Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-27

regulator Compared to the news
papers the interstate commerce COM
missioners are downright amateurs In
the field of regulation.
THE SIGH FOR LEISURE.
Lives there the man who has not
sighed for leisure? And lives there the
man who, in his more sober moments.
has not been honestly glad that he
must work." This is the way the Bos-
ton Transcript introduces little SER
monette on labor. It is timely just now
when spring fever is in our veins. The
Transcript adds: y
Human nature, which sweetens un-
der toll, sours in leisure. And it is by
no means sure that the fall from In
locence which first brought work into
the world land all our woe" was not
bringing salvation disguised as la
Dor. Faithfulness will dignity and
beautify even drudgery; no matter
what the work is, provided it is honest,
III it is done WE'LL. it commands our In
stinctive respect Besides, If wedid not
all have to work so hard to keep alive,
the jails would have standing room
only.
These are old saws, but they need to
be reafirmed. We forget them and
think ourselves i'll used because on
fresh, cool morning of May we must
burrow into the murk Of the city and
earn dinner and place to sleep; and
along with us, Mr. Temple Scott forgets
them thus discoursing: I'VE are SO &C.
customed to spend the best years of our
lives in efforts to keep alive that living
is come to mean working in order to
be able to go on working. The wage is
not the stepping stone to independ-
ence; it is the exchange value of the
indispensable daily bread"
The man who takes this attitude
about toll without proposing a remedy
is IL the position of the peevish child
who stamps and screams for what he
Is forbidden. Were we created for leis-
ure? Consider the aesthetic pumpkins
'of your acquaintance and ask yourself
honestly If you would change places
Grow great on verandas Of country
clubs? Grow old on an income with a
rosy complexion as life's work? Bet
ter spade and a trench to dig in! For
even If leisure is employed innocently
It's usual uselessness is vicious, and 1t
is much more likely not to be used IN.
Tnocently. Or we may lay the flattering
JUNCTION to our souls that with leisure
we could give ourselves to some con-
genial task for the benefit of others.
Not a poor man nor rich, but has
Rugged this excuse for idleness. We
still have our chance to work for
others, If we choose, "out of business
hours" and, If in business hours, then
our work becomes. SO much the more
lovable and ,ennobling.,
Some great goodness has chained as
to our work. It is what reclaims US
from savagery. To have done 1t faith
fully is our highest reward at ife's
end, and our surest' contribution to
other lives. We are here, not to work
out sentence, but to earn our liberty.
But liberty does not mean leisure. We
are to earn our liberty, both as individ-
uals and as races, by our TOLL. Ii
we can see this, all work becomes
dignified, whether driving car or
sweeping the pavement.
The whole of human life is seasoned
and sweetened by unconscious, ideal
ism of toll. The head of the family
sacrifices for his children, who will
work and sacrifice for theirs. THERE'S
nothing Of more comic pathOs or more
endearing humor than the pride OF
obscure persons in their work the
pleasure of the drawtender in having
the busiest bridge; the Joy of the
scrubwoman in cleaning floor Gt
was one such who only asked ito be
let to scrub floors in heaven'); the
rapture Of a cook over the dish that
gives her local fame; the pride OF
teamster In the sleek coat OF his horse.
It is their contribution over and above
their wage; their tribute to the ideal
When such things are to be seen on
every side of us such complaints as
this Of Mr.. Scott sounds querulous
enough: Like stupid oxen or blind
horses we go, henceforward. round and
round in a daily grind. And mans
free spirit is killed. - What a satire
on living is this making living" Did
We never think to admire the. patient
strength Of the OK and his gentleness
or the faithfulness and affection OF a
horse These may not be the spectac-
ular-heroic qualities. but they are what
keep the world turning. What a satire
on living?" Not what satire, but what
a sorry comment on the writer's sym
patty for the lives about him. The only
leisure worth considering is leisure for
maturing great works, and the great.
est works have come from those who
could idealize everyday toll.
After New Mexico gets admitted to
statehood. for which 1t has been cam.
poigning for several years. it should
turn its attention to lawmaking. About
the first law it should pass Is one fix
ing adequate punishment for kidnap.
ing. To let two brutal baby stealers on
with paltry five to twelve years for