The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-12-20
Ignorance Is One of the Greatest and Firmest
Friends Of Vice and Tyranny.
KNOWLEDGE IS TRUEST AID OF VIRTUE
Lei the Temple Of Political intelligence be Opened-Let the
Press be Messenger Of Truth and Not One Of
Falsehood and Abuse.

Bad government and false reli-
gion are somewhat alike, as they
both depend on ignorance for sup
port, says OliverT. Beaumont. AS
pure worship is best sustained by
All enlightened reason, SO a good
government is best upheld by cul-
tivated intellect; for while investi-
CATION and intelligence poison the
very life blood of a tyranny, they
serve to purify and cause more Wig
orously to flow that of a republic,
and enable the heart thereof to
beat with a more healthy action.
Moral energy must be regarded
as the great sustaining power of
our free institutions. Wealth and
physical force are the creatures of
day; virtue and intelligence are
akin to things of eternity, as they
flow from the purity and wisdom
that upholds and governs all
worlds and beings
That state of society is far from
being healthy where the ignorant
and the vicious are on the same
plane with the wise and virtuous-
where the varied ranks are caused,
not by different ranks of intelli-
gence, integrity, and virtue, but
by different degrees of wealth,
where riches is a veil to cover vice
and mask to hide the hideous de-
formity of licentiousness.
In order to restore such a state
Of society to health, we must strive
to make the community feel the
truth that wisdom and knowledge
are the only riches worthy Of ho-
mage and that nobility of mind
should be less talked of and more
honored. If the millions of dollars
thrown away on the heathens of
other lands were expended to pro-
mote universal education in our
own country, what mighty mass
OF ignorance would be removed,
and how much would the general
standard of intelligence be raised.
Some people imagine that the
peace of society can be best pro-
noted by preventing the leavening
principle of knowledge from enter
ing the mass of the common mind
feeding the few with the rich loaves
OF wisdom and the many with the
unourlshing bread of ignorance. But
the truth is against such an argu-
ment. "Wisdom and knowledge
shall be the stability of the times, -
or the protecting powers of peace.
Ignorance in the people impairs
the strength of good government,
Tor the more they know of the fit
ness OF just laws to promote the
happiness of the whole, the more
contented they will be to yield
obedience. If there are laws that
are unjust, the sooner they are dis
covered and repealed the better. If
1he increased intelligence of the
common mind causes such discovers
10 be made then are good at least
Will be found to have resulted
from the diffusion of knowledge.
But 1T is said that education will
make men dissatisfied with their
trades, and cause them to be I'M
reasonably ambitions for other
stations in life. Far different will
oe the results of right education,
lor workmen will ssoon learn that
honest labor is virtue. To "dress
and keep the garden in which he
was placed was Adams first duty,
and constituted the first trial OF
obedience. Labor being recogniz,
ed as a virtue, and like all other
virtues, ennobling the obedient,
industry will be considered as
most honorable, as the principle
\ OF life to the improvement Of
society. To instruct men in thei1
duty can not be giving them ar
incentive to neglect it; nor will the
knowledge of their true value te
society prompt them to despise it
but rather lead them to cherish
their work with a proper self:
respect. They will have JUS
notions of the Importance OF
mechanical employment, and cor
rect views concerning its character
The common remarks of educa
ton's disqualifying the mechani,