Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-20
THE AMERICAN BOY.
An Interesting Study of an Ever
present Topic.
Chicago Journal !

Chicago Journal
What shall be done with the boys? is
one of the NEST important questions
that now confronts the American par
ent. The American father is censured
10y every census report for not raising
more children, and invidiOus compari-
sons are made between his own and the
family of the foreign-born citizens
across the street, while for his own part
he is at his wits end to know what he
shall do with the two or three rollicking
young fellows already oD his hands. If
he is wealthy, and would be glad to see
the boys go through college and adopt
some one of the Learned professions"
for a livelihood, the youngsters are
either opposed to it themselves on gen.
eral principles, or those polite callings
are all so full already that there is not
room even IN the upper stories, where
Daniel Webster is quoted as saying
there are always plenty of vacancies.
II he thinks of teaching them trades
he is met with still greater opposition.
He can find plenty Of colleges and uni
versities in the land which will gladly
undertake the pleasing task of gradual
ing his boys for reasonable considera-
tion in ready casn, but if he wishes to
apprentice them to some useful employ
ment he finds opposition where he ex-
pected it. His plan is objected to, first,
by the family, who do not wish to have
them engage in d service that is clasSed
manual labor, and, while the boys do
not care to become lawyers, doctors, or
ministers they would like something
light and espectable-the last term
meaning the kind of employment that
involves good living. the wearing of
good clothes and the admission into
good society on an equal footing with
best of people. But the American par
ent finds upon investigation that all
these pursuits are quite as full as the
Learned professions" and unless he eau
get situations for his boys through fa-
voritism, or by reason of his own social
position, he is thrown back upon the
trades, or the young gentlemen grow up
in idleneSs and are wasting the forma-
tive and most important period of their
existence.
And if he settles down upon trade
that requires two or three years of ap-
premiership before the learner is pro-
ticeient in 1t and has mastered all it's
details, the boy is destitute of the re-
quired tenacity of purpose requisite to
accomplish the work, or perhaps the
trades union will interpese its objec-
tion, and its opposition often settles the
matter Men who understand only one
kind of business and expect to do
their work in it hBve natural repug-
nance to seeing it overdone, and are nat
urally jealous of all sorts of competition
in it, and to keep others from learning
it is one of the ways in which they hut
ter their own bread. The consequence
is that two results follow, namely, first,
that there is large number of Ameri-
can fathers who are still puzzled with
the conundrum, "what is to be done
with our boys?" and secondly, the
American manufacturer is compelled to
go to Europe for skilled workmen.
A gentleman who is engaged in silk
manufacture in this country writes to
New Y ork paper in explanation OF the
employment of so many foreign artisans
in the silk business, and says it is one of
the necessities of the situation. He
finds out young men and women object
ing to spending two or three years in
becoming expert in the business. OF
course every one with common sense
sees that we are making great mistake
in not preparing ourselves TO ill the
ranks of skilled labor in every depart
ment where it is needed from the ranks
of our own people, rather than to be
Obliged to depend on our too willing
neighbors across the sea. And herein
is another strong argument for the tariff
protection of our home industries, be-
cause by such a policy the list of EN-
ployments is largely increased, the. op-
portunities for young men are greatly
multiplied, and the problem in meas
L.. - IL. h. 4 4,