The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-10-15
German and American WOrkmen-A
Contrast. .,-ss. i---

I In Germany. says Mr.. Jos. AIedill, in a
recent letter from Wiesbaden to the Chi
cagO Tribune, every body labOrSs at some
productive employment, women as well as
men. They are not fast workers nothing
like as fast as Americans-bu they are
steadier and more perSevering. They labor
more hours per day, and save their earn
ings in the most. careful manner. An
/ American bricklayer will place in a wall a
third greater amount OF bricks in a day
than German bricklayer; but the latter
does his work more conscientiously. The
bricks are better laid ; theAhOuse is more
enduringly built; and the contractor is not
constantly endeayOriRg to 'tslighl " his
work, put in bad materials, make bill OF
extras and cheat the owner. at-eyery step
and turn. Cheating. swintiling and decep-
ton have not yet been reduced to a fine
art, and are not universally practised in
Germany. The old national habits of in
tegrityI and honesty still endure, and eX-
hibit bat little decay under the corrupting
-iHfuences of modern temptations.
The bOysin Germany, after passing their
schoOl-age, are not turned loose by their
parents to shift for themselves, and live by
tlreirfwits or their crimes. If not retained
OIt LIZ hlllll NllN1 sAAAlhN b'
tire soldier age of 20 years, they are bound
out as apprentices for five or six years, to
learn trade. Hundreds, of thousands of
German boys are thus boundO QUITO master
wOrkmen. If they wish to become mer-
chants or bankers, they must serve an ap-
premiership as clerks; if they desire 10
enter the profession or the civil s-rvice,
they must 90 through 4 thorough college
course of instruction, and stand their eX-
animation, before they can commence the
study of law, medicine or theology, or
obtain a commission in the army or a
clerkship in a government bureau or mu-
nicipal office. How many American boys
learn trades nowadays? How many put
in faithful apprenticeship of four or five
years, and come out skillful mechanics, fit
to be intrusted with tools? And why
have American boys almosteeased to learn
trades? The reason is said to be that they
no longer consider it respectable" or
q" genteel " to labor at productive employ
ment for a living But the young German
has no such false and pernicious notions or
feelings; and consequently the cities of
Germany are not eyerrJm with young men
in search of g genteel employment, such
as clerkships in dry-goods stores (which,
in this slow country, are left to the women),
and who, falling to obtain it, rapidly de-
generate into eonfideAee2IneTI, gamblers,
bummers aud dissipated loaferS of, every
stripe and degree. y - Il i'''r'1.,S ; ~
If American. society is 20 be reformed,
,andthe present frightful wave of dishon-
esty sweeping over the land is to be stay
ed, one of the essential things to be done
is to teach the rising generation that work.
ing with the hands in productive occupa-
.tions is respectable that mechanical oeeu-
pations are ''genteel employments :" that
clerkships in shops and stores are lConacrl' s
cork, as much as knitting, sewing and
cooking, and that it is ungenerous and I'M
MANLY for the male sex to crowd, the fe-
male out of such employments as are pc
culiarly adapted to their strength and
tastes. The feeling in Germany is, that
young fellows have no business to elbow
their sisters out of light work on the plea
that it is ''genteel," and it is regarded as
very shabby and unmanly thing to do !;
and this sentiment is still more prevalent
in France, where male statesmen, book
keepers or clerk !, are rarely seen or heard
OF, Too many men in the United States
are trying to live by every device which
evades honest industry; and therefore it is
that the country is teeming with specula-
tors, sharpers, officehunters, saloon-bum-
mers, loafers, dead-b beats, lobbyists, conf
dence-men, blacklegs and gamblers of
every variety-degrees of rascaldom for
which there, are1fie words in the German
language into which these terms can be
translated. If this breed of unelean birds
is ever TO be reduced or extirpated, or if
there Is ever to be any reformation of
American morals and integrity, the first