Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-11-27

INJUSTICE OF TIE COTrONOCRACY.
I'm Ter The caption, NEW England Cotton Fac
tories" we find in a late number Of The ST.
Johns New Brunswick Observer, the follow
ing article:
1--WE deem il necessary TO inform our country
friends that the young women who were lately
besuiled from their homes by artfu Yankees, for
the purpose OF engaging their valuable services
10 cotton factories, have been most grossly de-
ceyed, both with regard 10 The amount OF labor
and The extent of their eva d. The former they
fi7d unceasng toll, and exceedingly unhealthy;
TWO OF these unhappy young women were la!ely
sent back To their homes in this Proyiuce, COM
ple,elY worn oul-peIhaFs en'cebied for lite !;
some have become mentally dcfanged, and all
would mos gladly return hilher il they had The
means but the tact is, heir wages, lnominally
lareel are all consumed in necessary expenses,
all The shops 10 The neiehbofhood are connected
with The establishment, and The prices so exorb
ian, tha ii is impossible for Tie p or girls 10 lay
By single cent. Thus are they virtually en-
shaved 10 a most laborious, loiisomc and un-
healthy employment, without The slightest pros
nee, q; escape. The above We have from un
doubled authority, and il may be entirely relied
upon as a true picture without The slightest ex
aggeralion."
We have no reason for doubling The state.
men, OF the Observer (says the Providence Her.
ald.l We know that while our COLON lords have
bee preaching protection and high wages 10
our laborers, they have had agents in the Bri-
tish Provinces, and in Great Britain, Ireland
and olIant, whose sole business il has been 10
induce male and female operatives to come 10
this country and wo.k in the mills OF their em~
ployeIs. We have seen the handbils and i'd
refreshments which those agents have issued,
and we know that they abound in the moi eI-
lravagant promises promises which are made
bul 10 be broken The moment The victim reaches
our shores. The iaci is, they are brought here,
.! 50 much On acC cunt oil scarcity oil laborers
as 10 reduce wages, and their arrival 10 any con-
siderable numbers, is taken advantage OF 10
bring wages down-dowD, sometimes, 10 the
starving poirt. They fill the factory villages
with men and women, who must WORK for what
they can gel, or stsive on nohing-and from
amongst these, they select such as will most
readily submit TO Iarpins prices. Ii the poor
operatives complain, they are told The fault is
with the tariff, and mat the Locotocos are
bringing their labor in competition with The
pauper labor OF Europe-as though competition
with pauper labor abroad were wore than
compelition with pauper labor al home.
There is ,ulh, undo bicdy, in Gnat is said
b; HE New Bruss lex cdncr ot The snhcrrss
OF The peer iaclory girls who have CO c here
from his neishhorhood, though such statements
always find nen amongst us TO deny their nth.
We havs known inquiries 10 be mace by Eu-
ropeans and residents OF The British Colonies.
WHO felt Interested TO know The truth on This
point; they were answered Uniformly, that The
hcsl;n OF The factory operatives was good, The
number OF deaths in the fac DRY cities and vii.
lagos small, and The actual distress resulting
from povery not Learly s great as is in o. or
communities; and figures could always / CIV
en- 10 show that these answers were correct
But here was yet deception in them. They
did no, set forth The tac that cory girls leave
The factory and The factory village when their
health is destroyed, and go home, as many OF
them as have gol homes 10 90 10, 10 be SIC and
die. They did not set forth the other tact, that
very many of our mills are partially f led with
the daughters of farmers who arc living in com.
forabe circumstances, and that such only OF
Ibis class are permilted 10 enter them, as are nat.