St. Landry democrat., 1882-05-20
The Laborer is Worthy of His Hire.

1t is an old saying that cit takes two
to make bargain;7 and while the truth
of this is universally acknowledged in
theory, how often in practice is the at
tempt made to abrogate it and have the
bargain conform to the wishes Of one.
Nowhere is this more noticeable than
on farm. When laborer engages to
serve a farmer for certain sum per day
or month, he contracts, in effect if not
In words, to give for that sum agreed
upon his best and entire services. He
makes complete sale of his faculties
and powers of mind and body, so far as
they can be employed in the businessfor
which he is engaged to work. II man
lis by trade a machinist, while he would
not be expected, if hired as farm la
borer, to 90 to work in shop as me-
chanic, it would be his duty to use his
knowledge and skill as machinist so
far as he could in keeping in repair the
tools and machines of the farm-plows,
harrows, rakes, reapers, mowers and
steam-engines, if such there were. fit
is claimed that one capable of doing this
is entitled to higher pay than an ordi-
nary farm hand, who at least can
only pillow and hoe and drive the
team afield, we assent, but assert
that the claim should be advanced
when the contract is made. Every one
has right to his own labor, to use it
for himself and receive directly the
-avails of it, or to sell it to another for
such a sum as is agreed upon; but when
the contract is made and the labor sold,
he has no more right to withhold any
thing he can do than he would have to
withhold any portion of a hundred
bushels of wheat or thousand pounds
of cheese that he had agreed to deliver
for a certain sum of money. Neither
should the laborer think to quiet his
conscience with the thought that he can
do fair days work without giving his
best efforts, nor that if he hoes his row
as well and as quickly as his compan-
ions in the field, no more should be ex-
pected of him. What he is to do or not
to do is not to be measured by the do
ings of another, unless it be so stipu-
lated in the bond. If his bargain is that
for two dollar day he will work as
many hours as Tom, Dick, or Harry,
and will perform as much and as well as
they do, it will be his business to see
that he does just that, and his employer
will have neither reason nor right to
ask or expect more. If you sell days
labor, and perform in the day only what
you could without extra exertion do in
half day, you have stolen the value of
half days labor from your employer
just as truly as if you had taken the
same value in money from his purse.
The other party to the bargain-the
employer-has his duties besides the
mere paying of the sum agreed. He is
in duty bound to see that the labor he
requires may be performed with as
much ease and as little waste of physical
force as practicable; and to this end the
tools and implements he furnishes
should be of the best quality and most
improved patterns, and he will find his
interest promoted by looking after the
comfort of all in his employ. But the
bargain made between the employer
and the employed concerns them and
them only. It is well, perhaps, that no |
other person should know what it is,
lest there be petty jealousies aroused,
as in the parable of the laborer in the
where those who had borne
the burden and heat of the day COM
planned that others who had worked /
less time received the same pay, SEEM
ing to forget that they had contracted |
for certain sum. Very just was the /
reply: ''Friend, do thee no wrong;
didst thou not agree with me for a /
penny Take that thine is and 60 thy
way. Is it not lawful for me to do what /
] will with mine own?" These grum-
blers were of the class that would have !
but one party to bargain, and that
party themselves. The family is q
large one, and some Of its representa-
lives are to be found in almost every
-M. 7. San.
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