The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-08
skirlsdLabor.

We have often had occasion 70
observe the want of appreciation, on the
part Of many of our people, of the value
of skilled labor. There seems. to be a
disposition to estimate the services Of
all men alike, regardless Of the opporeu>
mites Of the individuals to acquire skill
and dexterity in q particular line. A
man who has spent years in the aequi-
elton of profession or trade cannot
and OF right ought not to be. expected TO
render services at prices on a par
with thOse Of men who have had little
experience 10 their calling. Ons reason
Why this should not be 80 is, that it de.
stToys the very laudable desire IN the
minds Of the young TO excel in whatever
they may undertake, because the great
object in this utilitarian age seems to be
to accumulate mo ney, and if q young
man sees that unskilled hands receive
the same reward as those that have be-
come expert by close application. the
inducement to him to excel ie destroyed,
and as a consequence the results Of his
labor are inferior in quality. An inferi-
or article at its customary price is gen
orally the dearest in the end, but low
prices have such fascination about
them that they usually warp the judg>
ment to such an extent as 20 cause Us
to make understandable allowances for
the inferioritV of that which IL pur-
chased So il is when We fail to enc
courage skilled labor and prefer that of
an inferior quality, for We generally en-
counter sore trials in applying it to our
purposes, and like the cheap article"
so called, il is not half SO satisfactory 10
its results as that which costs q little
more money. A cheap article, in the
ordinary sense, is dear at any price and
so it is with the work wrought by hands
with not sufficient cunning 70 keep pace
with the quality desired The appren>
tice never receives the same pay as the
man. who has served his trsde" in q
like calling, nor does the article fashion
ed by the former command the same
price as that which shows the skillful
touches of the latter. We should con-
slider, therefore, the services rendered
by unskilled hands much in the same
light as we do those of the apprentice.
And we cannot reasonably expect our
young men to make the necessary efforts
to excel in their chosen pursuits, if they
do not see that proper encouragement is
given to those who have attsined that
degree Of excellence which is essential
TO impart beauty, utility, and durability
to the product of their labor. The same
principle ought to be applied to all those
yocstiOns which add to our material in
terests, and the efforts of the young to
excel should be encouraged by that ap-
probation which will stimulate them,
and by that remuneration which will
give them hope for the future. We
should not then see so many of our
young men burying their talents behind
the counter at nominal wages, and fol-
lowing pursuits that do not add to the
welfare of the couAtry, but we
should thus be enabled to rear our own
skillful artisans and dispense With the
necessity of drawing them from abroad
This, of course, would cause cur people
to be more in sympathy with each other
and would, therefore, add very consider
ably to their happiness end prosperity.