The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-05-31
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tect ourselves against the competi'
tfon Of pauper labor here al home; but
when We contend for The markets Of
the world we cam get no protection,
and we shall then find thai. our most
formidable competitors are the ma,
lions in which there is the most high.
ly developed business ability. the most
highly developed industrial skill:
and these are the qualities which We
must ourselves develop.
We have been fond as a nation o!
speaking Of the dignity of labor. mean
Ing thereby manual labor. Personals
| don't think that We begin 10 under.
stand what high place manual labor
should take; and 1t never can take
this high place unless 1t offers scope
for the best type Of man. We have
tended to regard education as Il mat.
ter Of the head only, and the result Ia
that a great many Of our people. them.
selves the sons Of. men who worked
with their hands, seem TO think that
they rise In the world If they get In !,
n position where they do no hard man,
ual work whatever; where their hands
will grow soft. and their working
clothes will be kept clean. Such con.
'ceptfon Is both false and mischicvoas.
There are, Of course. kinds of labor
where the work must be purely men.
tai, and there are other kinds OF labor
where, under existing conditions, very
little demand indeed Is made Upon the
mind, though am glad to say that
think the proportion of men engaged
IN this kind Of work Is diminishing.
But In any healthy community, in any
community with the great solid quail.
ties which alone make a really great
nation, the bulk Of the people should
do work which makes demands upon
both the body and the mind. Progress
can not permanently consist tn the
abandonment OF physical labor. but In
the development OF physical labor SO
that 1t shall represent more and moro
the work Of the trained mind In the
trained body. To provide saef train
Ing. to encourage In every way the pro
duction Of the man whom II alone can
produce. is 10 show that as a nation
we have a true conception Of the diE,
mtg and Importance OF labor. The
calling OF the skilled mechanic. should
alike he recognized us professions
Just as emphatically as the calllngs
Of lawyer. Of, doctor, Of banker, me .
chant. or clerk. The printer The eiee
trlcal worker, the house painter, the
foundry man, should be trained jus,
as carefully as the slenographer OF
the drug clerk. They should be train
ed alike In head and In hand. They
should get over the idea that. 10 earn
twelve dollars a week and call # sal
airy" is better than TO earn twenty.hYC
dollars 4 week and call 1t wages.
The young man who has the courage
and the ability TO refuse to enter thu
crowded field Of the sol.catIed profes
Sions and to take 10 constructive In
dusrry is almost sure OF an ample re
ward In earnings, In health, In opP0r
thnity to marry early, and 10 estab
fish q home with reasonable freedom
from worry. We need the training
the manual dcxtcrlty, and industrial
Intelligence which can be best given
In good agricultural, or building, NJ
textile. or matchmaking, or engrav
Ing, or mechanical school. 1t should
be one of our prime objects to put the
mechanic, the wage.warker who works
with his hands, and who ought 10 wort
IN constantly larger degree with his
head. on higher plane or efficiency
and reward, so as to Increase his effec
tireRess IN The economic world, mn
therefore the dignity, the remunera
tfon, and the power OF his position Il
the social world. To train boys AMI
girls in merely literary accomplish
ments 10 the total exclusion of indus
trial, manual, the technical trainln.
tends 10 unfit them for industrial
work; and In real life most work Is In
iustrlal.
The problem Of furnishing well
trained craftsmen, or rather journey
men fitted In the end to become sucI,
is not simple-few problems are sim
pie In the actual process Of their solu
tiaH-aad much care and forethoashI
and practical common sense will b.
needed, In order TO work # out in :
fairly satisfactorily manner. II should
appeal 10 all our citizens. am glad
that societies have already been form
ed TO promote Industrial education
and that their membership include:
manufacturers and leaders Of labor I'm
Ions. educators and publicists, men Of
all conditions who are Interested III
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