Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-05-05

H. ~! .stllf7 I#AsffI yssIs a. 1I9t.fT t.lF :
II Though laws ofrestraint or prohibi-
tion in things wholesome or good may
not be required, the J6u,Mat must admit
that society still finds Unnecessary to
/ protect itself by law, to some extent,
against the sale of diseased meats and
decayed vegetables; as, for. instance, the
use of felines or CANNES in the manufac-
ture of sausages; and though there may
be no specific law in the case beyond
that which would be covered by the law
of false 6pretences, 4 the Journal well
knows that "shoddy" hasocome in for a
pretty fair share of public exposure and
condemnation, even through the press,
But the great point of the Journal, is
that sit is opposed not only to an eight
law, but to any law on the subject"
This is just exactly how, some of those
who have giyenthe subject some thought
view the question, and the Journal
agrees with them Hear them. On
page twenty three of the report (Janua-
ry, 1861 of the Deputy Constable, ap-
pointed to enforce the factory act in
Massachusetts,; he speaks as follows:
"In 1855, when visiting various es-
tablishments there, (Fall River,) L in
quired'of the agent of a principal fac
tory whether it was the custom of the
manufacturers. to do anything for the
| physical, intellectual or moral welfare of
their work-people. The reply was SO
surprising that it took firm root in my
memory. We never do he said, and,
as for myself, 1 regard my work-people
as regard my machinery. So long as
theyqcan do my work for what choose
to pay them, L keep them, getting out of
them all l can What they do, or how
they fare, outside of my walls, 1 don't
know, nor do | consider it my business
to know. They must look out for them
selves, as 1 do for myself. When my
machines get old and. useless, reject
them, and get new, and these people are
part of my machinery. Akin
to this was the reply of an agent at Hol-
yoke to another official who visited his
mill. He affirmed that he used his mill
hands as he would his horse; as long as
he is in good condition, and renders good
service, he treats him well when not, he
gets rid of him as soon as possible, and
what becomes of him is no affair of his.
He said that, having noticed that the
hands manifested some languor in the
early part of the day, on account of rath-
er spare breakfasts, he tried the expert
ment of working them without any, and
so secured an additional three thousand
yards week, and only discontinued the
plan from the opposition of the other
mills and the landlords. His operatives
were mostly the lowest class, and among
them were one hundred and thirty chill
dren under fifteen years of age, many of
whom had never attended school.
"In the same vein, also, was the re-
ply made to me, on recent visit to
Lowell, by an agent of one of the large
corporations there. lie said that he
Thought the State was meddling with
what it had no right to interfere with,
and was making unjustifable investiga-
tion into the private business of corpora
tions.' This right he did net recognize,
saying that if the children employed,
or their parents did not provide for the
for the interference of the State, OF for
the concern of the company They
must he added, look ont for themselves.
He had no children under ten years of
age in the mill, and should get rid of all
under fifteen as soon as possible. He
further said, he had received circular of
inquiries, but had neither leisure nor in
clination to reply to it, 1t is but right
to add, that some information was sub
sequently received from him, but not to
the desired extent. 5El.t
sit was the opinion, on the contrary,
of other agents at Lowell, as we'll as
those at Lawrence, that the interfer-
ence of the State in looking after the ed
ucational interests of its factory chill
dren was a wise and necessary STEP
They declared, with entire heartiness,
that law in that direction was right, was
founded on the truest policy, and they
welcomed it, and would aid it, and
thought its entire justice was strength
ened by the fact that their best and most
productive laborers were their best edu-
Gated laborers, and that, therefore, their
own interest was involved in the fulfill
ing of the statute. They welcomed the
strictest surveillance, gave entire free
dom of access to mills, to overseers and
operatives, and afforded every needed
facility"
It's not necessary to follow the Jour
nal any further. Its assertion, (the only
thing worth noticing,) that " the moro
profitable days labor is to the capi-
talist, the more he considers it to his in
terest to pay higher wages" will be ta-
ken by others beside workingmen for
what it is worth.
In concluding, the Journal says, /" it
did not propose to enter upon the discus
sion of the subject, but only to indicate
the principle which underlies all sound
reasoning on the relation of capital to
labor" Both it's assertions and its rea-
sonings only furnish another illustration
of the axiom, that "error will travel a
thousand leagues, while truth is pulling
on its boots" In, therefore, dismissing
the subject now, we can only exclaim, in
the language of the play, but with no al
lusion to the Shylocks of the day,
"A Daniel come to judgment"
In our next we shall examine the ar