The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-25
ER0M NEW YORK.
NEw YoRK. April 3, lS6

il be has got good coat for his back thar
il be has not 7
Bot it is for the interest Of capital to kee
a man from having good coat that he ma
go snywhere-outside Of the routine Of hi
work. For the same reason it is for the in
terest of capital to keep labor as near starva
ton as it can, as Ira Steward Ito whom
referred in my isst tells US. ga man,
:, "within six days Of starvation i
q ! cool and deliberate il his decision
and movements as one who has sil
months OF years supply on hand" Thi
ne says towards showing that, not suppl,
and demand but s'hungeT," makes the Low
price Of wages.
Ny idea Of the disability which mere liv
ing wages and salaries imposes on a man, il
that 1t is es If he were placed in box just
srge enough TO admit his body, with BIZ.
face downwards. We know that in that
situation a man could not turn him
self over, nor stir-.t Icould be liviaq sepVL-
ture. II taken sick what hiss be got to ''Iie
by" upon If he wants a vacation Of three
months, can be take il If he w.nts TO
look out for better job what time has be to
do it? Thus it is the cunning dog, (but I'M
feeling regue) capital keeps labor pressed
down to the lowest notch
And yet, let me say in conclusion on this
subject, man might save up money on
what wages and salary be has-and be
should. But will a capitalist presume to
,ay be ought to do it, that money may be
put in his already filed pocketst Would
there be anything fair OF generous in expect
ing him to do this, when II Is known that If
he did, advantage would be likely to be ia
ken of il, by employers, to reduce his wages
still lower, to meet the time Of absolute pos
sible privation And has not this yielding
under pressure caused wages to "rule" SO
low as they do, Gas Ira Steward saysO
said the rich had their mIseries. It is to
shame them little that would tdru aside
70 mention few. | may remark in the
first placs that their anxiety to make money
rs great, and their anxiety to keep it is great.
But 1t is principally to speak OF their
pecltniaTy personal appearance tbs ] would
devote a moment Nodded by US :, the
wealthy exhibit az the marks Visible upon
them OF a pecuniary race. The ugliest spe-
emens OF physiognomies are to be found Oh
rich mems and women's shoulders. The
most mlsshapen faces are those Of the rich
who are the descendants of rich ancestors C.
many generations. Whereas, in the normal
condition Of mankind, all should have hand
some, wel-lavored countenances But be-
sides this lgliness of physiogonomy in the
rich, they are just as much wanting in q
comeliness Of mind or character. know
men existing in q pecuniary shell, so to
speak, (in which we know they are mean
enough taken out Of which they are mo
bodies" Upon what physogolical principle
does the flesh benigniy grow upon the
frames of such people / must give 1t up.
II man Tor woman) is only selfish, and
never generous, what is he but miserable
automaton in the world, and what better is
the world for having him Cor her) in t 7
Enough on this particular subject, and J
will return to the miseries Of the poor,
which is more prolific subject.
How often has . man contemplated matri-
mony, only to have his hopes dashed by his
circumstances, which seemed incapable Of
amelloration.
How many unsightly buildings-residen-
ces OF the poor-are there in the world Tin
painful contrast TO the comfortable dwellings
of the rich . If we visit some countries
boasting The highest civiization-we find
the poor living in huts sunk in the ground,
and covered with sods Of the earth. Upon
damp earthen floors they chiefly pass their
lives, sharing their tenement often with their
cattle. Can the government OF q country in
which these things exist be said to exercise
a. it should do-a benevolent regard for its
poorer classes A New York paper, 1.-THE
New York 1imes) lately spoke Of "the two
great grievances Of Ireland" as ''the church
establishment, and landed oppression
Can it be possible that a church establish
ment could be connected in any way with
the grievances of . country.
Not less than ten thousand persons, and
probably far greater number, in this city
live in damp, ill-ventilated Easements, un
able from their impoverished circumstances
to procure better. While . large body 0
clerks in DOR wholesale dry goods establish
ments are confined to their work in sub
Easements.
From the dampness and foulness of tn.
air in these Easements and sub baseme nts
not only must the health of the inmates b
seriously impaired, but it seems that thu
seeds Of fatal disease must be ineradicabll
sown in their systemsl What Is the "a
ttondt necessity Of capital, that requires thes
things, I ask Well may our cities (fron
which such things seem TO be inseparable
be called ''sores on the body polite" 1t i
a disgrace, and . sin besides q responsi
bilitT that some day must be met; that thes'
things exist.
One the conditions Of misery In cities tina
would not pass over is life in the board
| ing houses ia them. Here, from the marrow
circumstances, and niggard disposition
Though there are some exceptions proba
bly), Of those who keep them, the scanties
fare is furnished; and from the necessity
those who resort TO them, three or four, o
more, persons may occupy single room TO
gether. The vermin, ~ bed-bugs-the Ill
cooked, besides scanty, food Of poo
quality, the insufficient bedding, the COLI
apartments In winter, the uneongenial asso
ciatee, etc., Of these places, are the subject
Of the most unpleasant memories 70 mos
persons whose circumstances have compellet
them TO live in these houses. But yet, W
forget these particular disad vantages some
times in our sympathy for those whom dir
necessity may have driven to keep thes
houses, and we may be disposed to say tha
society 10 at fault in some way, and respon
sibls--as is Is for most Of the misery In tn
world-for even this misery.
II you are In the streets of this city som
morning In winter, when the mercury Il q
/ 10, or Is, or 20 degrees above zero, you ma
see little girls picking, with nimble finger
bits Of coal from ash-heaps, left by the citi
sens to be removed BY the city, which i I
make the scanty fires which are 10 keep I'll
heat Of life in them ut their homes. Or 70
maJ Gee decrepit women, with slower mg
tions, doing the same thing. Or you ND
notice here anu there q poor woman--raa
picker--with her bag on her shoulders, an
! heck In her hand procuring seausy ssl