Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-27
A ID d II ESS.

Dsliusred before Fidelity Circle B. q
! (H. F. G. a., at Freedom, Portag
I County, Ohio, January lst, 1851, B,
4 %. L. DRAkE. D. S. w
! lcoNcLuDED.
There is also another species Of Ameri
can slavery, far more degrading in and o
itself to my humbls view, than are all th,
revolving scenes Of the South. refer t,
the cotton mills Of the North, where woman
is degraded to the level OF the brute. There
stands no auction block! But behold objects
ia humanity's form on either hand crouch
ing as the tiger for his prey, and dispos.
sessing her oi that gem thousand times
more priceless than outward liberty. An.
gels look upon it with fear and trembling,
for they know the weakness of the human
heart and the power Of the spirit with
which it has to contend. When the spirit
of good triunphs in this innernost battle
they sing and shout for very Joy, and il the
angels are capable OF heaving sigh and
shedding a tear, they surely sorrow over
the soul that is conquered by this spirit Of
evil. While the white slave of the cotton
factory is toiling away her hearts blood at
the rate Of a penny an hour, and sinking
slowly to premature grave, her brothers
and sisters Of the upper social world are
loud in their denunciations Of the horrors
of the black slavery Of the South. They
talk, write and preach of the abrogation of
the marriage institution and violations of
chastity and honor among the slaves and
slave drivers there, but they seem to forget
that their fair sisters at home are driven
by the oppression Of capital and corpora
tions t., the alternatives of starvation or
shame! We hear very little OF this white
slavery Of the North. 1t is forgotten amid
the din and confusion of hurting oral aud
written anathemas against cur misguided
and guilty brothers of the South Oh, that
we could see to pluck the beam out of our
own eyes before we attempt 10 relieve our
neighbors of the mote in theirs! Oh, that
we would visit cur cotton mills, where fat
corporations are growing more upulent on
the la Dor Of woman dragged from her prop
er sphere and position in society--the home
and bosom Of man-and forced to die a
lingering aud weary death in the unwhole-
some atmosphere Of these Northern slave
castles, before We visit the plantations of
Shareholders in the South with the curse Of
our virtuous indignation! Oh, that we
could be prevailed upon to 60 into the dis
NAL garrets Of the pale army of female tai
lors who are driven to despair by the sla.
very Of the needle, and there look upon the
horrors Of system of oppression which bold
ly raises its unblushing front above the dark
est curse of Southern chattel Slavery
But in spite Of all this in spite of the
combined armies of capital and land mo.
nopoIy = there is hope for the weary wan
dsring sons Of toll. The last half of the
nineteenth century has dawned upon gem
Grafton of men determined to Danish the
bane of slavery of every kind from this
land and the world. One OF the greatest
philosophers and prophets of reform. long
ago said that the time was rapidly approa CHI
ing when the world would be filed with guar.
antee societies, which would protect their
members from starvation; and this would
be the transition state. How near he has
been correct let the world Judge. Labor
has learned the secret OF being Independent
of aud beyond the reach Of thsssadverse inau-
ences That secret is. the combination Of
labor until it becomes capital! Look at
our Eastern cities Hardly a day passes
but we hear of some mighty upturniug and
outpouring OF laborers, who are beyond en-
during longer the oppression Of capital. In
one city the iron workers strike and COM
bine their labor and own the production
and profits of their own hands. In anoth-
er city the tailors follow their example, and
the clothing store is owed BY the Union, in
another the printers 60 and do likewise !;
and. what is better than all, these all con-
tribute to sustain each other in time Of need.
From one end OF the land to the other la Dor
is becoming one united and mighty
They are forming associations, not against
capital, but to create their own capital by
com mbination. The numerous associa ions
for the purpose of building joint tenemsnts
and saving rent, which now eats up the a.
walls Of the poor mans toil-the Industrial
Unions; the Protective Union Stores, that
are being scattered through the land defy ing
competition, call upon all laboring men to fol-
low their example and no longer swell the
Golfers of those who are ever ready to oppress
and degrade Iabor-who like Solomon 3
lilies toll not neither do they spin. Let
them learn wisdom from their oppressors.
1t is only by com bination that the capital l.
ist can reap his greatest profits and obIige
the laborer to work at the price be dictates,
and the number OF hours that they shall de-
mand Shall not the laborers, the real
workers of the land profit by these exam-
pies? Shall they longer allow bloated
wealth and avarice to have all the benefits
Of combination! Shall they ever waste their
efforts On fragmentary movements, having
for their objects only reform in one branch
Of land monopoly and combination Of o.
vergrown eapitsl9 No! Combination is
the laborer's watch-werd for the remaining
half of the nineteenth century. Let the axe
be laid at the root; let monopoly and slave.
ry be rooted out by means that shall forever
prevent its return to our shores. Aye, lei
them be banished from the earth-not by
any sudden uprising or convulsive move.
ment, but by peaceful. quiet combination
But, say thousands, our employers forbid
eur combinations, and ws lose our employ
ment if we attempt it. Yes, know this ID