St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-27
-DGIUW ZGIU.
P.F. LYONS. Local Forecast o Iicial.
THE DIGNITY OF LABOR.

Ill AlneIICd, Ol dll lUe COuHGIleS Ill JU6
world. labor should occupy throne.
Our government was founded in sim
plicity by and for the people, and in
tended to be democratic in the highest
sense. Free and equal rights for all
WASHINGTON and his immortal army
fought to secure. And so fearful were
he and all the grand array of heroes who
brought the nation into existence that
classes of rank might spring up that
they lived in the utmost simDl city, re-
garding every man an equal, hoping
their example would be universally
emulated through all time. TO per-
petuate the democratic character of the
infant nation, the free school was estab-
liShed. 1t was the expectation that this
institution would cultivate race in
which the commoneSt person would be
philosopher.
That the dream of our forefathers has
fallen short and the laborer is at the
foot in social rank is not due to a love
for ease driving people out of the tields
OF labor, fOr-indolence is in no wise an
American characteristic. That the flour
hundred" and the plutocrat of the ola y
draw their skirts about them to avoid
contact with the laborer isnot altogether
self-assumed superiority: for the laborer
curses his star of deSti and thus con-
fesses "a feeling of iuleriority. The
farmer sees his son developing remark
able brightness at the district school,
and dreams that the boy was born for a
greatdoctor, lawyer or statesman. For
the world he would not have him hide
his talents upon the farm. The trades
man, too, has his bright boy, and is fir
ing him with aspirations above the shop.
THE average teacher in the public
schools thinks he is performing the
highest service by filling his favorite
pupils with admiration for renowned
people, and hopes that they too may
become famous. The farmer, the trades
man and the average school teacher be-
lleye that if the children who are to re-
main on the farm and In the shop are
able to read and write AMI know the
multiplication table they have enough
schooling.
The nation is reaping the results of
this miserable philosophy. And today
the law business, which has many bright
lights, is overrun with worthless law
yers; the medical profession, which has
many skillful physicians, is crowded
with incompetent men: on every hand
are Would-be statesmen, who find rec
DgnitOn only i'll the pot house; our
farmers and tradesmen who are even
good tillerS of the soil and skillful arti-
Sans are too often unreasoning, and
hence the victims of prejudice and ca
price. 1t is not cause for great wonder
that manufacturers are requiring their
employees to sign agreements to kee %
sloof from labor organizations, and that
The business interests of the country
live in dread of these unions. Many of
the terrible strikes of the past doze n
years have arisen from no good cause,
and been the work of an nnreasoniHg
rabble stirred up by tonguey agitators
who cared really nothing for the inter-
eSts of the employees, and sought only
selfish end S.
Until the dignity Of labor is elevated
to its throne the condition of things will
not be greatly changed. The hope of
labor lies in two directions.
The best educators have come to the
conclusion that the highest aim of the
public school should be to teach the
pupils one and all to think and be able
to follow truth, wherever it leads. DR..
LYMAN ABBOTT recently said: sour
public schools have taught great mass
of people TO read who have not vet
leaned to think" When the public
school has turned universal attention to
teaching its wards to think, and the
farmer and the mechanic become con-
Vlnced that reading, writing and arith-
metlc are not sufficient schooling for the
children who are to become laborers.
we shall have made long stride in the
interests of labor.
The other direction lies in organiza-
lion. The effort of the capitalist to sup
press organized labor savors of tyranny.
In no way can the laborer be more read
lily improved in thought than by associa-
tlon with his fellows where the time is
DEVOTED to exchange of ideas. If the
exchange of thought is not at first hon
est, Self-intereSt will soon force upon
the organization honesty of purpose
Strikes are usually disastrous to the
laborer, and no one is now more keenly
alive to the fact than he. The time has
come when many labor organizations
exhaust every means to avoid strikes.
The state labor commissioner shows
from statistics that the union of cigar
makers and the unions of many other
trades have brought about wonderful
decrease in strikes among their arti-
sans.
This is only the beginning of new
era for labor. When loose thinking
among farmers and mechanics is the
exception and not the rule, and they