Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-03
DAHL
POST : NTELLIGENCER


PREACHING AND PRACTICE.
II Il easier to preach than practice II
n far moro difficult to be philosopher
thau 70 philosophize. II Ii not nearly
20 hard 70 give advice a. TO follow II
Criticism 10 mot creation; neither u
thsory performances.
An article in the July Century ssys;
ut voaId sssm that the working CLASSES
in thsir sndssvor to improve their lot 10
life, have largely misdirectsd their
e4orss. By seeking too exclusively to In
oreaas thar income instead Of trying 70
1T more happiness out of the income
th.v now receive" According to our
observation, the efforts Of the "vorkine
el.s.sar % called, have lsttsriy besn
mainly directed TO the problem Of SELF
ueot.ction, 70 rstaining . schedule OF
eomusnss,ion for their labor which
voaid s6ord comfortable subsistence
far themselves and those dependent on
thsir exsrtions. Nine-tsnths OF the dr.
fsrenoss which have occurred between
sapitsl and labor daring the past tsn
van have had their origin in revolt
from announced or perfected reduction
Of wages. The tendency Is ever to get
ssrvios psrformed or purchase maternal
n The lowest possible cost OF capital
This ID an natural a. Il In for men TO de-
sirs the accumulation Of property. IL
undsrliss this desire, and is its ieeit-
mate Offspring. The struggle for exist
sucs Rrovs more intense AZ popoia'ion
becomes denssr and competition sharp
=. Capital becomes concentrated and
the number of the so-called working
classes increases. The result In that the
formsr attempts dictstion and the latter
n sheer self-defense adopt identical
methods Of defense. We do not agree
With the writer in ths Century that the
efforts Of the laboring classes OF America
are in the main directed to warning
against capital. for in other language
that II the charge made. Take away
from the industrial Glasses the constant
and veil founded apprehension OF q
reduction in compensation for their
labor. furnish them steady employment
n wages which afford fair living, and
with ordinary economy n moderate sur
plus for old age, and the rule would be
oontsntment and endesvor 70 get more
happiness out Of their incomes. 1t 10
natural and proper that men should
ssek to better their condition. and one
gre. stimulus for exertion in the at
tainmsnt Of competency Ia, rightly, the
security II affords from the discomforts
OF straitsnsd circumstances in old age.
To this u addsd the comforts and ad.
vantagss which money will provide.
The blessings Of poverty are not Rsner-
ally appreciated. We doubt IL they
eyer viii be. The laborer. as we'll ~
his employer, more nationally and
natusally socks happiness in financial
Independence. The comforts of life, in
which largely consist its happiness, are
asAainabls only by sufficient income
A state Of mere existence, without op-
portunity for betterment, is not At
tractive nor commsndable. Honorable
ambition leads men 70 aspire 70 some
thing bsttsr, nobler, higher. Content
msnt n delightful when proper, but con-
tsutmsut In smbitionless poverty II I'M
worthy free citizen. Such conditior
bsests brutality and slavery. II is oul
judgment that, far more than in any
other land, American laborers enjoy
thsir earnings and employ them wisely
and that the frequent conflicts whiot
ariss hetwseu capital and labor are moi
The result OF avariciousness on the part
Of the latter, but rather the product Of
oommsndable and righteous instinct
OF sslf-protsction. This nation rest
on The broad shoulder Of it, working.
men. In thar loyalty and devotion 4
the government n 70 b found whatevel
security u given to the possessions o.
The rieh. From thSir Drawn and sinev
capital proceeds, and 10 them must !
look mot only for aoorstion but for pro
lection.