Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-09-07

FREE Son FREE Son. ~ said friend in
our hearing, the other day, as we stood on
top of hill which overlooks large manu-
featuring town in the interior of Pennsylya-
MIA. 81 go for Free Soil do--out and out
Free Soil in California--that's the word !'
Much pleased with the idea of our friend,
we surveyed the town and the neighboring
country, and asked -
- ssWho owns yondef factory, where women
and children are forced to work fourteen hours
day, or starve %
''Mr. GTabb," answered our friend, IS Grabb,
the great capitalist, of the firm of Grabb,
Snatch & Co."
All! Mr.. Grabb owns it," we answered,
"and who owns yonder range of farms, which
extend southwark of the town %
Mr. Grabb p'
"Who owns those tenant houses, which
are built between the town and the farm -
8" Mr.. Grabb ~
"Who owns yonder big store, which stands
in the middle of the town p
81 Mr.. Grabb. Grabb, the great capitalist ~
"That is very good in Mr.. Grabb. He
owEs the factory where women and children
must work fourteen hours day at his own
price, or starve. He owns the land on which
the houses which they occupy are built He
owns the store, at which they get their nav
in the way of orders. All this, does Mr.
Grabb.''
He does. He is great capitalist, is
Grabb. Grabb, of the firm of Grabb, Snatch
& Coz" ts.s-e#a7 Isl.
sc Yes,' we continued, & he is a great man.
Let US look at him. Suppose the best paid
operative in Grabb's factory gets ONE DOLLAR
per day % a
" The best paid does not get that" answer
ed our friend.
",Suppose the best paid does get one dollar
per day. Well. Now does not Grabb make
25 cents out of this dollar, by paying this
hand in orders at his own store Again
don't Grabb make another IS cents out of the
dollar, by renting to this hand, at his own
price, tenant house, which is built on his
own land p
"Well-he does make all that!' was the
answer.
"1hus, by owning the land, and the hou-
ses built upon that landry owning the fac
aory and the store which pays the factory
hands ia orders your Mr.. Grabb makes so
cents out of every dollar which he agrees to
pay to his hands. Does he not %
g He does. But still he is a great capitalist
"And you see this-you know it-know
that, here in Pennsylvania, land, factory,
house, and store, is owned by your capitalist
owned in such manner, that your capital
list can cheat his hands out OF SO cents in eve-
ny dollar, and yet"-
"And YETI interrupted our friend, turning
10 survey that beautiful landscape-an inland
town built by the river, amid swelling hills.
"And yet, with all this before your eyes.
you dare 10 talk of Free Soil an California
Free Soil Why don't you first give US lit
a. &C
not these white women, these white children
who work in Grabb's factory, live in Grabb's
houses, buy goods at Grabb's store, Just as
good as the negroes, for whom you solicit free
soil in California %
Our friend answered, Yes!''
"Then why don't you give them little oil
this Free Soil Begin with Pennsylvania al
the same time that you begin with Calfor.
MIA %
Our friend did not answer
Before his eyes was the fact, which be
could not deny. There was the factory owned
by Grabb, the land owned by Grabb, the store
owned by Grabb, and the houses owned by
Grabb. Owning all these, Grabb was enabled
to force his hands-these men, these women
these chiIdren-to work at his own price, &c
pay his own terms for the rent of houses and
the price of goods. Thus, out of every dol
lar, nominally paid, Grabb received back al
least fifty cents. Our friend saw and knew
all this.
It's all true,'' he answered; {" but then you
are no Politician
Thank God for it, as long as politics con.
sists in talking about Free Soil in California
while in Pennsylvania, Slavery exists in it.
most brutal form-Slavery of land, of factory
ofhouses, of stores-Slavery of white womer
and white children.-PhH. Quaker Cttu.