The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-15
WHAT LABOR DOES
FOR HUMANITY
An Address on THE Dignity Of
Labor" That Is Full of
Beauty.

From an Address b. Newman Hall. in
February, 1855, at Exeter Hail. London.
There is dignity in toil-in toll of the
hand as well as toll of the head-in
toll to provide for the bodily wants of
an individual life, as we'll as i'll toll TO
promote some enterprise of Worldwide
fame. All labor that tends to supply
q II wants, to increase mans happi-
ness. to elevate mans nature-in a
word, all labor that is honest-is on
orable, too. Labor clears the forest
and drains the morass, and makes the
wilderness rejoice and blossom as the
rose" Labor drives the pillow and scat
tiers the seeds II reaps the harvest
n grinds the corn and converts it in
TO bread, the staff of life. Labor, end
Ing the pastures and sweeping the Wa
tiers as we'll as c%ultivating the soil, pro-
vides with daily the $780,
600, 500 of the family of a Labor
gathers the gossamer web of the cater
pillar, the cotton from the field and the
fleece from the flock, and weaves it into
raiment soft and warm and beautiful,
gray gown of the peasant being alike
Its handiwork. Labor molds the brick.
ard splits the slate, and quarries the
stone. and shapes the column, and
rears not only the humble cottage. but
the gorgeous palace, and the tapering
spire and the stately dome. Labor, div
Ing deep into the solid earth, brings up
Its long hidden stores of coal to feed
10000 furnaces and in millions of
homes to defy the winters cold.
Labo explores the rich veins OF
deeply buried rocks, extracting the gold
and silver, the copper and tin. Labor
smelts the iron, and molds it INTO a
thousand shapes for use and ornament,
from the massive pillar to the tiniest
needle, from the ponderous anchor to
the wire gauze, from the mighty fly
wheel of the steam engine to the poll
ished purse ring or the glittering bead.
Labor hews down the gnarled oak. and
shapes the timber, and builds tie ship.
through the pillows, and wrestling with
the tempest. to bear to our shores the
produce of every cline.
Labor, laughing at difficulties, spans
majestic rivers. carries Niaducts over
inarshy swamps, suspends bridges over
tain with it's dark tunnel. blasting
rocks and filling hollows, and while
linking together with it's iron but low
ing grasp all nations of the earth, veri-
prophecy. every valley shall be exalt-
ed, and every mountain and hill shall
he brought low" labor draws forth its
delicate iron thread. and stretching II
from city to city, from province to
province, through mountains and be-
meath the sea, realizes more than fancy
ever tabled, while it constructs a char
lot. in which speech may outstrip the
WIND, and compete with the lightning,
for the telegraph flies as rapidly as
thought itself.
Labor, q mighty magician, walks
forth into a region uninhabited and
waste; he looks earnestly at the scene,
so quiet in its desolation: hen waving
his mountaineering wand, those dreary
valleys smile with golden harvests:
those barren unta slopes are
clothed with foliage, the furnace blazes,
the anvil rings, the busy wheel whirls
round, the town appears, the mart Of
pie OF religion rear high their lofty
fronts, a forest of masts, gay with va
ried ennon rises from the harbor,
representatives of far-off regions make
1t their resort, science enlists the ele-
ments OF earth and HEAVIER in its ser
strength with beauty; civilization
smiles, liberty is glad. humanity re-
joices. piety exults, for the voice of in
dustry and gladness is heard on every
side.
Working men walk worthy of Your
vocation! You nave a noble escutch-
con. disgrace it not. There is nothing
really mean and low but sin. Stoop
not from your lofty throne to detile
yourselves by contamination with in
temperance. Righteousness. or any form
of evil. Labor, allied with virtue, may
look up to heaven and not blush, while
all worldly dignities prostituted to vice.
will leave their owner without a corner
of the universe in which to hide his
shame. You will most successfully
Prove the honor Of toll by illustrating
IN your own persons its alliance with
u sober, righteous and cody life. BE
We sure of this, that the mar of toll,
who works In a spirit OF obedient. low
Ing homage to God. does no less than
Cherubim and seraphim in their loftfest
Hiohto and hnItact Nv>-