Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-01-23

account of their sex, the women are BROUGHT TO re-
spect themselves, and the character of the men is
directly improved: character itself becomes vain
aole to both parties. But in proportion as the
condition of women is degraded, and they are con-
Sioereu ana treated as mere animals, selfreSpect
Is not known among them; character is of no val
ue; and the moral condition of such class, or ra
ther It's Improvement, is absolutely without hope
Nor is 1t without It's perncious influences upon
the classes IN the community above them. Much
tault as some persons have been pleased to find
with the deference paid 10 the sex in the United
States should be very sorry to see it in the small
| lest measure abated.
For considerable portion Of the year. the
farm labourers are not allowed any beer could
not learn that any allowance of whskey or spirits
is ever given them by their employers, or that it
is ever carried by them into the fields The drink
ing, In this county, with the lower and abouring
classes ct people seems, in great degree, con-
fined to the licensed houses, of which, certainly,
there is nowhere any want. In passing through
the village Of Glossop, in Derbyshre. a modern
and an exceedingly well-built village, in distance,
should Judge, OF less than three -fourths of mile,
| counted, as passed along the box of the
coach, thirty-hve licensed retail shops, most of
which were probably for the sale, among other
things, of intoxicating liquors. Indeed the num-
Der of licensed retailers in every village in Eng
land is quite remarkable, and would SEEM in ma
ny cases, to include almost every fourth house.
81 am not disposed to object to the employment
Of in of
The employment Of them in ndiscriminate labour
is liable to the most serious objections. Nothing
can be more animating, and, in its way more beau
titul, than on fine clear day, when the golden
and waving harvest is ready for the SICKLE to see,
as have several times seen, party of more than
hundred women and girls entering the field, cut
ting the grain or binding it up after the reaPers
In cultlvating The turnIps they are likewise ex-
trcmely expert In tending and making hay, and
in various other agricultural labours, they carry
their end Of the yoke even; bu: in loading and
leading cut dung, and especially, as have seen
them, in carrying broken limestone in baskets OH
their heads, TO be put into the kilns, and III bear
ing heavy loads OF coal from the pits, have felt
that their strength was nnnaturaly taxed, and that,
mans sphere | confess, likewise, that NV GAL
lantry has been severely tried, when have seen
them at the inns acting ostlers bringing out the
horses, and assisting in changing the coach team,
while the coachman went into the inn TO try the
strength of the ale. The natural effect Of such
employment upon women, is TO render them neg
ligest Of their persons, aud squalid and dirty in
,La .;,;, &
they cease to be treated with any Difference by
the other sex, and lose all respect for themselves.
Personal neglect and uncleanliness are followed
by their almost invariable concomitants, mental
and moral impurity and degradation.
''There are two practices in regard to agricul-
tural labour, not Universal, by any means, but pre-
vailing in some parts Of England and Scotland,
which may notice. The first is called The Gang
system In some places, owing to the size OF
farms being greatly extended, cottages being suf
fered to fall into decay and ruin, labourers have
been congregaed in villages, where have prevail
ed all the evils, physical and moral, which are
naturally to be expected from a crowded ropnla-
lion, showed into small and nconyeneD. babita-
iions, and subjected 10 innumerable privations.-
In this case the farmer keeps IN permanent and
steady employment no aore fabourers than are ab
solutely required for the constant and unin:errup
ted operations of the farm; and relies upon the
obtaining Of large number of hands, or gang,
as it is termed, whenever any great job Is to be
accomplished, that he may be enabled 10 effect II
at once, and at the smallest expense. Under
thsse circumstances he applies TO a gang master,
as lie is termed who contracts for its execution, and
through whom the poor abofers must hnd employ
ment ii they find it at all; and upon whose Terms
they must work, or get no work The gang mas
ter has them completely IN his power. taking care
to provide we'll for himself in his own commits
sons, which must, of course, be deducted from
the wages Of the labourers, and sublectng ihein,|
a; pleasure, to the most desp0tic ard severe con-
ditlons ii is not optional with these poor cfea-
lures 10 say whether they will work or not, but
whether they will work or de-thoy have not 9th
er resource--clange their condition they cannot-
contract separately for their work they canhot. be
cause the farmer confines his contracts TO the
gang master; and we may infer from the reports