The times., 1898-01-09

its best sport in mimic work, and the tired
. me reliant professional man flies to his
farm or work bench as the most restful
recreation.
The necessity OF reereationis no argument
against this view of the work. The recrea-
ton is change of employment-the relief
thatnature dema nds fronimUnotony or from
the long-continued strain OF one set Of
powers. The worker may find it in change
OF work or in repose- The idler can find 1t
only in action--in action lways wea arisome
and often painful to his enfeebled muscles.
Repose has no sweetness except as it fol-
lows effort. Nature forgiyes the idIer.
She repays the toiler with robust health.
THE HARDSHPS, OF LABOR.
Doubtless some forms OF labor have their
hardships. The principal Of these are:
/ l,working under a ia skmaster;2 ,mea gerness
of wages; ,, the uncertainty of employ
ment: 4. The social degradation Of la Dor.
But let us keep clearly before US the ques-
ton at issue. | am not spea king as yet of
wages, but only of work-of work It's con
trasted with idleness; for idleness is the
true opponent of work.
/. Labor, especially when given for
wages, irnplies the submission for the time
ofthe labDrer to ohisempIoyer. He who works
in his own shop and under his own ndirection
escapes something of this subordination:
but not all. He must meet the wishes ofhis
customer, if he would have work. The en-
ployer frequently has the least liberty of
any man in his establishment. The price
of his success is long and close confine ment
to business.
Socialism exaggerates the loss OF liberty
which it charges that the wa ge- worker
endures. 1t takes no accouno OF the many
restrictions under which every man must
come so soon as he leaves idleness and
begins WORK. 1t is not fair argument
to throw odium ON wage b0r because
of confinements common t. all work.
ecessity is the common taskma ster of the
race. No unrestricted freedom is Possible
to an intelligent being anywhere between
the hone OF omnipotence and the grave.
All human liberty has its nee essary liplita
tions which seem irritating to him who
wishes to break them, but are tie con-
ditions of power and success to him who
honors and obeys them.
This nee essary subordination will be
largely modified by the personal standing
and cha racter of the employer and en-
ploye. II the laborer is ignorant and
unrcfined; If he lacks the personal quail
tiles which command respect, he will suffer
the more. not from the others power, but
from his own weakness and inferjority.
In general, only the poorest la borer is
obliged TO submit to petty tyranny in
order TO get work.
2. Too meager wages, and 3, the un-
certainty of employment, belong to another
paper.
4. Social degrade ton of labor. There re-
mains only one relation to examine, the
low social rank of labor. For ages after
man had risen above the savage state,
labor was the doom of slaves. The war
rior would not stoopto work. That was the
business of those he had captured in battle
and reduced to slavery, and much of the
modern contempt for labor is but sur
yival of those ages of violence. But the
tlisesteem of labor is not universal; each
class in society regards its own employ
ments as honorable and only despises as
mean and degrading the labor of those
below them. Only those who have nothing
to do and who pride themselves on their
ability to live in idleness, look down upon
all work as part and parcel of the same in
feriority of condition. In general, Ill abor
which requires high skill or genius or scien-
tific and literary attainments is hon
ored by the majority of mankind without
regard to the dfa,lgery they may impose.
The mammal, elaborer is desRised not on
account Of his .w,orks but because he is too
frequently too ignorant to work that which
attaches only to. the worker. Ignorance and
the brutalitysawshief ignorance engenders
oftenest co=exist--with ideness, and they
lose nothingio iofitiieff odium when thus asso-
ciated, idleness c.{hnot dignity dirt. Let us
be frank and clear upon this point, for our
whole argument hangs upon it. If true
work, in any ofits forms, however humble.
is in and OF itself a degrade ton, we must
give up the case and acknowledge that the
socialists are right; that work is only to be
endured as a stern necessity and for the
products it brings
WORK ITSELF Is NOBLE.
Watch closely any laborer at his work.
Mark the air and ion OF the man as
each blow is struck. Note the intent
look, the account. evidently taken of each
change produced, he it but the removal
of a spadeful.of earth. See the prompt
perception Of the force, and direction or
the next effort required. and the increas-
ing interest as the desired end is ap-
preached. Something OF all this appears