.•Mr. Shield: When you, sir, put on your long gown and lecture us workers, we are, of course, very grateful for your kind intentions•. But if you were to take off that gown and, standing in our shoes as workers, offer us sincere advice, wouldn’t we be even more appreciative?
We ourselves admit that we are neither university graduates nor doctors nor gentlemen of high moral standing.
We are simply ordinary working people.
Naturally, we should be open to receiving others’ “generous instruction.”
Yet we also recognize that in this world, it is not only a select few who are being taught; at present, students, workers, and the general public are precisely those who are being instructed.
Those who do the instructing, of course, are the gentlemen of the long-gowned elite class.
Students, workers, and the common folk—none of them lack knowledge, none are entirely unlearned.
Thus, when they don their gowns and brandish their vast erudition and devotion to study to lecture others, there is nothing inherently wrong with that!
Theirs is an intellectual caste; their livelihood and tools are scholarship itself; their means of making a living®] lie in their ability to write and to teach.
Each of us—whether they or we—has a right to uphold our own interests and to demonstrate our capabilities, and that is perfectly reasonable!
However, to those who seek to instruct others, we would earnestly suggest first reading Chapter 11 of Tolstoy’s Confession.
Though we ourselves do not presume to teach, we nonetheless wish to invoke Tolstoy’s words: “May others have the kindness to instruct us—bitter words may serve as medicine, while sweet words can breed illness.”
We humbly accept such counsel.
Nevertheless, we must make one point clear: First, we hope that those who would teach us will step down from their lofty perch and, instead of assuming the role of our superiors, deign to treat us as equals—as friends.
Let them refrain from beginning every sentence with phrases like “You workers,” “Lacking common sense,” “Disorderly conduct,” “A motley crew,” “I advise you workers,” or “Encouraging an overbearing attitude among laborers.”
It would be far better to say, “We all…” Can you truly offer us honest help and sincere advice?
If so, we would gladly shake hands with you—please extend your hand without delay.
Stop addressing us as “you” over and over again, as though we were officials and you, mere underlings!
Second, we hope that those who instruct us will thoroughly investigate the facts, avoiding veiled accusations and never resorting to personal insults.
For example, if we point out that your esteemed newspaper receives a certain sum of money each month from a private individual, would you acknowledge this?
I ask you: What specific observations or evidence led you to declare that you “no longer (the word ‘anymore’ was deleted by our worker colleagues during copyediting) allow yourself to be manipulated or sacrificed as a pawn in someone else’s experiments”?
Please provide a prompt response.
We further believe that journalists ought to speak with greater precision and factual accuracy.
Yet you insist on expressing a desire for us not to act as we have been doing.
Should your remarks indeed contain hidden barbs, we certainly cannot condone them.
If, however, your statement reflects a genuine wish, then while understandable, we still cannot regard it as well-intentioned.
By disparaging our dignity as workers, your expressed hope cannot possibly be deemed sincere.
In Mr. Shield’s heart, which claims to sympathize with us laborers, there also lies the assertion that “henceforth, workers may inevitably become complacent after this victory, growing increasingly arrogant, with ever-increasing numbers and a diverse mix of types.
Even with numerous representatives overseeing matters, maintaining order could prove impossible.”
On what basis did you make such a dire prediction, prompting you to pen these ominous words?
Do you truly possess such foresight?
This remark, like the previous one, is equally unwarranted.
Moreover, your claim of “disorderly conduct” likewise smacks of deliberate exaggeration, appearing rather contrived.
Third, we hope that those who would teach us will humble themselves and offer practical, substantive guidance.
What we workers need most is knowledge, and that is perfectly justifiable.
We eagerly await individuals endowed with wisdom to step forward and become our true allies!
You assert that we are driven by others and made to sacrifice ourselves; you express pity for us—then why not become our actual guide?
We sincerely hope you will shed your formal attire, resign from your position as chief editor, and actively engage in the labor movement.
At the very least, you should serve as a genuine educator dedicated to workers’ rights, rather than continuing to stand idly by, offering platitudes like, “Therefore, I further advise all those involved in the labor movement…” Sir, we consider as our true friends only those who are willing to relinquish their privileged status, endure hardship, and strive for the benefit of the majority of workers.
Since you maintain that both we and our leaders are misguided—that we are being exploited and sacrificed—we shall immediately dismiss our current leadership.
With eleven-tenths of our sincerity, let us welcome you, our unique comrade!
Will you graciously join us?
Please quickly remove your long gown.
What methods can we employ to secure opportunities for both study and activism?
As a journalist, you work day and night, yet you seem quite supportive of night shifts.
Leaving aside the issue of night work for now, may I ask where exactly do your employees find time to attend evening classes?
Do they possess the power of shapeshifting?
Furthermore, how many evening schools exist within Changsha city, and how many workers reside there?
Kindly conduct a thorough investigation before you speak again.
We now acknowledge that without reducing working hours, we cannot gain access to educational opportunities; similarly, without uniting and establishing our own evening schools, we cannot create spaces for learning.
We have sought to shorten our workdays, but employers remain indifferent.
We have attempted to organize, only to face sabotage.
Consequently, we have no choice but to launch a movement.
We aim to safeguard our right to education, yet others argue that we should not pursue it.
We have even invited a mentor—a true friend—to assist us, but he insists on wearing his formal attire and refuses to come.
Sir, please join us once more and devise a more effective strategy for acquiring knowledge!
Let us avoid remaining perpetually subject to others’ tutelage.
Indeed, it is noteworthy that newspaper editors, government officials, politicians, and members of parliament all work late into the night.
Why, then, do so many of them appear overweight?
We, too, work not only at night but also during the day; we do not sleep until afternoon.
Moreover, we consume very little meat.
Due to inadequate nutrition or excessive labor, workers often suffer health problems.
As for remedies available to the poor, is it not true that rest and sleep constitute the sole recourse?
Are you suggesting that manual laborers, already exhausted from their toil, should also perform a whole set of gymnastic exercises?
Is this not pushing us to the brink of exhaustion?
These two questions you have raised!
The issues of night work and physical exercise!
They cannot be adequately addressed in a few brief words.
For now, let us leave them aside.
Instead, let us turn our attention to another matter: you, sir, clearly read far too much! ■ We invite you to experience firsthand what it feels like to work alongside us.
Sir, we are deeply grateful to you and hold you in high regard, for unlike some other major newspapers in Changsha that remain conspicuously silent on matters concerning us, you have shown genuine concern.
However, we too have certain points to raise regarding your statements—just as you undoubtedly have concerns about ours.
Please forgive any offenses arising from our lack of formal education or our perceived weaknesses.
Workers are fully entitled to respond to your comments in writing, and I am pleased to do so.
That said, I perceive your remarks as advisory in nature, whereas our workers might interpret them as admonishments.
Similarly, what you presented as expressions of goodwill, our workers may view as veiled criticisms.
I have nothing further to add.
For instance, the text contained two sentences stating, “We are not to be manipulated by others nor sacrificed for experimental purposes.” (In the manuscript submitted to the proofreading department, the word “again” had not been removed by the workers; I intended to include this clarification.)
Given that history frequently witnesses waves of forced experimentation upon workers, I hoped our colleagues would henceforth remain vigilant and avoid falling into such traps. ^ While I did not explicitly state that workers had already been subjected to manipulation or used as pawns in experiments, I hardly consider this to constitute malicious intent.
Ultimately, I would like to offer one final piece of advice: Now that wages have risen somewhat and working hours have shortened, if we aspire to lasting self-reliance and genuine happiness, it remains best to carve out a little time each day for study and physical activity! (Shield)
O Changsha Grand Public News—April 21, 1921. Printed by the Co-Seven Press.