The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-04-17
Skilled Labor.


" the demand is not for learne
10 tongues or learned pens, but 70
~ learned fingers. The professions
" learned and unlearned, are crowde,
- to overfoWing. This state O, al
= fairs makes shysters of lawyers
70 quacks of doctors, demagogues o
- politicians, and puts in the pulpit
= rancid amalgamation of the mora
y = cowardice of cursing Peter and tn,
:, lying genius of Annanias. All thos,
f. occupations which give easy, gentee
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that may
soil the soul but never the hand
are filed with more than gospe
;. measure; and the crowding anC
= pushing for such position is being
/; made all the greater since plucky
\ women are forcing from those pla-
: ces which rightfully belong to the
! female sex alone those anomalies,
= abnormal life forms, which anato-
my might pronounce male, but
which certainly lack every trait of
manhood and would yet more mis-
erably disgrace womanhood, of
which the perfection is the dude
and the highest ambition to oper-
ate telegraph Instruments, teach in
public Z schools, peddle chromos,
canvass for books, or measure rib
bon, for twelve dollars q week and
the smile of the insipid dudelet..
For every such place there are a
hundred applicants; young men of
muscle and strength willing to dali
ly at this work and anxious to Sc
cure it at wages which preclude
their ever laying by do liar against
sickness or old age and which must
keep them continually in debt for
the tafy ties and darning needle
shoes which make their delight by
day and their dreams by nighs.
For men of skilled, trained hands.
men who have a trade and know it,
there is a strong demand at all
times and seasons. 1t is true there |
are great many pseudo-me chanics
many more than fifty years ago
and many more than sshould be
and these may cry for work at
times and like the alleged mascu-
line. nondescript of gentility be
threatened with ptyalism when the
tempting morsel of a place is to be
had; but a skilled workman in any
trade need never want for hire; he
is eagerly sought after by hun
dred employers; he is independent
of the condition of the mark ct; the
skill and cunnin g of his hand and
eye are too valuable to lose, and
must be paid whether the products
are slowly or ra pidly consumed. If
business ceases the master-hand is
eagerly sought by some rival
house, which knows and values the
product Of his skill.
This state of affairs is not what
we would expect ia well regulated
society. It is the result of spuri-
Gus pride. Clean hands are priced
more than clean characters. In the
social ca talogue the smirkin9 dal-
lier is of ten rated higher than the
honest mechanic or farmer. Not
by people of sense, however; and if
this be the criterion of sense
then the, world is rapidly growing
more sensible. The reaction is at
hand. Necessity has made the
bread and butter problem all-prom-
inent. The people, who constitute
the state, are beginning to see that
the state can not much longer toll
crate those who play at work. When
in this country the time comes that |
men must do mems work, an Idling |
class of gen teel snobs will OF be
tolerated, as in those countries !
whose social systems are shadoNved |
by throne.
This is an age of steam an 4 |
lightning, of intricate mechanica
labOrsaving appliances. The work |
man must be trained to operate
machines, to control steam, to
guide electricity.
The course of invention is rapidly
onward; the ingenuity and cum
ming of the mechanic must keep
pace. Already the mechanic is |
master of the Industrial situation.
The engineer is becoming above
the conductor. In a few more years
the mechanic will lead.
Already skilled mechanics get
higher wages than the gesnteel tri
fers. And already the greatest de-
mand is for engineers and machin- |
lists. 1t will become urgent and |
great-how great it is hard to con-
ceive.
There is a lesson IN this for the
young men who read it and who !
we take it are mostly farmers. They |
should not forget that the progress
of the times Is rapidly transform
ing agriculture into light occupa-
tion, but as it demands less of |
Drawn it asks more of brain. If,
Notwithstanding this, they desire |
to leave the farm and come to towns
we would not discourage them, as
many do, but rather would bid |
them God-speed. The men at the
helm in the city were country boys.
But, boys, do not come to the city
to be stylish and dudish. Your
best heritage is your manhood. Oh,
for the sake of that, don't crawn in
to the professions or push your
sisters away from the work they
can do. Learn a trade and learn it
well. Study it, be one of the best.
You will aways have work; you
viii always get good wages; and be-
fore you are very old, though the
hand that writes this may not be
permitted to chronicle it, you will J
be the foremost man, the man OF
recognized worth and social honor.
South and West.