New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-26
THE DEGRADATION OF LABOR


THE DEGRADATION OF LABOR.
To place in striking light tho debasement
and humiliation to which the industrious Poor
subject themselves by crowdiDg into cities and
trying to sell their labor where it is not
wanted, rather than where it is in eager
demand, we Eprint one out of hundreds
of letters-all substantially like this-with
which we are daily afflicted We give it rerba-
tim, suppressing only the name and address of
the writer:
To the Hon. HoRACE' GREELEY, esq
DEAR SIR: take pleasure in writing these few lines to
you hoping to receive an answer from you this time
Dear Sir: This the third letter which have wrote to
yOu and received Iu regard to the first let
ter brought that down 10 your Office and gave tito one
OF the boys behind the counter to give to You he did
So and you said that would speak to the Foreman of
the Composing Room about II. and let me know then
called TO ace Mr. Rocker ana he said that no wOudspeak
to you about 1t.
Dear Str In my last letter, told you that was sta
ated in very poor circumstances having aged mother
look after, and trying utmost endeayor to mako
ends Ihave been out Of employment nearly i've %
months ard cannot get anything to do II cannot get
work az my trade, Job Compositor0 then am willing to
work at thing that 1t will keep mo Oh the
streets have been downtown In almost every othoe'
trying to get work. and they tell that Business Sory
dull and do wish to take any hands at present
Dear Sir: n you will Try and get mo employment.
shall very thankful to for your Kindness and shall
no. forget II, b assure you.
Dear Sir: have tried all means 10 nnd employment.
but proved unsuccessful. In ono instance place IN
Coptre-st where advertisement was posted on the
window, young man wanted to work on Lathe; In
went for purpose Of getting work. when the foreman
OF this establishment asked what Ticket votsd this
Election: told him the Republican Ticket when no said
po and find employmont some where else.
Hoping that you will answer this letter by return OF
mall and try to enable poor family in getting along.
remain your most obedent servant.
PS. Excuse me for taking tho liberty In writing to you
again.
This young man appears to have chung to
the City, idle and useless, for five months;
though meantime there have been hundreds
after hundreds Of laborers advertised for, hired,
and sent off to grade railroads and do other
such work in different parts of the country.
Five months ago, the farmers on every side
were eagerly hunting up and hiring men to
help them in their Summer harvest; four
months ago, they were as busy as bees max
ing hay, cutting grain, 'and tilling their corn
and other Fall crops; but this man, with
thousands like him. Rugged the pavements,
and insisted on doing what was not to be done.
Now, Winter is upon him and his class, and
they seek work as beggars, when they might.
at the proper season, have obtained it as men.
"Why, you would MT have City-bred mechan-
ics dig bitches and make road beds, would
youf" r|.- -....t -
Yes; we would have every one do the most
acceptable work he Cor she) can find. We
would have any man shovel earth for dollar
per day where such work was wanted rather
than earn five dollars per day by the ightest
and most elegant employment which was given
him to keep him out of the alms-house; who
that has q soul would mott Who does not feel
that the blacklist and stupidest negro in a
Southern rice-swamp, who works for some one
who pants his services, and earns rude liveli-
hood by so doing, holds higher position than
any man who gains his daily bread of the
finest and whitest flour by such appeals as
that above printed -f-~-
We complain of these men who stay where
they are not wanted and whine for employ
ment, that they degrade and dishonor Labor.
They make employment a charity, when it
should be a fair exchange of equivalents to the
advantage of both parties. They have no
moral right thus to slime and shame those who
are trying to walk erect. and, though poor,
meet their richer neighbors on footing of
manly self-respect.
Labor is noble and ennobling. No man should
be ashamed of honest work, however coarse and
rugged; any man should BIO ashamed to con-
fess himself an idler. But when an employer
gives ont work, not because lie wants it done,
but because his employee must have it or
famish, tho former becomes benefaetor, the
latter a .cringing dependent, and equality be-
tween them is impossible. 'st @ b.
We are sick of reiterating these tuiSms;
but how can We hold our peacef The begsars
for work are as numerous and as voracious as
the beggars for money; tho difference between
them has grown IDEAL and shadOwy. Men cling
to the City through the warm season, hoping
to got work. aud sometimes getting q lt1ei