The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-24
THE SUNDAY OUESTInR.

We continue to-day our communicated arti
cles upon the subject of the sanctlty of the
Sabbath. We shall leave nothing undone to
throw the matter fully and fairly before the
people:-
A Plea For Oppressed Carmen.
To the Editro of TEE EVENING TELEaRAPH-Sir:
The laws of God and of Pennsylvania protect the
worling-man. Capital shall not Oppress labor.
Their relations 1 shall, God willing, endeavor to
point out in future paper; present let us look at
the cruelty exercised over conductors and drivers
Seventeen hours a day they arc required TO labor.
Seven hours only Lett for the repo'e aud sleep,
without which "tired nature" has no restorer. Car
riders, and company Presidents, and Car-stock
owners come up and look this question in the face.
Is it IightG Is il reasonable and just TO force these
men under such yoke of bondage?
In the olden time, IN JEFF DAVIS own state,
slave was tasked TO pick-that is to gather off the
stalks in the field twenty-five pounds or cotion per
day. Whether this rule was universal L cannot say;
but"Unce TOMS abin' shows the slave we're tasked
by qupntlty. l know that IN NJ ssissippi twenty
five pounds was the rule on some plantations, and
that on some exatIng occasions, and when time for
fun in the afterHoOn was desired. some would bring
in their twenty five pound basket before IL O'clock.
And we people of Phila ielphla exact seventeen
hours of our car-men!
for this kind of oppression. "Besod, in the day of
your fast sc find pleasure and exact ell your llbOrs
If 1t a SIN, deserving the prophets reDrObation
and Gods wrath tolexact allabors of the oppressed
people, can il be q duty in usl ''FOr among my
people are TO md aCcked men they lay wait as he
that settetb snares they set trap they catch men;
are become great, and waxen rich They are waXen
lat they shine yea, they overpass the deeds of the
wicked they judge not the cause, the cause of the
tatheriess, yet they prosper; and the right OF the
neeuy do they judge. SHAH not visit for these
things? sal the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged
on such nation as tbisH-Jer. v
Lot us ask ourselves, a,e not verify guilty CON-
cernlng our brctbren9 Are we not setting snaresS
Having waxen rich, have we not thrown our sur.
plus cash into Il Joint stock concern 20 buy traps
and catch meny Seventeen hours day for freemen
IN free Pennsylvania! Tell 1t not in Gath publish
it the streets OF Charleston, the daughters
Uf the Shareholders rejoice, the of tn,
tocracy be Rlao. No, my friends, tins Is cruelty,
this is oppression.
What time have these "poor men''-to use the
Press phTaseology-tO rest? How long can the
conductor SIT down by his own freside, with little
prattler on each knee and lovely wis, ,bustling
about, preparing a midnight supper for a husband
worn down and exhausted by seventeen weary
hours, all spent standing on his weary limbs? All!
no; the lovely little ones have been laid up already
| four five hours in the humble bed, with light
covering, ween, for that work seventeen hours
must be forced, like the poor men OF the Press by
hard necessity. And the poor wife has been sitting
| stirring,about torsfour five hours. "Have you
| no pity on these poor men" and may add TO tnis
pathetic language Of Colonel Forney-these poor
womenH Are not the stockholders responsible for
! these cruelles? But must reserve this topic for
another occasion
Now, look at the aGgravating circumstances of
this oppression. At this very time mighty effort
Is being made to reduce the days LABOR to eight
hours. And yet here, in the very midst of this re.
form, the object OF which IS to give to little
alleViation from his burden, another great reform
is advocated by leading pubic journal in free
Pennsylvania, which has for its declared object the
additional burden OF Sunday labor upon the
shoulders OF these oppressed men! For whyI That
the poor men OF the Press NAV be relieved from the
fearful, and to them-eXhausted thev by
| Saturday night and Sunday labOr-unbearable bur.
den of waking all The way to their work in the
daytime and back at night" This what have
| called "SkInmng Peter to make brogans Ior Pau -
One party OF free men crushed down under the
Press, and lest they should be worked TO death
before all the is sucked out of their bones
another class OIL Pennsylvania freemen, who work
to work ON Sunday too Where, in this sin-cur5ed
world, can you find such Oppressionr But we sha
be told they do it voluntarily. Do they, reallyi
Then they should be painted black and sent to CUBA
I'll say something about this voluntary slavery al
! another time. THEoPHILUs.