Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-05
The Dignity ofLabor.

There Is dignity in toil-in toll of tht
hand as we'll as toll Of the head-in toi
TO provide for the bodily wants Of al
individual life, as we'll as In toll TO pro
mote some enterprise of worldwide
fame. All labor that tends to supply
mans wants, to increase mans happi'
ness, to elevate mans nature-ina word
all labor that is honest-is honorably
too. Labor clears the forest, and drains
the marshes, and makes "the wilder,
ness rejoice and blossom as the rose. y
Labor drives the plow, and scatters the
seeds, and reaps the harvest, and grinds
the corn, and converts it into bread, the
staff oflife. Labor, tending the pastures
and sweeping the waters as we'll as
cultivating the soil, provides with daily
sustenance the nine hundred millions
of the family of men. Labor gathers
the gossamer web of the caterpiller.
the cotton from the field and the fleece
from the flock, and weaves it into raj
ment soft and warm and beautiful, the
purple robe of the prince and the gay
gown of the peasant being alike its
handiwOrk. Labor moulds the brick,
and splits the slate and quarries the
stone, and shapes the column, and
rears not only the humble cottage, but
the gorgeous palace, and the tapering
spire, and the stately dome. Labor,
diving deep into the solid earth, brings
up its long hidden stores of coal to feed
ten thousand furnaces, and in millions
of homes to defy the winters cold.
Labor explores the rich veins of
deeply buried rocks, extracting the gold
and silver, the copper and tin. Labor
smelts the iron, and moulds it into a
thousand shapes for use and ornament,
from the massive pillar to the tiniest
needle, from the ponderous anchor to
the wire gauze, from the mighty fly
wheel of the steam engine to the pol
ished purse-ring or the glittering head.
Labor hews down the gnarled oak, and
shapes the timber, and builds the ship,
and guides it over the deep, plunging
through the billows, and wrestling with
the tempest, to bear to our shores the
produce of every cline.
Labor, laughing at difficulties, spans
majestic rivers, carries viaducts over
marshy swamps, suspends bridges over
deep ravines, pierces the selid noun
tain with its dark tunnel, blasting rocks
and filling hollows and while linking
together with its iron but loving grasp
of all nations of the earth, verifying in
a literal sense, the ancient prophecy,
Every valley shall be exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall be
brought low," labor draws forth its del
icate iron thread, and stretching it from
city to city, from province to province,
mountains and beneath the
sea, realizes more than fancy every
fable, while it constructs a chariot on
which speech may outstrip the wind,
and compete with the lightning, for the
telegraph flies as rapidly as thought
itself.
Labor, mighty magician, walks
forth into region uninhabited and
waste he looks earnestly at the scene'
80 quiet in its desolation then waving
MS woodworking wand, those dreary
valleys smile with golden harvests;
hose barren mountain slopes are cloth
ed with foliage; the furnace blazes, the
anvil rings; the busy wheel whirls
'ound; the town appears; the mart of
the hail of science, the tenn
pie of religion, rear high their lofty
rOnts; forest of masts, gay with vari-
ed pennons, rises from the harbor; rep
'esentatives of far-off regions make it
heir resort; Science enlists the ele-
nents of earth and heaven in its service;
Art awakening, clothed its strength
with beauty. Civilization smiles; Lib
.rty is glad; Humaity rejoices; Piety
.Xults; for the voice of industry and
,ladness is heard on every side.
Working men, walk worthy of your
vocation! You have noble escutch-
on; disgrace it not. There is nothing |
eally mean and low but sin. Stoop |
lot from your lofty throne to defile |
Yourself by contamination with intem-
,erance, licentiousness, or any form of
vii. Labor allied with virtue, may
ook up to Heaven and not blush, while
ii worldly dignities, prostituted to vice,
will leave their owner withouta corner
# the universe in which to hide his
hame. You will most successfully
'rove the honor of toll by illustrating
n your own persons its alliance with a
ober, righteous. and godly life. Be We
ure of this, that the man of toll, who
works. in spirit of obedient, loving
tonnage to God, does no less than cher
him and seraphim in their loftiest
lights and holiest songs.-NEwMAN
HALL.