The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-05-15
fnforillation.
POsT0N. -
-. :. ssIIu,s,1&

49, III " ~ III ~
rsn .LlyEs - HAA Sk6ausE1es y
The pass week has been one Of conventions and
much talking. Wisdom concentrated, difusivs
and particular, has been poured -sut ~aavisAlys
and we, re supposed to have 1ede proportionate
tho most startling, have been IT, rsvslAsiens~o f
the working women's convention at the 1iron-
aon. Every one knew that tho city ana tho
state werc overlooked with w0aken, aa6d
that all the evils of that conditioa a hinas Wsrs
pressing heavily upon the norsls ard the social
Integrity of the community; but not one in
hundred realized the terrible slavery in which
our women live before IL was told By che suffer.
ers themselves the other day. The one adsman-
tine fact at the bottom of the whole trouble ~
the existence Of 100000 unmarried women in the
state There is no way of obviating this difficulty
except the enactment of q prohibitory law max.
ing It penal uofence 70 beget female iafanta
Even that would not relieve the existing pres
snre and il is for tho reform of the present evils
that the ladies' convention ask assistance. The
natural eiect Of this plethora of females ID to
reduce their market value a. producers. They
can find no husbands, Tor there are not enough
to 20 round, and hence they are forced TO turn
from that Legitimate branch OF industry to other
and Less a. active labor. Bat that Is the same
~ selling 80. hssvss into slavery. II was enough
to call the -i,S.s TO the cheek OF any creature
with beard, !. . IN to the recital Of struggled
for life against fate and fortune. told by honest
homely, toil-worn women the other day II
have lived ON one cracker day." said middle
aged tailoress to the convention. II have made
shirts for eight cents apiece and lived ON Is cents
a day." said another. These were no dry statis-
tics presented in an annual report. Il waa suf-
iuing flesh and blood telling Of its own expe.
rience But what n 10 be donep There are 20, 600
sewing women in this city. Thousands Of them
earn not more than rs cents day. What won
der that prostitution and vice Of the lowest order
arc already terribly developed and yet oontin-
ually growing in Boston It must be so, and it
must continue to grow worse until some certain
measure Of reform is conceived. Miss Phelps-
who ID, in reality, q widow despite her maidenly
name-proposes to interfere directly the pro-
gress Of the evil to defy the lazy laws OF supply
and demand, and, by an appropriation Of the
peoples money, make it possible for working
women in Boston to work and be honest. Her
plan is worthy Of consideration, if nothing else.
She would have the state purchase land in the
vicinity Of Boston, lay it out in house lots, and
put up cheap houses, which shall be either sold
or given to the lsboring-women for their use.
This would give them a home, a bit Of garden
and relief from the prosecutions of the land
lord. Then they could get the fresh air, Of
which their wan cheeks and sunken ewes pro-
claim the need. Then they could become wo.
men, and not slaves. But this is too much of an
innovation upon the hard, cruelly-just and stern
business sentiment Of the community They
who can make fortunes-and hold on to them
are fortunate and respected; those who cannot,
men or women, are ~ be allowed their fair
chance in the impartial competitor Of trade. It
is "matter Of business" How long will IL be
before it becomes matter of humanity |? How
many more victims to the Moloch of trade who
devours our working-girls before they become
working-women
One practical point in the discussion was the
statement Of the injuries caused girls who work
0ontinuously ut the sewing-machine. large
manufacturer states that the best operators last
but a year and half or two years. Then q
weakness of the spine, or some one of the
many peculiar female debilities renders them
useless. They are fused up" Notonly are they
no longer able to operate the sewing machine,
but they are actually incapable OF daily labor.
II, then, agrl who establishes herself as a sew.
ing machine operator does not earn an indie.
pendence in two. years, she is worse off
than before. She is not only incapacitated for
work, but tor the duties OF married life She is
a physical wreck. It's nat eternal and Internal
back and forward motion Of the toe and heel
which strains the loips, weakSps the spine, and
spreads the ankles. Every lady who uses ma
chine will testify to thi, and it is not in the
way Of puff but merely as statement Of a.
valuable fact, tina. Inention simple, but in,
genious, invention, to which my attention was,
called the other day, which does away with the
crank.movement, and makes the running Of the
machine as easy a. the use Of rocking chair.
1t has just been completed, and h now being In.
troduced under the name Of "Halrs Treadle."
As an instance Of its efficiency, !, myself ysstsr-
day, saw one Of the standard machines, With this
treadle attached, make 90 stitches with one
movement Of the foot Of the operator! When it
10 understood that the same movement of the
foot, with the ordinary treadle, could produce
two stitches and only two, the comparative ease
Of operaton May be judsed.-Cor. Chicago Times
Awa29. 4e9 @s9''l 2
SolRh. ,s +.
The fora NJ tia RIIe h - Ioft ~ ,,,.rJ