The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-03-09
SMAN. OTTAWA, ILL.,. SATURDAY. MARCH @ 1850.


In the absence of statistics bearing on the differ
ent questions, | am unable TO give an answer in
detail, but simply refer to them in general terms
!. what Is the daily pay of n lnborer, of eacl
class, in New England factc-yl" Ii is. | be
eye IN all cases, found to be sufficient to procur,
oil the necessaries, and very many of the luxurics
of life and in thousands Of instances, after con
tributng to the support of aged parents in their
declining years. they are able to become stockhol
ders IN the banks, railroads, and manufacturing
corporations. Should you wish for any farther
statistics on the subject can only refer YOU to
our Registry offices, to see the farms redeemed
and the homes made comfortable by the pcrseve.
ring and energetic labors of faithful daughters
2, And at what age are children taken from
Their parents too put 10 work T. This has too
much OF Southern order 10 merit the considcra-
ton OF freeman. Taken fiom their parents -
New England manufacturers do not send out men
armed with rifles and bloodhounds, to hunt up
and take children from their pqrents," but when
applied to for work they employ and pay them
>. AS 1t not true. that one manufacturer will
not employ lnborer dismissed by another =
! No, it is not.
4. How many hours each day 10 they actual.
| ly work r From 10 to Io.
D. does the manufacturer take care Of them
when SICK or pay for medical attendancci p You
! almost convince US, sir, that You are sincere in
calling US slaves Do you suppose that our well
paid laborers are incapable of providing for them.
selves IN sickness and not only Of paving for. but
selecting their own medical attendance. Yon
must bs world wide ignorant not to know that
Yankees are proverbal for taking care Of them.
selves be assured the phrase can't take care
oithemselYos," is bounded by Mason and Dixons 5
line
O. "iIow many annually pass from the factory
to the poor house r.
This question is too mucha tax on my memory.
never having heard Of an instance of one Of our
operatives being carried from the factory to the
poor house. Our factories and poor houses have
occupied positions So remote in my mind rs not
to be thought of in conneyOn with each other Il
would be strange If no person who had worked ia
factory had not become an inmate OF a poor
house. But It - so rare an occurrence that no
statistics are to be found And what do YOU inn
arine our poor houses 10 be T. Let me tell Won
that here in Dover, and our neighboring town of
SomersNorth, they are among the hanisUmest and
most comnlodious Of our houses and everything
is done to make those who from error or IniSfor-
tune have found this retreat inevitable, comforta
bls and happy.
!. "Do You allow any one 10 visit factory
gri without written permission from the over
seerf
It's tho custom in this place, and so lar as
my knowledge extends in other places, for per
soh-, especially strangers, to apply at the count
lng room for pass, which is very readily given
They then proceed 10 the mill, wle.e they find n
watthman whose business it is to wait on persons
visiting their friends. There are probably hun
dreds here every week, and have no recolec-
ton Of hearing word Of compliant When out
oi their factories thew are as free as the air of
their native bills, and the Oversrcr would prove
himself too green ever 10 ripen in our Northern
latitude, who should attempr 10 direct or control
the acts OF Yankee girl, ov'ept in regard to hcr
specific employment.
s. VINO takes care Of Of the operative vhgn
old age or iuiirnty COMES upon him''
1t Is one OF the richest blessing of ireedr IN that
ny life O. industry and economy We aie able to
take caro- of ourselves
. What IS the kind anl quantity Of food thcy
consume =
Should your good an5e. ar,p vou .n., one Of
our factory boarding houses, you might perhaps
mistake 1t for Southern Hotel were it not for
the absence OF "hog and hominv So thoroughly
are you imbued with the the spirit and genius Of
slavery, Il do not say il to i1iure your feelings
and so long has your mind been bounded by II
peck of corn and two pounds Of meat per week
as fare for the laborer, that see no hope of en-
Tightening you. unless you can be prevailed on TO
make sojourn with u. will promise for my
sell and brother operatives that YOU shall be so
Hospitality entertained, free from charge, thut you
shlH have no cause TO regret your visit unless it
should be followed by mn attack of the gout :.
and even Their the l,nuwiedJe gained would be
eheapiy bought, for you could not fail to be wi.
ser If not q better man.
But really, sir, IN answer to these qoestions.
am disposed, without dsrcspect, to refer YOU to
the direction Of The wsest Of men: Answer a
fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his
own conceit'
! have now given you my personal oxr er.eucc
and observation OF factory life. And iiit would
be OF any service | might reverse the picture
since portion of Dly life has been spent in a
slaveholdins State, where had an opportunity
to become acquainted with the operation of your
peculiar Institution .....
Such questions as you have proposed aprcar 10
be IN insult to every Northern man, let his occu.
patton be what it may. And the man that has
become so far biased by the spirit and institution
OF slavery as to make such inquiries, and advance
such sentiments as YOU did in the Senate, is belle
we'd by all persons here to unfairly represent the
free population of any part OF this country
The spirit Of commi'eraton' which you ex-
yrcss for the operatives of the North, for one do
not ask to he n recipient Of but beg of you to be
stow 1t on the millions OF victims OF the most dam
nable system that has ever made war on the
rights Of man.
p S.-The above has been written without TIE
knowledge of any one beyond the precincts ofmy
own family Z. S. WALLINGFORD.
Dover Feb c, 1850.