Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-12-08
Honorable Labor.

An exchange says that all useful labor is
deemed honorable in this country. We often
hear this sentiment; most frequently, perhaps,
from the mouth of the politician upon the
stump, or the college president or profess
sor, or the lawyer, at an agricultural meet
ing. The utterance of it is supposed to be
particularly pleasing to the horny handed
tillers of the soil, and it seems to be thought
by those who use it that, if only applied
freely, and worked in with sufficient JUNCTION,
1t is as modifying to the said tillers as a
corn-cob well rubbed upon the back Of a
cross hog-making them perfectly satisfied
to support the worthy gentlemen who apply
it to them, without the performance on their
part of any labor that is any way useful, ex-
cept TO themselves and those like them.
Doubtless truism may be made very
useful for soft-soaping purposes, but is this
even so much as a truism ? Is useful labor
deemed honorable, and are they who are
styled "the honorable of the earth" the
men and women who are doing the worlds
work most faithfully and laborously? If
yes, then certainly it is not the so-called
laboring classes, the manual laborers, who
are entitled to this credit; and those who
try to natter them in this way are doubly
fooling them-foolng them by telling them
they are doing the worlds best work, aud
fooling them again 10y telling them that they
can win honor by it.
II is not usefulness, but pocer, that Is the
measure of honor, in this country, as in every
other. And ii is only as the manual labor
OF country wields the power of the country,
and is able to make that power efficiently
felt in its own behalf, that it is honorable or
will receive honor,
Intelligent, self-respecting labor, has power,
and with power has also honor But ignor-
ant, stupid, grovelling labor, no matter how
useful, is bat the badge of slavery-slavery
to the cultivated brain that rules every
where, with a force and tyranny only lin.
tied by the fear Of rebellion, or the slight
restraining influence OF practical Christianity.
Power, says a great writer, is forever steal
ing from the many 10 the few. This painful
truth has had as full an exempldcation
in this free republic as it ever had in any
monarchy. The present state Of the country
proves the truth Of the allegation. What is
the imminent psril of the hour 2 Is il not
that the politicians, by reason Of their organ.
ization and discipline, will defeat the wishes
OF the people, and force upon us, either
through one party or the other, govern
mont for the next four years that will Der.
petuate the doctrine that 10 the victors be-
long the spoils and, with this ofIice.holders'
maxim, perpetuate the high taxes, wastefal.
ness jobbery, robbery, and monopoly by
which brains and capital together are able to
keep the ignorant labor OF the nation with
its nose 10 the grindstone of poverty
Let us not be deceived Without education,
labor has neither honor nor power But
unite knowledge TO labor, and the occupa-
ton OF the politician is gone. Then the
statesman will come 10 the front, the gov
eminent will be administered ia the interest
Of the people, and labor win become honora-
BILE in the only way il can become so---by be-
ing powerful. Our institutions nominally