The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-29
THE PROTECTION OF SEAmEN.
'he.. Editor Of uo EUenino Tieleroph

10 ne. Editor Of The EUeninO TELEGRAPH.
As your excellent sheet was interested enough
in certain measure some weeks since, pending
before the Legislature of this State, to publish
your views on 1t, l think 1t my duty to tell
your readers, and the gentlemen interested in
thematter, what became Oft. The bill entitled
IAN Act for the better protection of seamen'
was not passed in the House, for the want of
time. There was very nearly two-thirds vote
In the House in favor Of it. 1t is only postponed
until the Legislature meets again. But that
body known asthe Landlords' Benevolent AS
ISOLATION have, for the third time, set up their
claim to dictate to the whole commercial marine
OF the port OF Philadelphia, in the following
terms substantially;-"M you shall not
have any man on your vessels that boards In the
Sailors Home;' and to the sailor, "You must
not 20 TO the Sailors Home; If you do we will
prevent you getting ship;" and to the Super
of our men TO ship in vessel that you may be
shipping crew for.r Or, in other words saw
ing to the masters and owners of ships, "We
don't allow you to employ the keeper Of the
Sailors Home to ship your men. You must
take them out of our whisky shops.n
wonder, Mr.. Editor, if those self-oonstituted
guardians OF the merchant marine of this
port will go one step farther, and appoint col
lector for the port. Yes, and tell the captain
where he must get his ships outfit. Why not
carry out the whole matter? for surely If they
may dictate terms, and say who shall or who
shall not ship the crew, then they may do the
other things Now, the question is, Will the
merchants acquiesce in these things? VIII they
allow these men to cripple the only institution
of the kind in this cltY-an institution ealcu-
lated TO benefit both the souls and the bodies of
these men But perhaps the reader says ''Well,
what eau be done that will be an efectual
remedyW L answer, give your shipping to
the Home, and then the landlords must come
TO the keeper Of it to get their men shipped,
making all the difference in the world, thus
encouraging men to come to the Home. Now
they are met on the river and told, "Don't go to
the Home, because you can't get O ship"
This can be easily done, and the merchants
be better served than now, thus widening and
extending the influence of such an institution,
amel1orating the condition of the sailor, and as
result, saving in pecuniarV point of view.
What causes very large number of the losses
at sea but drunkenness, and the want of good
seamen, well clothedY And how can man
become sober while he is boarding in q whisky
mill? How can he be we'll clothed when he is
fed on whisky, and degraded by all the internal
appliances with which he is surrounded?
But hear one reply, Well, have had iust
had from any other house." True, but did the
Home influences make them bad? No. Did
whisky houses? !? Yes. ALI the truth there is in
that is, that the Home had not had an oppor-
tunity to undo the doings of whisky influence.
But who is so wilfuly blind as to say that there
ls no difference in substituting the family altar
for the bar, the Bible tor the bottle, prayer for
BOOu UOOkS anu lTdCCS ana rellBOuS
and instructive reading matter for the pack of
cards, and the earnest temperance effort, in
ducing men to go to the church, the prayer
meeting, the room OF the Sons of Temperance,
instead of the brothel, the low cellar, and the
theatre?
One fact may state here. About one.half of
all the men who come to the Home are induced
to sign the pledge, even some who have been
drunkards for years. Not one drunken man has
left the Home, to my knowledge, since have
been in it. But to return. In the Home we
have free nautical school, but which will be
removed to a new building, to be erected on the
corner of Pine and Front streets, embracing
shipping Office clothing store, school, where
all the useful branches will be taught gratui-
tously, with readngroom, library, and a hall
for holding meetings, such as will be promotive
of the sailors greatest good sud greatest eff
cheney, But if the men who are personally in
terested, pecuniarily at least will not sustain
the Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society in
their work of faith and labor of love, especially
when it cost them less than nothing, then what
encouragement can they have to go on in their
labors, if ship-owners are indifferent to these
matters? Hence we appeal to you to take hold
Ofthese things, and suggest the calling of meet
ing to take concerted and united action. D. P.