Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-07-04
RIGHT TO PLEASURE
At BELONGS TO THE WORKER As
WELL As TO THE CAPITALIST.

For Toiling Constantly-Owes His
Family OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of Short
ened Hours of Labor.
Has workingman any right to
pleasure? Is it right that he be always
contending for a shorter workday?
Should he not rather spend his time in
.laboring, striving to add to his earn
:tngs by doing more work and thus pro-
viding for his family and against fu-
;ture contingencies?
These are questions which have been
>agitating the world for centuries. They
are questions which the workingman
has answered to his own satisfaction.
and yet they are constantly recurring
and have to be thrashed out all over
again.
The wOrkingman Is not a mere ma
schine, as many of the capitalist class
would have him. He cannot he driven
lncessantly without wearing ont. and
that quickly. Enjoyment. pleasure, re-
creation, are just as necessary to him
as are sleep and rest, and unless he
gets them he will soon wear out and
die.
There are those who believe that the
man who works for his daily wage
should not be allowed any of the pleas
'ures which nature has placed at the
disposal of the human race. These
people hardly believe that the working
classes are human. They look on them
as mere machines. living. Of course.
iplaced on earth for no other purpose
than to carry out their will. This feel
Ing on the part of those in positions Of
wealth and power has OF course de-
creased greatly during the past cent,-
.ry, but it still exists, and every once
ln awhile it crops out and is exploited
dn the capitalistic press. But these
soutbursts are becoming less frequent
right along. and we as workingmen are
glad to note it. We are human. enjoy
the same things that our richer friends
do; the same things hurt US, the same
things nourish our bodies, the same
things please us or cause us sorrow;
we feel, speak and think just in the
same manner that they do.
This is the chief reason the working
man is constantly striving to shorten
his workday. The shorter the work
day the more time for rest and recrea-
ton. Pleasure is an essential in the
life of every man. rich or poor. and the
Creator never intended that one man
should have all the discomfort while
his brother had all the pleasure. The
eight hour day gives the workingman
time to rest, it gives him time to think.
it gives him time to get an ed1ca ton
and to better his condition by bringing
him nearer to the ranks of those who
are trying to crush him and make a
mere automaton of him-eight hours
for sleep, eight hours for work and
eight hours for recreation and pleas
alre, whether that pleasure be in study
ing, to better himself or in visiting va
riOus places of amusement to change
the current Of his thoughts and get
them out of the rut or in spending the
hours with his family looking after
their interests. educating his children
and elevating the condition of his
home. This last is the duty of every
man, be he rich or poor.
He should always look after the in
terests of his home, the most sacred
place on earth to him. be it the hum
blest cottage or the proudest mansion.
And in order to do his duty in this re-
spect the workingman must have time
to spend in the doing Of it.
The workingman has absolutely no
right to. spend his life in toll. His duty
lies in prolonging his life as much as
possible, in helping his family and in
becoming a useful member of society,
doing all the good he can for the gen
eral public. If he is constantly at his
tasks, trying to earn more money. he
gets to thinking that the only good
there is in this life is money; that the
only thing to think Of is self; that the
public matters are not for him. but for
Others. That is just the condition many
employers would have their workmen
reach. Then they are easy to control.
They will stand any hardships he
chooses to impose without saying q
word and will go ploddjng along In the
rut until death overtakes them, which
1t generally does before long.