The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-22
MORkINGMEN.
~ the Indianapolis Journal:

TO society Justly and without seht'theh'iiiU!i 1t
is necessary to have n somewEatlntimate knowl-
edge of his character and the conditions by
which it was formed. American born mechanics
are as rute honest industrious and intelligent
They desire to live upright and in every way
respectac!e life, and they prize the esteem of
their fellow men. But it is, too, true, that they
are usually poor, and that their existence is
often a pitiful struggle. Therefore it is not
strange that IL their repeated dscouragements
they should become desperate, join in foolish,
because unavailing. strikes, and sometimes en-
brace dangerous Communistic doctrines. Chris
tian moraists and philanthropists, realizing and
depioring such state of things, are inclined to
lay the blame almost entirely upon the shoulders
of capitalists, whose power they would counter
act or control by law.
But legislation alone can do little or nothing
in this matter until strong public opinion com
pels dishonest and graspng capitalists TO treat
their employees with something approxlmatlng
Justice. To create such public opinion lies
almost wholly in the power of those most inter
ested-workingmen themselves They alone
can make other men thoroughly respect their
persons and their rights, and to do it most
effectualy they need first Of all, the powerful
weapon of sef-respect. They must learn, from
the teachings of philanth:opists and otherwise,
that self-respect and self-esteem, what they
are apt to falsely call independence, are two very
different things.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty to be met with
in dealing with working1nen personally is the
belief, which most Of them hold, that their
muscle IS of more importance to the world than
other mems brains This belief is not due,
IF at a al
tirGe, to ignorance. 1t is rather sentiment, or
prejudice probably having its rise in
the time when manual jaborers
alone used their God given facul
ties tor the unquestionabe benefit of their
fellow men. The power Of tradition is danger
ously strong, and how to overcome 1t is often
intricate problem. When wage earners are told
for generations that they are the bone and sinew
of the nation, they naturally apt to forget
they also do or should contribute to its brains.
And until they learn to eXalt their brains above
mere physical strength, mechanical ability,
great numbers Of incompetent workmen viii
continue to degrade their whole class. Skilled
labor always commands certain respect from
others, while to 90 the best work he is capable
of in any given employment is tho first requisite
to a mans greatest self-respect.
The next difficulty TO be met with in helping
the workingman to help himself, is his almost
universal extravaganza, at least carelessness
in regard to money matters. This also is to a
great extent the effect of tradition but may be
que partly TO the class 0lSClDCLlOnS OF IiIe Ola
world, whore low wages makes the bagest mate
tial comforts alone possible to the manual
laborer But in free America 1t must be tradl-
ton alone that leads certain class of workmen
to desDise companion, for what they consider
an evidence OF MeanneSS II ne attempts to live
economically or to save portion Of his wages.
1t has been said that the lives Of the poor are
full of self-denial; this is for the most part true
only in the fine but restricted sense OF sacrifices
for others. The hardSblpS of the poor are al
most invariably the result of something entirely
opposite to sef-denal-that is. self indulgence or
lack of foresight. To he told to lay by something
for rainy day is, perhaps, the most Irritating
advice that can be given to the average work
ingman. He Indignantly asks, how can a man.
with family to support save anything out of
ten or twelve dollars aweek? But unfortunately
the same man does no better with higher wages.
He is uncOnsciouSly and hurtfully impregnated
with peculiar class sentiments which must be
eradicated if his condition is to be improved.
1t is time the American mechanic realized his
responsibility as a man among men: rather than
that simply of labOrer among labOrerS. He
should feel himself capable of the same self
denial, which has enabled most manufacturers,
merchants and professional men to obtain
wealth and consequent importance in a commu.
nifty. Moreover he should realize that when
this self denial is more frequently exercised for
the accumulation of property, the Golfers of
saloon-keepers and professional gam blers will
not reap So great part of the golden harvest of
hard earned wages, aud that from this cause
alone the world will be the richer from the great
increase in Christian manliness And when we
estimate the the increase of happiness and
power as we'll as the great improvement in
individual character which is to be gained by
simple self denial the word itself seems to be
paradoXical in meaning. And to those who
would object to our treatment of the subject
from this point of view, of too little
attraction for the average workngman, we
would say that there is no one who has a higher
regard for morality. and for such moral
sentiments concerning the richtness of which he
is convinced Teach him that self-denia is
duty by making plain TO him its benefits, and he
will welcome ana practice it vigorously and
heartily as he now INDUCES in extravaganza.
Again, the highest selfrespect demands at
tention to things of appearance. 1t is, there
fore, neither frivolous sentimental to treat the
condition Of the workincman from the stand
point Of appearance. There are two truths
which all thoughtful men universally admit
The first is that all reforms must begin from
without. The Sc ;ond. that evil decreases it
becomes more and more hidden. AS the condi
ton and character, also, of the workingmen inn
proves, their difference. a class, from other
men will be less marked 1t is not in the
nature of civilized man to preserve proper self
respect while he walks the streets with black
face or conspicuouSly soiled garments That
such thing continues to exist must be also the
result OF tradition or class sentiment. There
can be no necessity for it. Though it seems very
fine to talk of graSping the grimy hand
of an honest of toll, the truth is. q man with
clean hands would rather be excused, though
he may have the utmost respect for the real
worth of the toiler. AS long as water wash
hand basins, soap and crash are plentiful, a me-
chanic at least spare himself the degradation
of appearing in the streets with a conspcuouslv
dirty face 1t is the desire of one or of many
for better things which makes them possible
Another great hindrance to progress among
woTkingmen is that, while they too often cult
waite an antagonsm to capitalists, and are con
sciCusly unconsciously envous of their
superiors, they care chiefly for the opinions of
their fellow workmen-men of their own class
This is of itself narrowing and hurtful III its
tendency. and is contrary to the spirit of free
institutions and equal rights. No logic is re
quired to discover that il it is sufficient to stand
we'll simply among ones equals or interiors, the
iron hound laws OF caste are a good thing; great
ambition among the old world peasantry is use