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Editorial
April 2, 1884
Connecticut Western News
North Canaan, Salisbury, Canaan, Litchfield County, Connecticut
What is this article about?
Editorial advocates for teaching young Americans practical trades over professions, warning that current education fosters idleness leading to crime or poverty, and emphasizes labor's honor.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
Learn a Trade,
An exchange says:
There are more young American men in the penitentiaries in this country learning trades than there are outside of them. The principal cause of this is that we are educating our young men for gentlemen—trying to make lawyers, preachers, doctors and clerks, out of material that nature intended for blacksmiths, carpenters sailors, and other honest "hewers of wood and drawers of water." It's a mistake, and a big one, to teach the boys and girls to believe that to labor is disgraceful, and to do nothing for a living is more becoming the society in which they expect to move and have a respect. Hang such society! It is rotten to the core to-day, and there are many men's sons and daughters who are now being educated to play the part of "leading lady" and "walking gentleman," in the grand drama of life, who will light out for poorhouse or a penitentiary before they have played their parts and the curtain drops. "Go to work!" It is a fact that too little attention is given to the future welfare of young men as to independence. Too much time is wasted in theory, when a little of practical instruction would be of untold value. Don't make the mistake of leading boys and girls to look upon labor as disgraceful It is honorable in the highest degree. If it were not, the kind the Creator would not supply so many good hands and brains for work as he does,
An exchange says:
There are more young American men in the penitentiaries in this country learning trades than there are outside of them. The principal cause of this is that we are educating our young men for gentlemen—trying to make lawyers, preachers, doctors and clerks, out of material that nature intended for blacksmiths, carpenters sailors, and other honest "hewers of wood and drawers of water." It's a mistake, and a big one, to teach the boys and girls to believe that to labor is disgraceful, and to do nothing for a living is more becoming the society in which they expect to move and have a respect. Hang such society! It is rotten to the core to-day, and there are many men's sons and daughters who are now being educated to play the part of "leading lady" and "walking gentleman," in the grand drama of life, who will light out for poorhouse or a penitentiary before they have played their parts and the curtain drops. "Go to work!" It is a fact that too little attention is given to the future welfare of young men as to independence. Too much time is wasted in theory, when a little of practical instruction would be of untold value. Don't make the mistake of leading boys and girls to look upon labor as disgraceful It is honorable in the highest degree. If it were not, the kind the Creator would not supply so many good hands and brains for work as he does,
What sub-type of article is it?
Education
Social Reform
Labor
What keywords are associated?
Learn A Trade
Education Reform
Value Of Labor
Young Men
Penitentiaries
Practical Instruction
Honorable Work
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Importance Of Learning Trades And Value Of Labor
Stance / Tone
Advocacy For Practical Education And Honorable Manual Labor
Key Arguments
More Young American Men Learn Trades In Penitentiaries Than Outside
Educating Youth For Professions Misuses Natural Talents For Manual Work
Teaching Labor As Disgraceful Leads To Societal Ruin And Personal Downfall
Society Valuing Idleness Over Work Is Rotten
Practical Instruction Over Theory Benefits Independence
Labor Is Honorable, As Evidenced By Human Design