The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-09-22
L,aborers Who are They ?

The artisan classes cannot complain
that their cause is neglected nova.
days At Boston, last week, the sec
ond annual Exhibition fair of the New
England Manufacturers and Mechan-
les Institute was opened at the Exhibi-
ton Building, in Huntington avenue,
in the presence of large number of
persons, embracing prominent members
Of the clergy, State and city officials,
army and navy officers, etc. AT Gin
cinnati, the same day, an industrial ex-
hibition was opened under most favor
able auspices In the pageant, which
was part of the opening ceremony,
twenty.six tableau cars, representing
ten epochs. beginning with Cincinnati
us at his plough and ending with Gin
cinnatti as it is, were all faithfully
shown much to the advantage of Gin.
cinnatti and the advancement achieved
in methods of labor since the sturdy
Roman alternately ploughed his way
over his farm or through his foes, as
occasion demanded.
Again, on the same afternoon, an
industrial exhibition was inaugnrated
at Toronto, the Attorney, General per-
forming the opening ceremony in the
absence of the Lieutenant Governor.
From all this it is quite evident that
the interests of mechanic laborers are
among the leading questions of the
day At these exhibitions men of
standing in the various communities
were present taking active part, and
thus showing their concern in the in
dustries of the country. 1t would be
well it the working people of our land
could see in these facts the assurance
that they are not regarded rs an unim-
portant part of the body polite. We
hear much of the rights of labor as rep
resented by wolklngmen, and attempts
are made to create gulf between cap
itol and labor, .ae though these ever
could be separate in country of such
advanced civilization as this. Not
more surely are hydrogen and oxygen
essential elements of water, the absence
of either causing the disappearance of
the liquid, than are capital and labor
essential elements of country's pro-
gress. The sensible, American. born
workingman understands this, and this
must be taught to the toilers who come
here. That all have not learned it is
evident from signs which frequently
manifest themselves among us. For
instance, among the banners displayed
in large labor demonstration in New
York city last week, was one which
declared that there must be no money
monopoly while another read, "Pay
no rent. Supposing this principle
carried out, who would furnish the cap
ital to build houses, and, when houses
are no longer built, who will employ
the carpenters and masons, the plum
bers and painters, and the many other
mechanics whose wages depend upon
a busy building trade ? That such
communistic theories will find any very
strong hold here, is not likely. They
are held only by cracked Drained work
men of foreign birth, who come here
to stir up strife between master and
men, so that they may get living
without labor.
"To the Workers should belong the
Wealth. was one of the mQttoes of the
labor procession referred to above
They spoke more truly than they con
ceived, perhaps who devised this motto
We are all working-men, or ought tC
be. Nine out of ten must work in or
der to keep it, But these working
people intended to claim that artisan,
were the only wrighlful owners of tn,
wealth which their hands help TO pro
duce. This is an arrogant assumption
The men who handles goods or money
all day over counter, or who tolls il
any one of the professions is no less
workman than he who handles a spad
and brick, The man who drives a pei
in the editorial sanctum is no less
worker than he who sets the type an,
thus helps to bring the editors produC
ton into print. All are workers
while in professional toll, as agains
merely mechacical work, there is S
much more need of the use of the hea
to guide and assist the hand that, if
is to be monopolized at all, the teri
: laborer belongs to the professional maj
! Meanwhile we trust these industrii
l exhibitions may tend to strengthen tn
! good feelings between the artisan an
other classes of society, a feeling "
believe to be an almost universal on
N Y Observer,
= HOPE ON, HOPE EVER.