United labor bulletin., 1913-10-18
HURRY THE CURSE
OF AMERICA

Editors Note.=The following is an
Grafton delivered by Carl NJ. Harrison,
son of X. Y Harrison, secretary of the
Bookbinders Union. at the South Den
yer High School at the June gradua-
ton.
DO we, as Americans, realize what
the word Hurry means? De we
realize that Hurry is our most char
acteristic fault? 1t has ruined more
Americans than any other element in
our highly complex civilization. 1t is
the scourge of America.
How should we, as Americans, ban
ish the sGourge from our lives? Why
should we not abide strictly by the
laws of nature? Nature never hur-
ries without reasonable cause. Every
phase of her workings shows plan,
stability, and the absence of reckless
hurry. In the evolution of animals,
nature shows her determination to
abide by the above rule, and in the
change of seasons she causes a grad
ual graduation from one to another
which Is not detrimental to any of her
children. The Bunker Hill monument,
that tall marble shaft which neither
wind nor storm can affect, is moved
by the sun as easily as breeze
moves a feather. In the mornings
sunlight this shaft will gradually lean
toward the west until it is several
inches out Of plumb. At noon it is up
right and in the afternoon it is
leaning toward the east. So nature
shows her willingness to abide her
time and never hurry.
Hurry" always implies lack of
definite method. impatience of slow,
careful growth and also results in con-
fusion. The worlds first skyscrapper.
the Tower of Babel, was failure be-
cause of hurry. The workers mistook
their arrogant ambition for inspira-
tion. They had many builders, but no
architect. They thought to make up
for lack of head by superfluity OF
hands Hurry ever seeks to make
superfluous energy a substitute for
clearly defined plan, which is like a
child trying to transform a hobby
horse into real steed by brisk riding.
The story of the Creation as told in
Genesis was Divine protest against
hurry. 1t was n Divine object lesson
of perfect law and perfect order. Six
days work. carefully planned,
scheduled and completed. were fol
lowed by-rest Whether we accept
the story as literal or figurative mat
ters little. IT, we but learn the lesson
In all walks of life hurry causes
accidents which might well be avoid
ed IL this scourge was less prevalent
among tine people of America. What
caused tnat greatest of floating pal
aces, the Titanic. to go down? What
brought about the great wreck in
Pennsylvania few years ago? What
caused the accident between a tram
car and locomotive in this city short
time ago2 All these questions may
be answered by the word hurry
Hurry is also the cause of loss OF life
in our automobile speed contests. mo-
torcycle races and aeroplane exhibit
tions
This hurry" is having its evil ef.
fects on many of our American in
stitutions. The home. which should
be the center of our civilization. is
being disintegrated and this is leading
to many harmful features of our So
cial structure. Men no longer have
time to take that abiding interest in
the home life which they should.
Is it any wonder that the home
has lost It's beautiful Significance?
And we find that the housewife hur-
ries her day at great rate. Is 1t
any wonder that children are not re-
ceiving that attention which they
should have from father and mother
that leisurely attention which should
come from the home.
In their hurry to obtain some am
bition, to crafty the dream of life.
men often throw honor, truth and
generosity to the winds. Business
men in their desire to provide for the
future happiness of their family. Of
ten sacrifice the present happiness
of wife and children on the altar OF
Hurry" They forget that their
place in the home should be some
thing greater than being merely the
"man that pays the bills" they ex-
pect a consideration and thought
fulness that they are not manifesting.
We hear too much of wife's duties to
her husband and to little of the other
side of the question. THE wife"
they tell us, should meet her hus-
band with smile and kiss. should
tactfully watch his moods and be
ever sweetness and sunshine" Is
man the weaker sex that he must be
pampere1 ard treated as tenderly as
boil trying to keep from contact
with the world?
And then in our hurry, our politi-
cal institutions are suffering. The
perfect. working of our system of gov