The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-08-15
found it, and has been dong profta-
bic business ever since.


Sometimes the employers own stores
and then they pay either directly in
goods or in orders upon their stores.
Sometimes they form connection
with some Of the shop keepers in town.
This plan very nearly resembles the
truck system in England; which was
worked so effectually to enslave the op-
eratiyes in their mines and factories.
In all its different varieties, there is a
profit to be made by it for the capital
lists and the shop-keeper, and that pro.
fit must be made out of the wages Of
the workman and at his expense. In
any case, he suffers under the same
disadvantages. The shop-keeper has
the monopoly Of supplying the work
men with his goods and groceries, and
on these he makes an enormous profit.
Frequently his store is poorly supplied
both as to variety and quality. 1t is
always understood here that flour and
salt are cash articles and cannot be
bought by orders. And these shops
are sometimes without coffee, sugar or
tea. Sometimes the shop-keepers re-
fuses to give the customer more than a
few pounds of sugar, because the su-
gar could be bartered at other stores to
better advantage than the orders could
be sold. And this, notwithstanding
the sugar costs twenty-five per cent
more IN orders than it does in cash.
These things make the profit of the
shop-keeper out of the mans labor
The capitalists has the use of the mo-
ney, which is good deal in large es-
tablishment, from the time the order is
given until the shop keeper asks for its
payment. Besides this,he has the priv
ilege Of paying the shop-keeper in the
produce OF the factory. These makes
his gain, at the workman's loss.
The operative suffers without know
ingho the blow is struck. He is fore
ed to take such goods as are offered him
at such prices as are asked. He can
not sell his orders for cash except at a
discount of forty or fifty per cent; and
generally goods carry price twenty,
thirty or forty per cent higher when
payable in orders. And he receives
barely enough of current money to
buy the cash articles that are necessa-
,ry for life. Thus he can save no mon
ey from his wages, he cannot lay up a
cent. He lives all the while "lrom
hand TO mouth" With him the times
are always hard; and unless he breaks
through these unseen bonds, he cannot
hope for better. By the unholy COM
bination Of the shop-keeper and the
capitalist, he is made to labor many a
long day for no return; he feels the
hardship but does not see the cause.
TO those who have never witnessed
the operation of the factory system,
this account may seem to be overdrawn;
but every thing here stated can be
proven by numerous facts. One who
has been in the mill said to me this morn
ing: "They watch man all the while,
and if they see him making any thing,
they reduce his wages. They allow
him to have only just enough TO live on,
and if there is cent to be saved, they
want to save it themselves" A por-
ton of these manufacturers have too
much humanity to continue this sort of
injustice, and they pay their hands in
current money.
On inquiring for some remedy for all
this, the most striking fact is, that, not.
withstanding the extreme diversity Of
their interests, the operatives continue
to follow the opinions Of their employ
ers in every thing. If any reform does
take place, it must be by the exertions
of the workmen themselves. But the
workmen, to use the language of one
Of them, works from daylight to dark;
and when he goes home he is too tired
to read or to think; he goes to his rest,
and the next day he pursues the same
unvarying round. He has by nature,
all the attributes of man, whole soul
and a whole body. BY the factory
system his body is worked, but his mind
is inactive. He works for his master,
and his master thinks for him. This is
why we see the man thinking and vo-
ting against his own true interests. 1t
is because the system under which he
lives, does not give him time to think.
II is the interest of the man to be paid
in hard cash promptly every week.
Then he would know whether he was
getting paid fair price for his labor.
1t is the employers interest that the
mode Of payment should be complica-
ted, as it IS here. tits for the interest
Of the man that the hours of labor
should be few. Then he would have
time 10 look around him and to see
plainly the position he holds among his
fellow men. 1t is for the interest of
tbo r,,octar that tha -xunrk cbo,,Id naver