The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-04-14
VOL. XXIII.-NO. %.

next day had received four hundred and
thirty-seven applications for the position.
The other reason why American boys are
tradeless is that the trade unions, domi-
mated often by foreign mechanics, have put
up the bars against apprentices The
American boy, who is willing to fly in the
face Of the social dictum that a trade is
not respectable, can scarcely find a master
who is willing or who dares to take him
and teach him the rudimcnts of a skilled
handicraft.
The tirst named reason appears to have
taken frmer hold in the United States
than anywhere else, notwithstandin. that
no titled or other aristocracy exists here.
This strikes one as inconsistent to the last
degree in a country the chief cornerstone
OF the government of which is the declara-
tlon that all men are created equal. In
imperial Germany it is considered the
proper thing for even the sons of ROYALTY
and the nobility to have trade. The
present Emperor, Frederick Ill, is a skill
ful jeweler; the Crown Prince William is
glover, and Prince Henry, the future Ad-
mlral OF the German navy, is a matchmaker.
Ii men born to rule empires and control
the destinies of nations find it no disgrace
to be able to earn their living BY handi-
craft in case of need, how worse than fool
ish it is for those who must earn their liv-
ing somehow to confne themselves to a
choice between half-paid clerkship and
the lowest form of unskilled labor. It
seems that a republic, after all, develops
the most silly as well as the most universal
form of snObbery known to the civilized
world. Starvation is the only sure remedy
for this false notion, and the sooner little
sound common sense is starved into the
great army of semi-genteel Americans tho
better it will be for them and their chill
dren.
The hostility of the all-powerful trade
unions to any apprentice system that would
give an American boy a chance to earn
good wages by the skillful use of his hands
is an obstacle to his best interests that is
practical rather than sentimental. For
this reason it is much more easy of removal.
When the American people find a real OBJ
stacle in the way of their own prosperity
they generally find way of getting rid of
it. 1t is not probable that the apprentice
system will ever be restored. The trades
unions, which are law unto themselves,
can prevent that But in the place of the
over-developed high schools and other un-
called for appendages of our public school
system should arise a system of manual
training or trade schools which will be
quite as effective The few experiments
that are being made in this direction give
promise of unlimited and successful devel-
opment in the future if Americans once get
into their heads the idea that a good trade
is better for a boy than poor profession
or life of genteel idleness.
If the American boy is to have the
chance he is entitled to, the way must be
cleared for him, first by teaching him that
all honest work is honorable and that the
life of a thrifty mechanic is to be preferred
to that of half-starved dude or doctor
or lawyer without practice. To the shame
of many American mechanics and others
it must be said that this is not always done.
On the contrary, they too often teach their
children to despise the calling by which
Iney nave PROVIDED 1or themselves and
families. Such a coprsn is disgraceful and
unworthy of any American Given. Where
ever it has been followed it should. be aban---
doned. This is one of the many directions
in which Americans must learn to rule
America, They must cultivate manly
and truthful American sentiment on this
subject.
This first and most necessary step being
taken, the American people should see to
it that way is provided by which their
boys can be taught the use of their hands.
The future of the American boy is at stake
in this matter, and if the American people
are true to themselves they will not allow
a restrictive policy to be persisted in which
must result in leaving the United States in
the next generation entirely dependent on
foreign countries for its skilled labor, while
an army of worse than useless native-born
citizens are living hand-to-mouth life for
the want of the skilled training which they
should have received in youth.