Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-01-28

the following papers were read
"Thc Educated Lnborcr."
nyIs srAuLniNa. H.. D., or rhHRE
IL must he evident 10 every one c0nvcrsant
with the history Of man, that his lilo consist.
of activity in his physical, mental ana moral
nature; also, we know that he Is endowed
with powers by which he may regulate and
direct these impulses Of his constitution as be
may elect In reviewing The history OF the
human race, or trncing the accounts Of single
tribe or family VIC shall find IN their physical
condition in their mental development. and in
their moral state such variety Of habits and
customs that we nearly forget that all mankind
had the same origin. In OIL his career man
has ever been a laboror, and the result Of bis
work has always partaken Of or embodied The
thoughts of his mind and the emotions OF bis
heart At first, ignorant of the forces OF ma
turc and the metals, man was c0utentcd and
happy in the possession OF the stone Ratchet,
with which he defended himself and dug Up the
roots for his subsistence now, man. educated,
md in the possession Of the locomotive and the
cannon of to-day. is still looking forward t0|
greater achievements in the field OF scientific
discovery and improvement Through all the
grades in which we find man, from bis PRIME
tive to his enlightened condition, we can trace
in his labor an index ever pointing 40 Dis mental
and moral development
In the civilization Of antiquity there was
golden. brass and an iron age, and it was the
beight Of ambition among Greek and Romans
TO bring back the world to its primitive state,
or to restore TO man the age Of gold. In the
civilization Of the nineteenth century the Gle
ment that gives character 10 an enlightened
society Is the education OF the lab0ring classes.
A laborer, in the common aoceptation Of The
term. is person who is pursuing some v1ca-
ton that requires, the constant use of his
muscles The mechanics and the farmers are
.ratff do D.
alone is the term generally applied. In tie
most comprehensive sense Of the word % la
horcr" we should embrace Oh persons engaged
10 the Observation-Disclosures, merchants, writer's,
and. in fine. all who either exercise their minds
or muscles. That the man who follows any oi
the learned pr0iess0ns-the trader or capl-
talist-reqnires more or less the power OF
thought, Is readily admitted but in regard
10 the ordinary, everyday labor Of the farmer
or the mechanic, some men Of considerable
intelligence are found who assert that MOught
is antagonstic to irork, and rs soon as their
boys and girls acquire a little learning,
they are above the labor Of the farm, the shop
and the kitchen This false notion, ia some
instances, may be the result OF avery little odu-
cation, but in a large majority OF cases the
young person receiving a proper amount OF
mental training feels the incentive OF thought,
and will become more industrious. All mus
cular force originating in the human body is
under the control of the mind, and when any
labor is to be performed by the muscular action
Of the body, two things must be considered
first the nature and amount of work 10 be
done second the force by which it is to be
accomplished. The intelligent workman al
ways takes into consideration the place, the
nature of the material to be changed, and the
manner 10 which the labor can be most easily
effected and, after having laid his plan, the
whole work is finished with the least possible
expenditure OF strength and time. The OBJ
servant labOror also, enlistg IL possible, into
his services, the forces Of mature, and, with
what is usually called TACT he gracefully
and easily accomplishes that which to an *.
norant man appears great feat Of power
In oil the vocatons Of human industry whore
the least skill is required, We sec great diff
ference in the manner By which The same re
suits are effected, and also in the quality OF
the work done In the labor of one man we
see thought directing his hand and skill, mani.
testing itself in the result. In thnt Of another,
all the oxertions of his hand are left 10 chance
his motions are awkward, and frequently his |
exertiOns so misapplied that his strength is |
spent for naught. lfanything is accomplished, |
the work is always rough and unsighty. Rea
son teaches that thought alone gives direction
to the motion of the hand, and efficiency TO its
exertion in oil its movements common ohser-
walton, also, shows that, in the simplest kinds
of labor. the hand moved by intelligence is
quite different instrument from the hand left
to chance or ignorance. The uneducatcd la
borer may comprehend clearly and quickly, and
he enabled 10 execute work readily when he
has seen IT once done still, for the want o.
mental development, be seems to have no logic
no power for systematic eFrar cement, no ca
pacity for collecting the events OF every dal
life, and drawing from them sound conclusions
1t not unirequenty happens that one ignonln
laborer alone will execute simple operation
4. l..N -. l..
of such are brought together, everything is il
confusion. Hence we see why, out of the grca
mass OF common laboTers in Europe, 50 few
rise TO the surface OF society, and are i0unl
qualified 10 manage the affairs even of q sngl
room in small manufacturing establishment
The proverb that " BY learning, the sons 0
the common people become great but withou
it, the sons Of the great become mingled witt
the mass Of the people, is true, not only il
China, but among all nations Of the earth an
especially in q country where there - th
greatest degree Of liberty for scli-disiiuci0n
and where mental cultivation and skill consti
tute the most important elements in sue
ccsslul life
While education makes the lab0rcr nor
efficient in the simplest operations of his hands
it adds greatly to his own enjoyment, and ais
increases the innocent pleasures of large circl
OF friends and neighbOrs. 1t must he eyidon
to every one that the educated and well
informed laborers are generally temperate I
their enjoymenis, which partake Of ntiona
and refined nature they have n taste for rcnd
ing, lectures, music, etc, which not only give
them admittance to the best society, but il pro
notes very much their mental and moral dc
yelopment. They are found in reading.rooms
they purchase libraries they are well dresse
and live in comfortable houses, and all thoi
enjoyments are rational and refining Aud
salso equally evident that ignorant laborcr,
whose mental culture does not open TO ther
the sources of the more refining enjoyment,
spend their leisure time ct the groceries an
other places Of public resort, because they car
not find other means of recreation that do nc
pre-suppose higher degree Of education an
refinement .than they possess. Furthermore
we invariably find the educated aborer mar
aging to live in respectable manner, and en-
joying the comforts Of life, at less expense tina
the ignorant workman, because the extra eS
pendture Of the laboror OF the lowest cond
tion arises from the higher cost of the NOR
sensual epjoyments Of the gambling and drinR
ing saloons.
A celebrated painter was once asked wit
what material he mixed his paints Brains,
was bis laconc reply. In the present stat
OF manufactures, says discriminating eng
neer, " when so much Is done by machincr
and so little by mere brute labor, monial 81
periorty, system, punctnalIty and good order
qualities all developed and promoted by educa
tian-are becoming Of tho hi ghest importance
The idea contained in these two quotations i.
that men OF thought are quick 10 perceive Ia
nature OF the material upon which labor is :
be expended, and can readily devise the mean
by which it can be Effected The unlearne
machinst can be taught, in time 10 construc
certain part OF steam engine, and, as ho ha
been trained in this, as a specially, he wi
probably turn out an article Of excellent work
manship; but let him be required to engage o.
some other part OF the engine, and he is scarcel
more capable Of entering upon his new wor
than the donkey that for term Of years, IN
been accustomed to 90 forward and back Will
attached TO the rope Of pulley
The business man mist have bis capital in
vested in his head and heart, not simply be
cause it is there secure from process of law
but because il enables the man 10 avail himsel
OF all the circumstances OF the position in bic
perchance he may be placed. Tie menta
acumen and enterprise Of such man is No
confined TO one part only of some great under
taking; but with his accustomed forecast b
sees not merely the part on which he has con
centrated his thoughts for time, but he Der
ceiyes its relation TO the whole. and after
little thought and investigation, the Who'll
structure rises complete under the guidance j
his intelligent hand,
The young men Of the North, on eDterin
the army 10 suppress the rebellion, were 500
trained into veteran soldiers and, at the clos
of the war. thew inst as aasflV f.fJ a.fH, a.