The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-09-05
From the N. Y. ObserverI
The World Owes Me a Living.

That is not So 1t is the darling motto
of the lazy and the imbecile, but it is a
great mistake. The man who said, Il
am not working for posterity: posterity
never did anything for me" was the
author of a sentiment that meets the case
before US: You never did anything for
the world for which the world owes you
a living"
We are led to these remarks by read
ing in one of the daily papers the COM
plant of a writer, who says:
have enjoyed the finest advantages for OBJ
tanning physical, moral and INT Intellectual II ai
of my advantages; 1 am able and willing to
make myself useful lecturer, lawyer, dra-
matte reader, actor, author, clerk in an office or
book store, as a librarian, or in any other ca
pacity that does. not require different special
mand. And yet L find it hard work to make
fifteen dollars week, and rarely succeed in
Gated man, with a finely educated and finely
organized, finely feeling wife, and two children,
in ten dollars of Saturday night for his own
and their support for week. Can you as a
without knowing your educated feelings are
outraged. In common with us you must have
nIood IN s6at IT cTyetth out for shamen had not
be content"-I would join the ranks of the
Communists thanks be to God-I have
eaten coal plucked from the Altar of Sacri-
fce-viz: the Cross of Jesus Christ-and burn
with love towards all who wait for His appear
brethren. 1 write this to show society how
badly it treats those who have its welfare and
to ignore the claims of some of its best mem-
bers, and make it more ready to give longer
No one can read such cry as that
without deep emotion. And emotion is
quickened by the thought of thousands
nourishing in secret the same sentiments,
which no ear but God S ever hears And
this is an indictment of society," charge
of bad treatment brought against some
body, and it needs inquiry. Is it we'll
taken? is it true that this educated
gentleman" has been badly treated p
If yes, who should be punished? If yes,
what shall be done to secure for him bet
ter treatment in future?
Books have been written, conventions
held, riots set on foot blood has been
shed, much ink also, to bring about a
state of things in which society" will
behave itself better, and make suitable
provision for educated gentlemen" who
cannot earn more than ten dollars week.
Who is society" responsible for this
gentlemans failure2
That we are all members of one great
family, and in high and proper sense
brethren, under social obligation to
God who made US, to bear one another 8
burdens, is indeed true. But that they
whose burdens are borne have right to
prescribe how heavy load others shall
carry for them is readily denied. Your
burden may be the fruit of your own folly
and sin, and in that case who has given
you the right to put your load on my
shoulder, and SO punish me, while you
60 on your way rejoicing that you have
escaped?
Who is society" you complain off 1t
is made up of individuals of whom you
are one. So long as you carry your part
of the load you are quite content. But
is there such society" as is bound to take
your share, to take care of those who are
not wanted to carry portion of it's bur-
dens? For work is the burden, and
when there is no work to be done you
are not wanted. But society has con-
sented, in addition to all its work, to
make provision for the sick, the blind,
the lame. the unfortunate, and the i'm
provident also. After an industrious,
prosperous man has toiled all the year
to support his own family, the State
comes down upon him with heavy tax
a thousand private charities tax him
hundred fold more, to make provision
for those who are not industrious or not
successful in their work. A man in mod
crate circumstances, who is SO unfortu-
nate as to own the house he lives in, pays
at least twenty dollars week for the
support of those who do not earn their
daily bread! Yet there are educated
gentlemen who complain that they do
not get what they ought to get. out of
society, in return for the sort of work
they are able and willing to do.
There is tide ebbing and flowing in
human life: now it is high, and again it
is low: and we cannot always calculate
just where it will overtake US. And SO
it comes to pass that there is more work
sometimes than workers, and then little
for them to do This arises from the
imperfection of men. You cannot have
every thing as you would like to have it,
and tinkers of society generally make
matters worse. just now there is vast
overplus of educated gentlemenl The
public school system has stimulated the
production, and more men and women
have been educated than society wishes
to employ in the exercise of their wits.
If all the land of the country should be
given up to the culture of corn, there
would be gIut in the market, and the
price would fall. and even then vast
Quantities of it would be unsold: nothing
could be done with it: it is dead loss:
L,.t AZ oo,,, ia GOOD coupd corn an6 tho