The Fremont County record., 1882-12-16
AMERICANS MISTAKE.
We Are Working Too Hard. and Not
Playing Enough.

1t is an unmistakable fact, patent to every
thinking man, that the masses of this
country are working too hard, and the re-
suits of not taking that relaxation from bu-
siness are being manifested not only in
our "old-young men" but in physically
degenerating offspring
In recent after-dinner speech at New
York, Herbert Spencer, the great English
philosopher and thinker, most eloquently
portrayed this fact. Exclusive devotion
to work. he said, "has the result that
amusements cease TO please, and when re-
Taxation becomes imperative, life becomes
dreary from lack of its sole interest, the
interest in business. The remark current
in England. that when an American travels
his aim is to do the greatest amount of
sightseeing in the shortest time, 1 find cur
rent here also. 1t is recognized that the
satisfaction of getting on devours nearly
all other satisfactions. When recently at
Niagara. which gave us whole week of
pleasure, learned from the landlord at the
hotel that most Americans come one day
and 20 away the next Thus tine habit of
rushing through with ones business de-
stroys half the pleasure of relaxation But
there are other mischiefs which this restless
hurry and scramble for gold entail
There is the injury to posterity. Dam
aged constitutions reappear in children,
and entail on them far more of i'll than
great fortunes yield them of good. When
life has been duly rationalized by science it
will be seen that among a mans duties the
care of the body is imperative, not only
out OF regard for personal welfare, but out
of regard for descendants. His constitu
state which he ought to pass on uninjured,
if not improved, to those who follow, and
it will be held that millions bequeathed by
him will not compensate for feeble health
or diseased ability to enjoy life. The truth
is, there is needed a revised ideal of life"
Mr.. Spencer claims, and we think he is
right, that life is not for learning and work
ing, but learning and working are for
life. "The primary use of Knowledge
is for such guidance of conduct under
all circumstances as shall make living
complete. All other uses of knowledge are
secondary.
1T scarcely needs saying that the primary
use of work is that of supplying the ma
terials and aids to living completely, and
that any other uses of work are secondary.
But in mems conceptions the secondary
has, in . great measure, usurped the place
of the primary"
The man who gives himself wholly and
unremittingly up to toll or business, is gem
orally in the same category with the miser,
though his acts are scarcely so reprehensi-
BILE
But it Is les commonly seen that the
like is true of the work by which the
money is accumulated: that industry too,
bodily or mental, is but means and that
it is as irrational to pursue it to the exclu-
sion of that complete living, as it is for the
miser to accumulate money and make no
use of it. Hereafter when this active age
of active material progress has yielded
mankind its benefits there Will l think.
come better adjustment of labor and en-
joyInent. Among my REASONS for thinking
this, there is the reason that the progress OF
evolution throughout the world ut large
brings an increasing surplus of energies
that are not absorbed in fulfilling material
needs and points to n still larger surplus
for the humanity of the future, and there
are other reasons which l must pass over.
In brief, | may say that we have had some
what too much of the gospel of work II
is time to preach the gospel of relaxation
We can but re-echo the sentiments of
this great philosopher, and hope to see the
day when men shall work for something
higher than worldly gain, and enjoy the
glorious liberty and beauty of this our
temporary home.
..MY NOvuER.r