Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-04-19
The Army OF Aimless Young Men,

The New York Bulletin remarks
with much truth that zone Of the most
serious h.ndrances to the return Of
better times is the vast number of
Young men who are adrift in the large
cities who can get nothing to do,
simply because they can do nothing
that anybody wants done" There is
wisdom enough in this simple sugges-
ton to furnish food for much whole
some meditation. The evil referred
60 is not one that is TO be laid at the
door of the "hard times" however; it
is really the outcome of the era of
false and inflated prosperity which
preceded the panic; and the business
depression did not create it, but SIM
ply brought it to light. The fact is
that for many years we have been
steadily diminishing tie number of
apprentices in the various industries.
We have had, to be sure, schools OF
archaeological instruction, and colleges
of agriculture and science, but the re-
suits accomplished by them have been
VIGOROUSLY out of all proportion to
the outlay. The number of youth who
are willng-or whose parents are
willing for them--to submit to the
hard. practical, continuous discipline
of the workshop has grown each year
less. Living in society based on
the principle of human equality, and
depending for its existence upon the
recognition of the worth and dignity
Of labor, we have somehow contrived
to nourish an aristocratic spirit which
looks down upon the CRIME and SCOT
and smoke Of the shop and the factory
as something coarse and degrading
The practice of apprenticing boys to
IL useful trade has gone lamentably
out of fashion; it is no longer to the
shop but to the store that the Ameri-
can youth looks for employment; the
yard-stick supplants the hammer anC
the saw and after picking up smat.
tering Of many sorts Of knowledge ir
the common schools, and rushing
through hasty course Of book keep.
ing, the boy of the period expects tc
be at once launched upon mercantile
pursuits, with good chance af at.
tanning success and competency
The consequence is that those sorts Of
employment which are classed as
eight and "gentecP' have been en-.
ormously overcrowded. During The
imitation era, it did not so much mat
ter, and merchants retained in theil
services shoals Of clerks WHO were O
no special use further than to keep VI
the appearance of an immensely .
business. But with the panic came
retrenchment, and month by montl
the lines have narrowed. BY squad,
and battalions these young men have
been set adrift, having but one thins
in the world which they knew how tt
do, and the market altogether closeC
to that.
AS the evil is upon US, it is perhap
more profitable to inquire into it
remedy than its causes. And it ma,
as well be frankly said that there il
no specific to apply. The evil i
deep-seated; it has been of slow ant
long growth its removal will not b'
easy. We are already outgrowlng, j
is to be hoped, our contemptuous no
tons concerning manual labor. A
all events the common senae Of tn
ceoplc may be trusted TO dispose o
that sooner or later. AS for the rest
there are two principles that may b
briefly stated, viz: That, in the lon!
run, it is only trained labor whicI
can be relied upon to secure stead
and lucrative employment; and tina
the America of the future and th
near future-will require more t-aine'
labor, will respect it more, and vii
pay it better than ever before. Th
sooner these principles are understood
and acted on, the better will De til
results.