Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-02-19
AN APOSTRoPHE no LABOR.

Il
Mr. Editor Will you allow me
space in your paper to say few words
to the workingmen of your region in
in regard to labor and its blessings
to mankind at large, as I am one
among the many that toll for liveli-
hood
There is dignity in toil-in toll of
the hand as well as toll of the head.
All toll that tends to supply mans
wants, to increase mans happiness, to
elevate mans nature, in word, all
labor that is honest. Honorable la
Dor drives the pillow, scatters the seed,
reaps the harvest, grinds the corn
and makes the bread-the staff of
life-and sustains and provides food
for the millions of the family of man.
Labor moulds the brick, splits the
slate, quarries the stone, shapes the
column and rears, not only the hum
BILE cottages, but the gorgeous palace,
the tapering spire and the stately
dome. Labor dives deep into the
solid earth, brings up its long-hidden
treasures of coal to feed ten thous-
and furnaces and to enable millions
of homes to defy the winters cold
and stormy blasts. Think not, you
miners, that your labor is in vain, al
though you are only making scanty
living for yourself and little ones; you
keeping together some of the bright
est of homes. Had it not been for
your labor this northern hemisphere
would badly be inhabited with civil
lied people; you have done more to
christianize the world than all other
branches of trade put together, for
when your busy hands stop all trades
are paralyzed and stand with wonder
ment, and would soon fall to the
ground to rise no more. IF had an
archangel's voice l would "cry aloud
and spare not" to every workingman.
Workingmen, walk worthy of your
vocation; you have q noble escutch-
con; disgrace it not. There is moth
ing really mean or low but sin; stoop
not from your lofty throne to defle
yourselves by contamination with III
temperance, RIGHTEOUSNESS or any
form of evil. Labor, allied with vir-
tue, may look up to heaven and not
blush, while all worldly dignities,
prostituted to vice, will leave their
owner without corner of the uni
verse in which to hide his shame. Be
We sure OF this-that the man of toll
who works with a spirit of obedient,
loving homage to God, does no less
than cherubim and seraphim in their
loftiest flights and hottest songs; and
0, thou toiling miners of Maryland's
loftieat heights. thy noble deeds and
just principles have bsen sounded in
praise over this broad land of ours
All eyes are turned to thee for in
struction, while God looks down upon
the work thou hast done in the past
in raising toiling humanity from the
dust He has called thee by ANEW
name-the people of progress; and, as
thy name, so let thy motto be in the
future.
Work, therefore, my fell9y-toilers,
with pride and gladness, fof thereby,
you will be united by common bond
with all the best and noblest who
have lived, who are now living, and
who shall yet live. The man and
woman who is above labor and des-
pises the laborer, show want of COM
mon sense, and forget that every ar
ticle that is used is the product Of
more or less labor.
Sir Walter Raleigh relates a reply
made to him by the wife of noble
duke at whose house he lodged over
night. In the morning he heard her
give directions to a servant relative
to feeding the pigs. On going into
the breakfast room he loosely asked
her if the pigs had all breakfasted ?
"All, sir, but the strange pig I am
about to feed, was the witty reply.
Sir Walter was mute and walked up
to the trough to be fed.
Labor is business and an ordinance
of God, although SO many think and
act otherwise by trying to Cypress the
man of toll. Suspend labor and
where are the glory and pomp ofearth.
Let the labor-scorner look to himself
and learn what are its trophies.
From the crown of his head to the
sole of his foot he is the debtor and