Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-08-28
THE VICTIMS OF THE NEEDLE.

] our working linen ana women are less
the victims Of bad social institutions
than those Of any other country. We
are aware that our institutions are
better than most others, for the pro
lection Of the weak and friendIess.
This we are proud to say Of our own
country.
After having said this much; after
having admitted the superiority Of
our own homes, for place wherein
women may toll, tire and die, let us
briefly view the facts that are trans
/ piring about us, and ask if we have
any occasion to boast Of our superior
ity. A day or two since, rs we walk
cd down Fourth street, the ther-
mometer being at full ninety in the
shade, we saw thin spare woman
whose hand looked
| tf ifl iHs4il1 lrlHIJ sf
''Leaner than aeshless misery
standing by an iron railing, wiping
the pcrspiration from her face, and
looking the very personifcation offa-
tigue and exhaustion. Casting our
eyes at her side, we. saw six heavy
woolen sack coats, wadded and lined,
hanging on the railing As we APP
preached, she hcaved deep sigh, or
half-groan, and in the broiling sun,
took her burden from its resting
Iplace, staggering under the load, and
travelled on towards one of those
great establishments whose towers
point to heaven as monuments OF the
flesh, and bones and sinews and blood
which are there sold to thousands of
customers, and which have been
worked up into garments for men to
wear in our streets Talent and en-
ergy are taxed TO the utmost; genius
is invoked with its pointed pen, to
write the wonders of these towers
and these halls, these palaces and
these marts Of human clothing. Over
one hangs assign, "THE BIRTHPLAcEo OF
LIBERTY Shades of the immortal
Jefferson T! What misery is retailed
in the very mansion where that un-
dying, but, as yet, unrealized decla-
ration was written What widows
sighs and tears, what orphans groans,
what aching heads what palsied
hands, have been sold by the indirect
spectators in flesh and blood
But the poor woman; what did she
get for her labor? Should she not be
well paid? After all this toll, she OBJ
tanned three shillings, ,-thirty-sevcn
and a-half cents-for making a heavy
garment--a Coat. How many could
She mako in day. Not one, with
out the most terrible torture and long
hours. Usually twill take two days,
of ten hours each, steady work; but
there are mouths to feed, and she
must work when nature demands
sleep. So the hours of night are en-
reached upon to make up the def
cheney in price. This is the secret of
the pale wan features-the bony
hand and exhausted frame. This too, 4
is the secret of the large profits, the
fine carriages, the splendid equipages,
tho magnificent stores and the large
fortunes of those who thus employ
the lives Of those who earn their mon
ey by the needle. "a ....r-
We are shocked at the idea of sell
ling human beings on the auction
block. Our indignation is aroused
when we sec women beautiful white
girls, as VIC have seem exposed for
sale TO the highest bidder; the flesh
crecps with horror at the relation of
the sufferings and agonies Of the mid
passage ON board n slave ship. But
how far from an actual sale is that
forced choosing between starvation
and working with the needle sixteen
hours day for twenty-five or thirty
cents? What less than the auction
block is the giving out Of work 70 be
done at that price or nothing How
much greater are the horrors Of the
middle passage thanthe agony Of that
upper passage beneath the roof of
some city tenement, where ventilation
and fresh air are unknown, where the
sun fails with torrid heat. and where
half a dozen half naked and half
starved children are crowded into one
-scanty apartment which must serve
for. bedroom, parlor and kitcheny
How often does the philanthropist,
interested in heathen lands, think of
these? - tisal go -t.f
Do you think this a fancy sketch
an overdrawn picture Hundreds in
this city will attest its truth. The
prices paid for woman's labor in this
department are absolutely mur-l
derous. .....-
There is one class of women, who
are much greater enemies TO their
sex than any of the employers who
pay these starvation prices. We al
lude to those who drive up TO these
establishments IN cdrrtdqcs-whoh have.
enough to live upon-whose families
arc even wealthy and take workat
the low prices, as they express il
"merely to fill in the time" They
fare, in a greater degree, responsible
for the low prices. lis clear gain"
they say, for they have nothing else
to employ themselves about. They
have no board to pay, no children to
support, no rent, andno necessity for
such labor Yet the well-to-do farm
ers daughters, by this very means,
contribute 10 the starvation of the
poor womenin the city. They should
understand the ocvil, and, at
once abandon il. Let those whose
necessity 1t is, have all the work todo,
until the scarcity of labor raises the
price. ..,-....-, ~
We conclude by copying the follow
| ing from last Sundays Dispatch. il
| is q case in point. { '''sy 20
Coming FLESH AND BLooD.--We
1 were shown a day or two ago, lot OF