The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-10
Labor versus Luck.

Labor versus Luck.
1.-THE world owesme living has been
repeated so often ~ lazy men, tina; it has
become almost rxoverb, and if We were
to Judge from appearances, we should
conclude that not 4 few are relying on
the truth Of this saying for the living when
they expect to enley,
But this maxim Is false, except WHEN
spoken by one who has rendered 20 .he
world some service eQualin value 70 Tue
LIVING which he claims. How Is 1t posi-
III. .b.t the world can be indebted to an
idle man. Service is the only considcra-
ton ~hich the world recognizes for the
h.,e6ts IL confers. And he who brings
III. action against the world for tic recov-
erv of his Lying will fail in any court, un-
less he alleges and proves that he has
rendered an adequate consideration in
service.
It's true that some people do get q ..iv-
inr from the world without such consid-
GRAFTON, but they do not get it honorably
Some steal from the world, some cheat it,
come beg from it, and great many sponge
Ike absorb their living, and do it SO qui-
city, that the world has no knowledge
as to- how it is done, and only knows the
.tdct, because it sees that the sponges a.e
full
N asnSo I,rf1 f1n1 - f1,o ri t,np
orable way to get a living is to labor for
it. And we may say, also, that this is,
generally speaking, certain method. 1t
is certain SO long as the labor is such as
the world appreciates. II will always pay
O fine price for the performance of any
work which it desires to have done, and
It win pay for no other, even though the
work be of the finest order. To illustrate
this point, Milton did most excellent SER
vice when he wrote Paradise Lost; but
the world thought it had no use for a Par
adise Lost at the time, and paid him only
few shillings for his work, and paid
them grudgingly.
There are certain classes Of work for
which the world is always willing 10 pay
a fair compensation. We refer to such
as is concerned in producing the ordinary
comforts of life. The world has a con
slant and ever increasing demand for
food, clothing and shelter, but for arti
cies of luxury and taste, the demand is
not steady and reliable. although some
times it is great and high prices may be
realized. The logical conclusion to be
drawn from those facts is this: il We
would have fair but certain living, we
should relate our efforts closely to the ne
cessities of the world. If we would have
better living, and are willing to risk
something first, we may engage in pro-
ducing works of literature, art and luxu-
ry, but we must not grumble, if the world
should fail to appreciate our services, and
withhold the living at which we aim. II
we are satisfied to run the risk Of stealing,
begging, or sponging our Lying, in any Of
the various ways in which it is done, we
may refuse to perform any service for
the world, and devote our whole energy
to begging, stealing and absorbing.
Every man who is master or some craft
or profession for which the world has
need, is armed for the battle of life; and
to him there is no defeat, while he stands
at his post. He has the means, while
health is vouchsafed, of supplying all his
ordinary wants, and OF laying something
by for the day of sickness or for old age.
Skilled labor, whether it be of the hand
or of the head, is ever in demand at q
fair compensation, and to those who rem
der such service the We rid does owe liy-
ing, and it will acknowledge and pay the
debt.
On the other hand, those who have not
fully qualified themselves for tile skillful
performance of any work, must in a large
measure trust to luck to furnish them a
living; and it is astonishing how many Of
the young men in our western towns are
trusting to luck, instead of qualifying
themselves for useful labor. Not to leave
home for an example, we have endeay-
cred in vain to call to mind single in
stance in Toledo, of q young man learn
ing trade" The race of apprentices
has ceased from the land. Who are to
be the carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors,
shoemakers, timers, cabinet. makers, &c,
for the next generation An echo from
over the sea and from the busy workshops
OF the east must answer And what will
the sons OF the mechanics of to-day be
doing when they have grown to be men,
A few Of the most favored and talented
will push themselves into mercantile or
professional life, and the balance must
either earn their bread as day laborcrs or
drift into that list OF vagabonds, who,
having no visible means of support be-
come burden to the public, If not ter
ror to the community.
1t is true that the world is charitable,
and will give to every man at least sort
of living, not because it oices it to him,
but because it does not like to see him
die. But every father of son owes, both
to that son and to society, the duty of
starting him in a career Of honorable self
support. This duty is sadly neglected,
because parents arc thoughtiess, or ra her,
perhaps, because they are deceived about
the capability Of their children. Where
others discover in the boy only the Gle
ments Of mechanical skill, the parents
have no difficulty in seeing clearly mani
tested the prophetic intimation of the sage
or the senator, The boy is encouraged
to dream of future wealth and influence
and renown, only to wake up, in the ma
turity of his manhood to the realization
of the bitter TRUTH that he is qualified to
do nothing for which the world cares, and
for which it will give him a respectable
living.
In the wonderful development of this
country, men have sometimes grown rich
by chance. But such is the exception
and not the rule; and as the country
grows older, and values become settled.
these instances will become far more
rare. Labor, skill and experience will
insure any man competence, and, pos
sibly, wealth; but he who despiscs these.
and trusts to luck for a living, is about Is
certain TO be disappointed as he who in
vests bis money in lottery tickets, with
the expectation of drawing the capital