The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-02-21

have considerable leisure time. Not
always from choice. Not often in
fact. The era has not yet dawned
when idle time can seem something
desirable. Idleness at any time of
the year now brings to the laborer
fear of poverty, and actual destitu-
ton. But during the winter months
rest is a necessity from which
few of us escape The old saw says:
"What can't be cured must be en-
dured," and it may not be amiss to
discuss the best way OF enduring the
spare time.
If the working classes are accused
of ignorance or narrow mindedness,
the usual excuse for this state OF az
fairs, is lack of time for education
and independent thought. The ex-
cuse is generally a truthful one, too.
Long hours of exhaustive toll with
but remuneration and almost a
hopeless prospect for the future, takes
all the ambition and energy out OF
men and women. 1t blunts their in
tellects, making stolid endurance
of all evils seem a virtue. When
whole days and weeks OF little work
come they seem an evil to be borne
in various ways according to the
temperament of different people.
A large amount Of the existing in
temperance is admitted to be the re-
suit rather than the cause OF poverty
and idleness,-the same reasoning ap-
plies to other vices. A lack Of suitable
reading matter is often good rea-
son for ignorance. Although books
and papers are cheaper and more
abundant than ever before in the his
tory OF civilization, yet it is also true
that the most trashy and inferior
sorts of reading are much more
easily obtained than the class OF
works that would tend to improve
the mind. Again, the fossilized
theories and illogical arguments,
which try to justify existing condi-
tions, die hard. It's so much easier
to state a pretty sounding theory or
ask a pulling question, than to
search carefully and patiently for
the real truth.
This is especially true OF anything
relating to the labor problem-the
very question which vitality interests
each one of us. 1t faces us like the
riddle propounded by the sphinx, we
must solve it Or be destroyed
In spite of all the difficulties
in the way, l am inclined to
think this the best time of year
for study and discussion. This is a
good time to decide just where you
stand. If you are satisfied with your
mode OF life and the future prospect,
why you can afford to white sticks,
play cards or spend the time in any
other frivolous amusement which
may be at hand. By the way, isn't it
odd how many people there are who
actually like to have some body else
do their thinking for them, do their
reading for them, settle their religion
for them, manage their politics for
them, in fact do everything for them
except their work. This class of
people are always willing to work in
dustriously and be meekly thankful
for the opportunity. Questioning
how the products of their labor is
secured and where distributed, would
seem little short of sacrilege. Such
people will continue to enjoy their
present state of inertia just as long
as they produce anything which the
non-producing classes can appropri-
ate.
Another class are dissatisfied, but
quite willing to take any plausible
remedy that doesn't require any ef-
fort on their part in the application.
They like to try all the patent medi-
cines which the glass house PROBES
sors warrant to cure every indus
trial ill. The worse their condition
the more far-fetched and illogical
must'be the patent remedy for it.
Still another class have come to
the conclusion that if we want any
thing done We'll have to do it for our
selves, and they rest not from finding
ways and means of industrial free
dom.
All these and many other classes
exist among ourselves. to say nothing