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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