The mountain Democrat., 1864-01-02
Significant,

The strike for higher wages by the me-
chanics and laboring classes of the Attain
tic States is significant. 1t is significant,
not Of abundance and prosperity, but of
want and hard times. 1t tells, in forci-
BILE language, Of corruption, oppression
and two distinct classes,
the AristOcratic and the poverty stricken.
A meeting Of women was lately held in
New York. to compare notes, and see what
had better be done. The prices reported
were, in some cases, as low as one dollar
per week, and the average was only
two dollars. The hours of work range
from eleven to sixteen a day, with half
an hour for dinner. Out Of this paltry
sum. "the patient, sad eyed daughters Of
labor and of suffering" are compelled to
support themselves and in not few in
stances an aged mother a helpless father,
an orphaned housenotd Of or0t8erS @no
sisters. By the strictest economy and
severest toll, they barely make a living.
Pleasure, to them, is stranger. AS one
Of them mournfully remarked, 1--WE have
hard work to keep from starving and few
Of US enjoy good health" These poor wo-
men, unfortunately, are white, and there
fore have no claims on the Government
No bills are introduced into Congress to
ameliorate their condition. The Beechers,
Bryants, Greeleys, Summers, and other me-
gro philanthropists call no meetings and
make no speeches and lectures for their be-
netit.. The charitable and sanity Bellows
makes no appeal for them. The Admins.
tration. which spends millions Of dollars in
feeding, clothing and educating indolcnt
and vicious negroes, extends no helping
hand to the pale, weak, over worked, suf.
ering white women. 1t takes fr M them,
not unfrequently by force, their protectors,
and leaves them to perish by hunger. 1t
has no sympathy for them. 1t could not
get up a sectional feeling by assisting
them. They are poor, industrious and
deserving, but they are not black, and
just now the blacks occupy the attention
and monopolize the sympathy and charity
Of the Administration and its followers
Let the "poor white trash" suffer; the
negroes must be emancipated and educa.
ted and clothed and fed, ifit bankrupts
the country and starves thousands of
white women. Why are not relief meet.
ings held for the suffering white women?
Thousands Of them are left in destitute
circumstances +; the Government neglects
them, and its agents, the shoddy contrac.
tors, swindle them out of their hard earn.
ings. The educated, liberal, freedom
loving North, with its superior civiliza.
ton and pure Christianity" oppresses
poor white women and makes them work
for starvation wages"
Speaking Of the meeting Of the wo.
men, the New York World forcibly and
feelingly remarks "Years ago all Eng
land was stirred to its inmost heart by
Hoods "Song of the Shirt, and the world
has never ceased to fling that terrible
refrain in the face of British opulence
and power. We at least can do so no
longer. The cry Of our own women is
ringing in our cars, and will go out upon
the western wind over Christendom. 1t
is cry of suffering to day. How long
ere it will be cry Of crime and shame if
we be deafto the appeal How the ap,
peal shall be answered the will to answer
it shall reveal. To doubt that will would
be indeed to despair of the republic, ifnot
OF the race"