Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-06-04
TELEGRAPH,
SOUTHPORT, TUESDAY, JUNE 4. 1871.

/
class as authorized to Cypress them, shoulc
submit to grieyous burthens imposed by
sanction of law, is not m1tter of surprise
but that people who boast of freedom, and
whose breath can make and unmake laws
should patiently rest under enactments high
| Iy oppressive, and promising, if the expert
ence of nations is worth any thing, the most
dis .sirons results. is indeed matter of sur
Prise. As al evidence of the experience of
other nations, we refer 20 an article on the
% l;s;dc ofourpnper ofto-d:y, under the head
of'Labor in England The article is wor-
thy to be reflected on, and the statements
may be taken as rather under than overdrawn,
in view of information from other sources Oh
The same subject What is the cause of this
condition of things in that country? Is it
that there is not ground enough in England
to give bread 10 her population, or other
channels for labor, which by exch nye, can
produce it? Is it true that the inhabitants of
the earth are 10 multiply beyond the ability
of the earth TO yield them food? No such
thing. England might be one of the most
prospe Gus and happy nations of the worl |
were ii not for her miserable pole The
Lords and capitalists have the control of the
government, and the laws are made for their
benefit at the expense of all WHO depend on
their Labor for their bread, Their earnings
ac flchcd. s'olcn from them, IN Ter cover
of law, 10 pimpcr those who arc already too
we'll fed. Every thing turns 10 the benefit
of capital, While the field of labor is left open
to the widest competition. 1t is their tariff
i1w5 that are starving the mss, And are
such laws, which are borrowed from the arts
tocratc enactments of England, TO effect a
dile ent result IN this country? Why and
wherefore should they? The principle is pre-
cisely the same. Capital is protected and
the field of labor is left wide open TO com
petition. We may not import foreign goods
but we cannot prevent the ngres; of fore On
llbor. The English capitalist is not permit
ted 10 enter into competition with the Anne
rican capitalist, but the English laborer may
lower the wages of the American laborer or
turn him out oil employ, whenever he chooses
ample, we find in one of our exchanges that
"thcre ale a great number of laborcrs from
the neighbolh)od of Sheffield preparing to
embark for the United States" These men
are coming TO our shores, and should they
offer tberrscrvices cheaper in our manulac-
turing establishments, does any ore believe
that the capitalist will not take advantage of
the offer. We by no means advocate re-
strction, either on immigration, or on the
We only wish to show that the tendency of
existing laws is to protect capital and leave
labor to shift for itself; and by protecting ca
pital to mike it strong and enable il to con-
troll labor; and showing this fact it will rca-
div be seen that unless the human plnd
changes Suddenly, the mass who are labo-
rers must be speedily made serfS as in older
counties, and that although they may retain
the name of freedom the government will in
fact, be in the control Of wealth. and its en-
actments will be for the benefit of wealth at
the expense Of labor We may be met by
the assertion that the factory operatives in
America are in prosperous and flourishing
condition. They are not, TO be sure, degra-
ded and suffering TO the extent they are in
England, but the facts show that the tendeil-
cy is downward, and the result is plain.
With regard to the present and prospective
condition of tactory operatives, we extract at
some length from Boston paper, as follows
awe have some among us who never seem sat
: isfed with commencing the principal features OF
our factory system. The operatives are intti'i
| gent, contented and happy, and say they, "The
Lowell factory girls have hundred thousand dol
( lars deposited III the savings mstltuaon!' Sup
pose they have, and then divide it among eigh
thousand the number OF operatives, and what will
1t give them eachl By far the larger proportion
of them arc no, able TO accumulate a suficie
sum before hand to carry them through a single e
of sickness. Let us look at another feature -
Agents and ovcrseers peid for their services il
prupcrtion to the amount OF work they can perform
BY the fcwest number of hands. What pictur
does this give us! Look at it, We who admire TIL
''bcautles OF our factory SYSTEM Individual
are paid to task and over-task the dependent opera
tive; not merely 10 obtain the greatest amount @
work for the lowest price, but from the fewes
hands.
'sBui Lowell is not the place to look for all III
''bcau,ies OF our factory system." The fact of tn
vast assemblage of operatives at that place, is c
itself some defence against those exactions an
cruel,ies which might otherwise be pracsed +
some otour smaller towns, where an advantageou
stream has given rise to one or two factories, w
have seen a system of oppression practiced sue
as humanity must revolt from. Twelve, thrice
AMI fourteen hours a day, have we seen female
compelled to labor. with hall an hour allowed theI
for dinner, while their morning and evening meal
, they took by candle light the larger part of tn
year, before aud after the accustomed tod OF Oh
day. We have seen the victim of consumptio
compelled 10 labor, even when her limbs SCENE
almost refuse to support her tot,ering frame BE-
cause she could obtain other To supply her plac,
We otbear TO speak of other crueIties; indeed
heaven alone can know them.
F'But even in these places, as in Lowell, whel
numbers seem to give show OF strength, the Cd,
ratlves are eEtirely detehcccss. "a strike" civ,
, them no advantage, nay, opes ates against them-
After The ''tun out at Lowell, the different col
porauons ente. ed upon their books the name of e,
1 cry operative IN the city, that, whenever they lie
J Que mt they might be recognized, and refuse
! employment al another"
] We have in full operation among US III;
/ p elective system which was 10 produce sue
I happy results. One would suppose that il
d inf Ience would be most benefcialy an
, surely felt among the laborers most immed
ately connected with it: but alas, for til
fcls. The heart of capital appears 10 be
, no-wse sofened; and while this state ,
, things exists among the laborers we read th;