The Washington herald., 1922-09-04
The Toilers.

~ of thy face shalt thou eat bread until
thou return unto the ground. For out Of
it vast thou taken; dust thou art and unto dust
thou shalt return"
Thus came the boon of toll into the world
Countless millions of human ants through count
less generations have lived their little lives in labor
and sorrow-with the flaming swords OF the cheru-
BIN and seraphim keeping them forever away from
the gates that open again into the place called
Eden. The swords of the cherubim poverty,
and the swords OF the seraphm are discontent-
and these two always are crossed in the path of
humanity
But the children of Adam have turned Gods
curse into blessing. They have made from. the
dust of the earth sweeter bread than fell from
the skies over the garden. They have turned the
deser. soil that lay across the walls the earths
first morning into still fairer gardens than were
known to the ancestors of all mankind.
The destiny of man is labor There is no
escape from that destiny. Upon the pedestal of
labor is reared all human progress. Labor is re-
sponsible for all the accomplishments that make
the world of today better world than it was in
Adams time.
Hardly generation ago escape from toll was
considered the greatest possible reward of toll
itself Men and women looked ahead eagerly for
the day when they might rest in ease and luxury.
Even heaven itself was pictured as a place of de-
licious rest-a land of quiet days and gentle sum-
bers.
The viewpoint has changed. Now, worth
while men and women consider the finest reward
for their labors the opportunity for still harder
work And the heaven Of today is pictured a
place where human souls work strenu-
ously and accomplish more. Hardly generation
ago labor had dignity. The working was
outside the social realm. He the inferior of
bo IL to.t, -. IT,
day there is no dignity except in labor The world
has turned away from the European viewpoint. No
calling is too owly for the rich too elevated
for the poor.
Recognition Of the dignity of labor is essen
TALLY American. Comparatively few years have
passed since 90 per cent of the people of this
nation poor-since nearly every was
forced to his bread before he ate it. America
reared in healthy poverty-a poverty that
carried with it disrespect since all in
the same class. The continuation of this healthy
poverty is essential if the nation is to endure The
greatest tragedy that could befal the United States
would if class through the rewards of
other mems labor, became the social superior of
other c,asses.
Labor Day essentially is an American holiday
as the dignity OF labor is essentially an Ameri-
can institution 1t is we believe the most impor-
of all American holidays since that which it
idealizes has been the impelng factor in the
building of the nation.
Fourth of July and Memorial Day are cele-
brated in commemoration of events-and mere
events have been of the greatest significance in
American history. 1t is the spirit and ideals be-
hind those events that celebrated Labor Day.
American lsbor is great because it is progress
sne Men in America not forced into moulds
on the day of their birth and compelled to stay
Al
American is the possibility OF more congenial labor
of work at tasks which he can perform more
efficiently. This is the essential difference between
the United States and Europe. There, all things
considered. the blacksmith always must be black
smith and his and grandsons after him must
be blacksmiths. He and his family belong to the
blacksmith caste. The German blacksmith who be-
a DOCTOR lawyer, a preacher or an artist
must be remarkable man indeed Not only must
he master unaided the difficulties of the new call
ing but he must batter down the century-old walls
that surround it, He is not expected to be any
thing more than good blacksmith. It is little
short of a saerilege when he aspires beyond the
anvil
The American blacksmith need not remain a
blacksmith for there is blacksmith caste on this
side Of the Atlantic. The ehapces are about 100
to I that his will not be blacksmith at least,
and that his daughter viii not be blacksmith 5
wife. There is little chance of the American work.
remaining hopeIessly stationary in life He
moves either forward or backward-and movement
of any kind is better than standing still
In america We have Labor Day-a day of
democracy and day Of hope. In Europe the
toilers celebrate May Day--in spirit OF autoe-
racy and hopelessness. The American breaks
down the walls of whatever prison has been
erected about him. That is his celebration The
European decorates the walls. of his cell with
flowers and tries to stab his guard in the back
That is his celebration.
We want in America cells for labor-deco-
sAied with flowers or otherwise. If cells there