the iron puddler-第29节

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The　leader　of　the　boys　said：　〃Aw；　piffle；　cut　it　out。　We　might　as　well　be　scrubbing　the　floor　as　listening　to　this　talk。　Come　on；　fellows。〃　He　led　them　back；　one　of　them　protesting　that　he　would　never　scrub　a　floor　for　any　man。　He　went　ahead　and　scrubbed　the　floor　still　saying　that　he　wouldn't。　That　lad　was　weaker　than　the　leader。　He　went　wherever　he　was　led。　The　leader　was　a　boy　who　made　his　own　decisions。　He　was　ashamed　of　calling　off　the　strike；　but　he　did　it　because　he　felt　the　strike　was　wrong。

This　is　the　Mooseheart　idea　of　education。　Every　boy　must　use　his　own　judgment。　He　faces　every　fact　that　he　will　face　in　life；　and　by　the　time　he　is　eighteen　his　judgment　is　as　ripe　as　that　of　the　much　older　average　man。　The　Mooseheart　boys　are　not　selected　students。　They　come　from　the　humblest　families；　from　homes　that　have　been　wiped　out　early。　But　the　training　at　Mooseheart　is　so　well　adapted　to　human　needs　that　these　orphans　soon　outstrip　the　children　of　the　more　fortunate　classes。　They　become　quick　in　initiative；　sturdy　in　character　and　brilliant　in　scholarship。　Visitors　who　come　from　boys'　preparatory　schools　where　the　children　of　the　rich　are　trained　for　college　are　amazed　to　find　these　sons　of　the　working　people　so　far　ahead　of　the　young　aristocrats。　The　Mooseheart　boys　as　a　group　have　the　others　beaten　in　all　the　qualities　that　go　to　make　a　young　man　excellent。　We　have　prepared　them　for　life。



CHAPTER　XLVIII

BUILDING　A　BETTER　WORLD　BY　EDUCATION


And　so　the　great　dream　of　my　life　has　been　realized。　In　youth　I　saw　the　orphans　of　the　worker　scattered　at　a　blow；　little　brothers　and　sisters　doomed　to　a　life　of　drudgery；　and　never　to　see　one　another　again。　No　longer　need　such　things　be。　The　humblest　worker　can　afford　to　join　an　association　that　guarantees　a　home　and　an　education　to　his　children。　In　Mooseheart　the　children　are　kept　together。　Family　life　goes　on；　and　with　it　comes　an　education　better　than　the　rich　man's　son　can　buy。

As　individuals；　the　Moose　are　not　rich　men；　but　in　cooperation　they　are　wealthy。　They　have　a　plant　at　Mooseheart　now　valued　at　five　million　dollars；　and　they　provide　a　revenue　of　one　million　two　hundred　thousand　a　year　to　maintain　and　enlarge　it。　They　received　no　endowment　from　state　or　nation。　They　wanted　to　protect　their　children　and　they　found　a　way　to　do　it。　They　based　their　system　of　education　on　the　actual　needs　of　men。　They　know　what　life　is；　for　they　have　lived　it。　In　mine　and　field　and　factory　they　had　tasted　the　salty　flavor　of　real　things；　and　they　built　a　school　that　has　this　flavor。

The　war　drove　home　a　lesson　that　will　forever　make　false　education　hateful　to　me。　Education　in　the　wrong　direction　can　destroy　a　nation　and　wreck　the　happiness　of　the　world。　The　German　worker　was　taught　that　he　would　get　rich；　not　by　patient　toil；　but　by　taking　by　force　the　wealth　that　others　had　created。

On　my　return　from　France；　where　I　had　witnessed　the　Hindenburg　drive　into　the　heart　of　France；　I　addressed　the　Iron　Workers　in　their　national　convention。　〃I　am　glad；〃　I　said；　〃that　I　was　born　an　iron　worker　and　not　a　Chancellor　of　Blood　and　Iron。　For　the　iron　I　wrought　has　helped　build　up　a　civilization；　while　the　German's　'Blood　and　Iron'　has　sought　to　destroy　it。

〃France　stands　knee…deep　in　her　own　blood　while　the　iron　of　Germany　is　being　hurled　into　her　breast。　Iron　Workers　of　America；　to　you　has　God　given　the　answer　to　the　German　thunderbolt。　The　iron　of　the　republic　shall　beat　down　the　iron　of　the　kings。　Wherever　I　walked　behind　the　battle　lines　in　France　I　told　them　I　was　an　iron　worker　and　I　gave　them　this　message　for　you：

〃'The　American　iron　worker　will　not　fail　you。　We　have　been　taught　to　believe　in　justice　as　the　German　believes　in　might。　We　will　back　up　our　soldiers　with　ships　and　guns　until　Kaiserisim　is　beaten。　We　will　set　the　workers　of　Germany　freefree　from　their　foul　belief　in　murder　and　in　kings。　And　when　we　have　bound　up　our　wounds　we　will　build　a　new　world　that　shall　be　a　freer　world　than　man　has　ever　known。'

〃I　have　dedicated　my　life　to　this　purpose。　We　will　build　this　freer　world　by　the　right　instruction　of　our　young。　Education　is　of　two　kinds；　one　kind　is　good　and　the　other　is　poison。　A　poisonous　education　took　but　one　generation　to　turn　the　German　working　men　into　a　race　of　blood…letters。　Wrong　education　tears　a　nation　down。　Right　education　will　build　it　up。　One　generation　of　right　education　will　remake　the　world。　Who　will　furnish　this　new　education？　I；　for　one；　will　do　my　share；　and　more。　My　heart　is　in　this　one　cause；　and　my　whole　life　from　now　on　shall　be　devoted　to　it。

〃You　will　hear　me　speaking　for　it　on　every　rostrum　and　in　every　schoolhouse　in　America。　I　have　been　handicapped　in　life　because　I　had　no　education。　But　it　is　better　to　have　no　education　than　a　false　one；　for　I　was　left　free　to　know　the　truth　when　I　found　it。　I　went　into　the　mills　when　I　should　have　been　in　school。　As　a　working　man　I　have　helped　get　better　conditions　for　the　worker。　Think　how　much　more　I　could　have　done　if　I　had　had　an　education。　Your　leaders　have　done　much　for　the　iron　workers　because　they　could　see　farther　than　the　common　man。　The　worker　with　an　education　can　see　far。　He　can　judge　quickly　and　be　guided　rightly；　for　he　has　knowledge　to　guide　him。　I　have　knelt　and　prayed　to　God　to　direct　me。　Now　I　know　He　has　answered　my　prayer。　My　mission　is　to　bring　to　the　poor　man's　boy　the　ample　education　that　the　rich　man　gives　his　son。　Equal　education　will　make　men　equal　in　the　gaining　of　wealth。　Education　is　Democracy。

〃A　French　soldier　lay　dying　on　the　battle…field；　and　a　comrade　kneeling　by　him　asked　what　last　word　he　wished　carried　to　his　wife　and　children。　And　the　dying　man　said　with　his　last　breath：　'Tell　them　that　I　gave　my　body　to　the　earth；　I　gave　my　heart　to　France　and　I　gave　my　soul　to　God。'

〃And　so　I　say　to　you　in　the　spirit　of　the　French　soldier　that　this；　my　body；　I　will　give　at　last　back　to　the　iron　earth；　in　whose　deep　mines　and　smoking　metal　shops　my　muscles　took　their　form。　This　heart　of　mine　that　beats　for　liberty　and　equality　I　giveand　give　to　its　last　beatto　the　cause　of　equal　education　for　our　young。　And　my　soul　at　last　I　shall　render　back　unto　my　Maker　knowing　that　I　have　served　His　cause　as　He　has　given　me　to　see　it。〃



CHAPTER　XLIX

CONCLUSION


H。　G。　Wells　has　asked　all　scholars　to　unite　in　writing　a　〃Bible　of　the　New　Education。〃　I　am　no　scholar；　but　if　Wells　will　take　suggestions　from　an　iron　puddler；　I　offer　him　these　random　thoughts。

This　generation　is　rich　because　the　preceding　generation　stored　up　lots　of　capital。　We　are　living　in　the　houses　and　using　the　railroads　that　our　fathers　built　by　working　overtime。

When　labor　loafs　on　the　job　it　makes　itself　poor。　We　are　not　building　fast　enough　to　keep　ourselves　housed。　Were　it　not　for　the　houses　our　fathers　built　this　generation　would　be　out…of…　doors　right　now；　with　no　roof　but　the　sky。

No　matter　who　owns　the　capital；　capital　works　for　everybody。　Ford　owns　the　flivver　factory；　but　everybody　owns　the　flivvers。　The　oil　king　owns　the　gasoline；　but　he　has　to　tote　it　to　the　roadside　where　every　one　can　get　it。　Equal　division　is　the　goal　that　capitalism　constantly　approaches。　No　man　wants　all　the　gasoline。　He　wants　six　gallons　at　a　time；　with　a　service　station　every　few　miles。　Capital　performs　this　service　for　him。　Under　〃capitalism；〃　so？called　wealth　is　more　equally　divided　than　under　any　other　system　ever　known。

Work　is　a　blessing；　not　a　curse。　This　country　had　the　good　luck　to　be　settled　by　the　hardest　workers　in　the　world。　Their　big　production　made　us　rich。　If　we　slacken　production　we　will　soon　be　poor。　The　Indians　owned　everything　in　common。　They　did　not　work。　And　they　were　so　poor　that　this　whole　continent　would　support　less　than　two　million　of　them。　Thousands　of　Indians　used　to　starve　and　freeze　to　death　every　hard　winter。

The　white　man　who　doesn't　want　to　work　is　sick。　He　needs　a　dose　of　medicine；　not　a　dose　of　the　millennium。　The　Bible　says　that　in　the　sweat　of　his　face　man　shall　eat　bread。　When　labor　loafs；　it　injures　labor　first　and　capital　last。　For　labor　grows　poor　to…day　while　the　capitalist　gets　poor　to…morrow。　But　to…morrow　never　comes。　The　capitalist　can　turn　laborer　and　raise　himself　a　mess　of　pork　and　beans。

The　laborer　who　does　not　turn　capitalist　and　have　a　house　and　garden　for　his　old　age　is　lacking　in　foresight。

Men　will　never　be　equal。　John　L。　Sullivan　had　many　fights；　and　John　always　whipped　the　other　fellow；　or　the　other　fellow　whipped　John。　When　all　men　are　equal；　every　prize　fight　will　end　in　a　draw；　and　every　batter　will　knock　as　many　home　runs　as　Babe　Ruth。

〃There　is　enough　already　created　to　supply　everybody　if　it　were　equally　divided。〃　Yes。　And　there　is　enough　ice　at　the　North　Pole　to　cool　off　the　Sahara　Desert　if　it　were　equally　divided。　There　is　enough　water　in　the　seven　seas　to　flood　the　six　continents　if　it　were　equally　divided。

The　time　to　quit　work　and　divide　the　wealth　is　just　two　weeks　before　the　end　of　the　world。　For　the　world's　surplus　of　supplies　is　just　two　weeks　ahead　of　starvation。　Wheat　is　being　harvested　in　one　country　or　another　every　week　in　the　year。　And　yet　with　all　the　hard　work　that　men　can　do；　they　can　not　boost　the　world