The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-03-20
A General Talk About Mechanics

No class Of people this country contrib
ute So much to the elements Of prosperity
to the common veal and exercise 50 llitle
power in the government as skilled labor
ers. Ii is customary To speak Of farmer,
as being the nations pulse as the power
hose good or bad harvests regulate tht
wages Of all conditions Of people: all yet
it requires much harder labor and muen
more skill to turn what they produce into
that form upon which its value depenGs
than It does a. produce H.
Skilled labOrers the millers. the tail
urs. the blacksmiths. the iron -puddlers.
and the laborers IN ali those aVocatiJns
which require An apprenticeship art
methodically dIlgent with the acquire
ment Of a trade, they also acquire habYs
Of industry. The ldieness of gamblers asd
such classes Is as irks"me t. them as thaIr
steady, patient, ns-taking look wulld
be to the verriest drune in society
This is one fact nf which rulers Nv not
seem to he aware. That skilled lab,rers
prefer constant employment to ldl,ness,
and that everything which they, ip their
legislative capacity, can do t. encourage
and protect such citizens, should bs done
But. some may say, Why shonld the
State encourage one class ard discourage
another As long AS neither uf them disobey
the law If the land ; NoN let us see why
Take the case of gambl-r ID IA said
that the law should not rrstricf personal
liberty 81 far As to say what twp or three
persons may DO among themselves, pro
vlded their acts and the Consequence of
their acts are confined To the immediate
actors To admit this would be- To destroy
the theory of government All the people
have the right "a say not eEny that one
citizen shall not 10 al vet. h,cause Il i
Wfs5ng N ,ts-li. bat mat hesl.aii IL. i,. at
winch may in IT. ssniote consequence lead
a. the ailhdra~ al ~ ail.gisncy Va the , IT,
hand and protection 80 fl.c other. There
fore. the wisdom ~ apes has tended wv the
suppression a gambling Ani because
this same WISDOM has s-eu th1' ~. pros
p.-sity uf state csn only exist H. the
shadow ui the degree & happiurss ed
~ the great a.Sss VI IT,. I.eoI.a. ana that
this degree is regulated by The regard
which j. shosn far ls~ abiding industu
o;ss snd .hr,hy clt 1xns inr these s-1f---f
has n cnuRtepaH,ed "a, side and srsf-f
distinctions between NJ sho Psiis l"Nh
and h- who builds a.
d i lauent4hlr c"mn,ntary upon
truA r,s- that lab.r. which ~ m "ld rrn-
n.unced as a cursa, Is to.dIy sought as a
privilege Oy mechanics and artisans. On
those youthful persons wh,se Iourneyman-
ship Is stiIl nes. aud ~hphavr I" wait ana
watch without eeasin- p nrdcr 2" secure
an opportnnify to c"Inrence the battle "
life. the eiEst-t is lettrablr tor ~ such
hours are nften formed the Foundations u
habits shea ~ventralE lead "a What, 9TH
er~ise, woJAd have leen honorable lives.
To those uhempI,yed young mechanics, ~
whatever Iavenu Of trade they may be
seeking ernpetency and good name,
We sak, No. "a good cheer. j may DC that
the krisations. ,he disapppintments, the
wrslgs yen sntTei II they be but mantully
yes sse the gem. though you know It
not frsm whelce shall issue better and
n..bser hf.. and after many days. peace
that rasseth ali understanding u. Lo'"s
rar