his selfish
ness. has lived but to little purpose. |
The humblest laborer that digs the |
dirt and breaks the stone is more to
be honored than such q man. A man |
of wealth who USE that wealth to |
improve his country. to reward labor, |
and to benefit his fellow-man, is |
of all praise, and deserves
our warmest thanks; but he who
lives upon the interest of his money, |
though it be millions, and contrib
utes nothing to the sum of human /
happiT ess, is a mere drOne in the hu- |
man hive, and when he asses away, |
will leave behind him that which was
most valuable about him, that is, his
money. / am glad that am not |
one Of those who wish labor to be /
cheap, and who object to railroads |
and furnaces. because they increase
the price of labor. Whenever and |
wherever labor is high, the product of |
labor is high also. A man can afford |
to pay good wages when he can sell |
what his laborers produce at remu-
nerative prices. In this way high |
la or benefits the landowner as we'll |
the laborer. Factories, furnaces and |
railroads increase the price Of what |
the farmer produces, and thereby en-
ahles him, with profit to himself, to
give liberal prices to his employees.
1t is, confess. for the sake of the !
toiing mul.itudes who are seeking
to make support for their families
and buy for them comfortable homes,
that / am so anxious to see our
Southern country improved by the
erection of factories, by the opening
of mines, by the building of more and
cheaper railroads, and by converting
our now useless minerals into pro-
life source of wealth. Whilst these
things will greatly benefit the labor
lug classes. they will immensely in
crease the wealth of those now pos
sessing it.