Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-10-10
Who are Workingmen ?

just now, when there IS so mucn
talk about The hardships Of working
mans lite, it is we'll to remember that
hard workers are not confined to rail-
roads, nor coal mines, nor large manu-.
factories. This is Nation of work
ingmen, and no one class must assume
that they have monopoly in the way
OF special grievances and hardshlps'
There are very few men in the coun-
try who are not dependent on their la.
Dor i'll some department for the sup
port of themselves and families. There
are very few men who can afford alite
of elegant ease. The majority are la !
borers in chosen fields or workers
where circumstances have placed
them, and all are striving to do their
best for self and family.
The stalwart blacksmith swinging a
hammer or the robust farmland
mauling rails, or the begrimed coal
miner working under many disadvant-
ages, is apt to look with contempt on
the labors of matchmaker or copy
ist, and to smile when lawyer or
physician Is spoken Of al a working
man. The blacksmith thinks hard
workers are all blacksmiths, and the
farmer is firm III the belief that the
hard work is all done by farmers. The
truth is that the physician and lawyer
arc as hard workers as the others, and
the man who handles delicate watch
wheels works as hard ..as the man who
swings u pick III coal mine. The
man who does the work Of the copy
ist, writing eight or ten hours day,
works as hard and under as unfavora-
bic circumstances as he man who
sweats in harvest field. But the
harvest hand will not believe it, and
he will not recognize the copyst as a
laboyer.
This want OF realizing sense Of
what constitutes labor extends to
nearly all classes OF laborers. The man
who takes care OF u physicians horse
knows that the doctor is busy all
dov and is called out nearly every
night. Yet the hostler lis . lapolti
and the physician is not The man
employed in a large factory knows
that the Superintendent is worked
nearly to death, and yet the common
workman, with scarcely thought
above his own line Of business, is 4
workingman, and the Superintendent,
who thinks for all, and works more
hours than any man III the establish
menl, is not. TO the man who works
on the street, the book-keeper, puz
zling over accounts, and the business
man worrying over the details OF
large business, are in no sense labor
ers, and yet either the one or the olhel
works harder than the man with spade
and shovel.
The men who work in the lumber
wards and coal yards have no realizing
sense that men employed On morn
inc paper work harder than they do
and yet any one who understands al
the circumstances knows that such Il
the case. The mer who work in tht
rolling mills and toundries would hesl
tate to admit that reporters on daily
papers had any claim to ihe name o.
workingmen, and yet the reporter
work as hard as the rolling-mll men
and wear out sooner.
There are many kinds Of labor to b'
performed. The circumstances OF lite
demand professional workers as vel
as mechanics and railroad men. There
are lazy lawyers as well as lazy me
r chanics, but there are hard workers II
all fields of labor, aud the hard WORK
crs are the ones who meet with sac
cess. This very thought should weaV
a bond of sympathy between all hare
, workers, and the consciousness tha
the man who is the humblest employ
, to-day may be the master IN fey
years should nerve every man to ct
, his best for himself, aud to do thi
without injury 10 his fellow.
q Mr.. Arthur, Grand Chief OF tn
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi
neers, notes the fact that many OF tn
j.. railway managers OF to-day were aie'
years ago railroad employees Thes
men were workiugmen then, an
q those on active duty work as har
: now, possibly, as they did in the oil
= time. Workingmen are those VII
9 gain livelihood by the labor c
hands or head, and in this class ar
included uine.tenlhs OF the men in an
n community. Such being the case,