The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-04
chIId slarerr 10 New YOrk.
New York correspondence OF tho Baltimore
AmeFicSnl

NEW YORK correspondence OI tup hAauWOIu
AmeTican,l
The article by Mr.. Brace on the Little
Laborers OF lNew York city, in the August
Harper's, deserves public attention. The
number Of children Of tender years en-.
shaved by their parents in city factories,
without education or 0 chance Tor proper
physical development, Is painfully sur.
prising, as revealed by Mr.. Braces inVes.
legations. In the DoXious tobacco iactO'
riCs at least ten thousand children are
kept at work, halt Of them OF decidedly
tender age. Think Of baby of four years
earning dollar week at stripping TO.
baccO! This, Mr.. Brace says, was "ihe
youngest child we saw employed in the
tobacco lactories." ! shouldn't wonder
II he was. As for that weekly dollar,
blood money must be nice in comparison
with It In artificial flowers twelve
thousand "pale and sIckly girls" arc en-
plOyed, tw0.thirds Of them under twelve
years age, and many only five to seven
years
Tho little tobacco slaves earn their par
ent pr0prielors "a or $5 q week, some
times, at twelve years Ol age. Some little
girls only eight years old bring home So
q week. In tho paper box factories, EN-.
plOying ten thousand children, the little
wrGtChes work all day, and then have TO
bring home work TO do in,the evening. As
all this is piece work, there is no evadlng
the exaction of the "lull tale" which the
dread Of cruel punishment can wiring from
the weary little hands. As an illustration
of the intensity with which these little
hands are driVers-something quite in
conceivable in rspidlty to those who have
not witnessed tive are told that an OK
pert girl will paper % gross, or 316S
packages, Of chewing tobacco In day Of
ten hours. This Is over five per minute,
"lncluding stops" A girl can count and
box $4,000 collars day. Making neces-
sary allowance for delays" her rate Of
full speed must be not less than three
dozens per minute. Trust the inhuman
parents Of those children 10 whip them up
10 all they can do. This admirable,
lightniug.likG dexterity Is like the Won
dGrlul leafs Of the infant phenomenon in
the circus, forced by the terror Of pitil8s
beating which compels tender childhood
10 anything conceivable.
The estimated number Of children en-
ployed In our manufactures is 100, ,00O.-
Ali that is most pltlul and wrongful in
the condition OF these children would be
remedied by the law which Mr.. Brace
and his coadjutors have been for some
time urging upon our Legislature. Mas.
sachuselts and Connecticut have such
laws, and In Great Britain incalculable
benefit has been conferred by them. It Is
notill but well that the children should
labor, and labor smartly, for 1t is the best
part Of any ones education. What they
want Is simple Limitation Of their hours
OF labor to iorty.eight hours per week un.
Ill fourteen years Of age, prohibition Of
all factory labor under ten years, and a
certain measure Of compulsory education.
Connecticut, it seems, Is blessed with an
almost forgotten anti.fugtiVeslavc.law
statute, which is doing good and unfor.
seen service.
The most visionary or prophetic abo.
litionist certainly never dreamed that In
the legislation Of that day against United
States negro.catchers, Providence was
laying up protection Tor white slaves
bought and sold in this city Tho mac.
ton of our own law officers in regard 10
the little Italian slaves provokes most in.
dignant comment. l suppose they do
not quite see their way legally. Tho
red.tapery and How-nOt,to.doit.lsm In
which New York Judges and State At
torneys are bound hand and foot arc bc.
coming provcrb Of dcriSiOn. Perhaps
We arc waiting to shake of the old Tam.
many police justices, before anything can
be hopefully, attempted. But in Connect
icut, happily state |, II seems there Is law
that can be invoked against kidnGppers
even of white children. Tho pretended
contracts under which these little musi.
clans arc cnslaved, are null and void by
Italian law, and tho offenders have no
defense,