Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-02
HOMAGE 70 LABOR
Its Victories Are Real and Con-
stitute a Benediction.
Mans Progress to the Higher Thinas
- Life Part Of the Workers
Duty--shouid 30 Truer
Realization Of Dignity.

There was never time when IL was
more propitious to pay homage 10 La.
Dor and its mighty achievements. We
behold by far the great majority OF
tho Caucasian race at war--utilizing
the energy and intelligence OF more
than 300,000.000 people In the work
Of destruction, the result OF which
will contribute not one atom OF good
to the human race or the cause OF
Christian civilization.
Labor's victories are real. They
constitute benediction. They make
for happiness, for the moral and spir.
itual elevation OF mankind. Wars vic.
tories make for woe. for poverty, for
oppression, for homelessness, for the
destruction OF the innocent, for the
reyel OF british passions.
Labor makes for love, II marks the
progress OF mans journey to the high
or things Of life. Labor Is a builder
OF homes; war reduces them to ashes.
Labor plants the vine that chambers
over the cottage door. in which the
waiting wife and children stand to
greet tho toiler's return from the
tasks OF the day; war kills the toiler,
burdens the wife with grief and staryes
the children
Labor IL honesty and ndolity; war
fs pillage and treachery. Labor Ia
virtue; was is ravisher of the dc.
fenceless. Labor Ii truth; war Is de-
ceit. Labor 10 life and faith and hope;
war In murder. frenzy and despair. La.
Dor makes the fields glad with golden
grain, and the birds to sing In the Joy
that animates all nature; war leaves
the earth desolate while vultures SIT
In solemn silence contemplating the
SCARED and broken landscape.
Labor IL altogether good and Il
blaxes mans pathway to heaven; war
Ia evil and marks the road to ruin
and death.
We see all these things today. We
look about us In our own country and
behold the fruitful harvests. II il a
land OF plenty. On every side we be-
hold tho wonderful results OF labor.
Our harvest fields. our great shops,
our wonderful cities, our churches and
schools, our cattle on thousand hills
ALI these testify of labor's worth,
they constitute labor's benediction.
One hundred millions OF people at
peace with the world and striving to
build better and better every day and
every year. b..
And across tho water in the land oil
our ancestors see what war is doing
Think OF those tens of thousands OF
gallant E1en who have fallen In France
Belgium, Germany. Austria and Rus
STA! Think Of the hundreds of thou
sands OF humble homes waiting anx
iously for footsteps that will never
never return: think OF the thousands
of blackened spots from which ascends
the smoke of ruined hatitations
Think OF the danger OF women and
children. think OF the cities destroyed,
and OF the rivers sending q crimson
tide to the sea!
Surely the comparison will give tc
each of US keener appreciation OF
the great boon human labor IL. Sure
ly. we must have q truer realization
OF its dignity. Let, those frivolous
ones who are prone to look upon
honest labor as uncouth and beneath
ones respect give q thought to labor
today and contemplate what truly
great blessing 1t Is. and how much
nobler It Ia than the emptiness and
worthlessness Of Incidence, Labor Ii
king at whose shrine all men may
pay tribnte--all others. kings, kaisers
ears and emperors are as nothing
| compared with tho true monarch Of
Christian civilization whose throne
has been sanctitied and blessed by the
great God himself