The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-08
Brain or MusCle===Or
Both.

Paper Read Before the Choutouqua Circle.
XX IE read much about the wage
N/ question and labor. One
v feels sometimes as tho he
was in a maze and hardly
knew which way to turn mis- thoughts.
Some advocate premium or piece
work system, others a profit sharing
plan, still others uniform wage. [
will not try to uphold the Righteousness
of any plan in particular, but will deal
very briefly with the wage. compensa-
tion from the standpoint of general
fitness.
AS long as man is compelled to labor
for his daily existence, so long will
there be dissenting opinions as to his
just compensation. In the beginning
we must divide the wage earners into
at least two classes: First, those whose
sole aim is all existence, and secondly,
those who work faithfully today with
the view of stepping into something
better in the future. We have these
two classes and they are as distinct as
the dividing line between black and
white. You will see members of class
A plod along every day with their
shovel and pick; they never make an
effort to destroy their relationship with
their tools because they are one. We
notice another class, B, who started in
with shovel and pick rise notch by
notch until they become employers in
stead of employees. Study these two
classes and note why class A is still
shoveling at small daily wage while
class b is not only making daily wage
but has increased 1T by becoming di-
recting medium. No one will contend
that these two classes should be placed
or based on system of any kind which
would mean that their compensation
at the end of day, OF week. or year
would be the same. Suppose for a
moment that such system were in
vogue. What would be the effect upon
the present and future generations? A
greater calamity could not befall peO.
pie. The mind of man would have no IN
centive and would dwindle while mus
Gle would develop and become the sole
medium through which an existence
could be maintained. Muscle, moi
mind, would be the directing force OF
the world. A world of all muscle anG
no brain would be rather queer
: world But such a state would have
f, to exist before the wage compensation
: of class A and class B could be placee
at the same figure.
The world would be equally as badl.
off if there was all brain and no muscle
In fact, it might be worse, because il
7 the case of all brains, the race woult
become extinct in comparatively shor
time, a circumstance which in all proba
: bility would not occur in the case of al
muscle, altho man might in tim
y through the constant use of his hands
get back to that point where some pro
! fessed thinker claims that he original
ed from.
! Our world today holds out no induce
. ment to the man that is satisfied wit
. the present, to the man who says, LIE
. we'll enough alone. The desire to
. something better, the effort on tn
II part of man to place himself In posi-
% tion where his services are of create
. value than formerly, has been tn
u medium through which this oil
3. world has been transformed from
II wilderness to garden of plenty an
u pleasure.
e The wage question troubles no on
s except the man that has no ambition
i the one who stands in the "same oil
% rut." Modern civilization does nc
y hold out its hands and say to the activ
% and semi-dead, "Here are your CON
J. pensations, take either one, they al
g. both the same" Nor would we as
: people be content if such a conditio
10 of things existed. Brains and muscl
70 must stand in the same relation to eac
ether as capital does to labor. or vic,
versa. Either might exist in wa
y for time, but one is dependent on th
other. If aman starts in life grubbin
and continues to grub all his life,
cannot expect the same results as th