The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1920-12-04
Labor Degrades No Man.. But Man
May Degrade Labor. A Monument
win Some Day be Erected to King
Labor.
tBy N. W. Hartley

Yesterday, boys and girls, / talked
about the three little things that
formed the triple link in the golden
chain of character. but today l wish
to talk about two little words in con-
nection with the poor man and that
Of the rich man. ! see when | men
ton the rich man that your eyes
fairly dance in your heads, for every
body thinks of the rich, but Abraham
Lincoln took note of the common
people, and said that God must have
loved them for He made so many of
them. am about to talk about
Capital and Asset. And If you will
give me your attention, shall con-
meet these two little words, the one
with the poor man and the other
with the rich man.
Labor is the poor mans Capital
and the rich mans Asset. 1t is
honorable to labor. Some day,
monument will be erected to the
dignity of labor. There is no dis
grace to work with the hands, Pro-
vided we work with skill. Labor dis
graces no man, the man may dis
grace the dignity of King Labor.
Heaven has decreeded that man shall
eat bread by the sweat of his brow.
Shall we wear a badge of labor as
disgrace, or shall we wear 1t as
crown and symbol, as jewel of
honor? Labor rightly directed is the
poor mans capital. The beads of
sweat that dilute his face are to be
counted as the price of his capital
in stock. No labor is meanial. The
pick and the shovel, the pillow and
the hoe, the old wash tub and the
wash board are just as honorable
as the ink well and the quill in the
hand of the sovereign lord; the dust
cap worn. upon the head of the cham
Der maid is just as honorable as
the crown worn on the royal head
Of the potentate. If we honor the
dignity of labor she will both reward
and honor us. 1t is not what we
are doing to make an honest living
that disgraces us, but the manner in
which we do the thing in hand. The
porter in store or the bootblack
at his stand folding their craft
and vocation with skill and dexterity
are to be counted as soverigns If
they do their biddings we'll. The
King will smile on them with the
same genial smile that he does for
the emperor of the empress, if not
in a higher degree. The man in
the ditch, the hod carrier, herder
of cattle, are just as honorable, If
not more so, as the heir to the
throne, for it is not where you are
and what you are doing, but what
you are that must finally count in
the world of real activity. The cook,
although covered with the odor of
the kitchen, performing her duty,
occupies a position that is just as
royal as the one who occupies the
parlor. What capital has the poor
man, destined to labor when he counts
the means at hand for advancing
his wares.
The man who looks upon any kind
of labor as disgrace, is fit sub
ject for the mad house Broad cloth
in the palace is no more honorable
than the oVer-alls in the fields, in
the shop, and upon the house top.
Some times / think we are too proud
to do honor to whom honor is due.
Hands with corns in them are more
honorable than hands some times
wrapped in kids. The boy covered
with dust and grease in work shop
is more valuable than the boy who
stands idle on the, street corner
wishing for the thing in the show
windows. If we are fitted for a po-
sition, that position will seek us,
but, of course, we are to ring the
hell Of intelligence to show where