, 1874-03-01
THE LABOR QUESTION.


some Hints to CIeFgymen.
The question has many times been put to me
"Why do you take such q deep Interest in ths
labor question, nnd why a-e your sympathies 81
fully in accord with the working classes ~
The motive which has actuated ne to take thi.
stand on the most absorbing question Of til,
daJ is
LITTLE OH1LD's aRAv8.
In the cemetery at Dixon, Lee County, H., 1ie
buried an infant, whose grare-stone bears this
inscription: Freddie j., son OF Legrand and
Maria Wynkoop, died NOV. 26, 1869, aged {
months and ii days."
That little boy was the angel Of tho house.
hold. His disposition Was naturally sweet; So
much 50 that did not lose M hours nlcep or
his account until the last three nights OF his life
| He never VAS sick until he caught the NAoop-
| ing-cough, which settled On his lungs and ter
minated his brief career. Ipossessed mothers
| feelings, and mothers love for her child, and
sorroWed tor my babe with the anguish that only
| q mother knows but, after recovered. from
the fret shock Of his death, and was calm
enough to reason
WAS GLAD
| my Little boy Has forever ct reet. Els father
| has always been ha1d-working mechanic, labor
] ing ten hours day ut tho bench, besides work.
ing on his own house and garden early in the
| morning and late il the evening,-doing every
thing within his power for the comfort Of his
family. lie is sober man, never indulging in
Intoxicating drinks Of any kind. Thus has he
lived, upright, temperate, and Industrious, 1e-
spected BY all Who knew him and nov what has
ho to show for his life OF toil2 Simply this he
ia master Of his trade, j. skilled in his depart
mens, aud does drst-class work. That is all,
He has always been strictly economical, never
wasting money in useless oxtraragance; get,
notwithstanding his years Of labor and COM
pulsory eelt-denial, he is now obliged to work
just AZ hard
FOR liT.aE LIVING
ua he did when ho IVES young n1cn; with tho
additional disadvantage, that a yoang inc1-
perlcnced man Is preferred to one who has grown
gray IN his business, because be il young, aud it
LIS expected that he can do heavier and more
labortUus work.
The aged Workingman, rho haa wasted his
energies in trying to earn q livelihood by honest
toll, has but little before him except tho horrors
Of tho County Poor-House. Reaiiziag this fact,
and knowing that, with tho care Of < little child,
/ could do bu. Itrla towards bring anything into
the fauily-ezchequer, and therefore could not,
out Of my husbands earnings, afford my boy
the advantages would like to give him know
ing, too, that the meclar:c Has every year sink
ing lower III the ecalo IT human beings, and be-
coming mora ami nloaa the slave Of Capital, SO
that every year his chance OF making life q tuc-
ceas grew less, while nis chances OF swelling tho
ranks OF degraded criminals, mado 40 by tho
want OF necessary comforts, grew larger; fully
realizing MI this, and looking forward into the
future, could SEQ nothing for my boz bat =
life OF
LAboR1ous4 UEREQUlIED To1L.
70 be sure, he might hayo worked bis way up +;
bur 1t wha. an immense expense, only those who
have made their way from grinding poverty up
TO ease aud comfort, can ever know.
I aorely n1isaed my sweet little babe, and at
first refused to DO comforsed; but, as reason re-
sumed her sway, 7 couid not but bo glad that lie
WIS at rest, aud WAS spared the tzi.1a OF such an
existence. Mingled wltl this feeling was that of
Indignation. Mothers who arc happy in their
children; who eau look forward to their future
prospects Hillt pleasure, to whom their little
ones arc 4 wcll-spzing Of joy,-just imngne,
ii you can, tho indignation that would swell a
mothers Ioart whom sno waa compelled to re-
joico that Ler child was buried in tie dark, cold
ground; and there
TH0CaAsDs OF MOTHERS |
who are constrained to feel ~ I did, compelled |
human Icing added to the number who should |
spend their lives in never-e ending toll, heightened
with mono Of eartlis plcasuEcs,-aud to whom |
the death Of . sweet l1ttla bate is considered q |
re]iot.
I then resolved, if the Lord spared my
Iife it should bo devoted to the interests Of the
working classes. l resolved that, wilat little
talent Or influence might possess, it should bo
devoted to them; and il anything 1 could do
or say would help to hg hton their burdens and
make their lives any easier or happier, should
be- we1l-rowarded.. snch was my mo-
are for entering upon this work.
little grave lies ever between mo and Central I
zed Capital aud If can help to accomplish
.nytninS, in any manner, for the anelloza.ion |
II working men and women, my little Frcddiee
brlcf existence
WILL ror HAVE EEEN +; VAIN
It has often been charged upoa thu working
10 lot read; but that they do read when
hey hsye anything that interests them
% read, has boen made apparent,
md the superhcialitv oi I'll our knowledge has
10 laborers are ignorant OF great many things
With which those With money ut their command
're acquainted, but this knowledge is generally
# very little consequence, and doeB not affect
Ii at all in regard to our real interests as Lu-
nan beings; while the more favored portion OF
arsh's population ara ignosant-lamentablY ig-
'orant--of those thinse which concern us most
8 social belRgs,-an ignorance, too which, in |
he present state OF. things, is likely to prove |
atal, "a has just been brought under my no
ice.
The poorer CLASSES arc eager to obtain knowl-
dsa; thev arc hungering and thirsting AFTER
!, and will make unhesrd-of Bacrihccs to !
btain it. Last week vorkingman said to I
I
" / want to thank you, in the namo o: work.
'gmen, for what you have giTen as in
TUE SUNDAY TRIBUNE,
nd to tell you how much NO appreciate it. ,
LAST Sunday there WAS nothing for US from your
en-, and = more disappointed set Of mon than
Q were on that day you mover saw. II tho ]
ditor knew the sacrifices We made to obtain :
lat paper, think he would give ua = place in ,
+ VIII you not ask him to do it ?"
will do 80 with pleasure" replied, "and {
n glad to knoH that my work has been ap- /
feciated. What shall tall him 7''
TELL him" ho eaid, " that, when tho panic :
ame, had enough money owing me to carry ,
!e through the winter but could not get ii.
y sister WAS working for "a per week, and for 7
,yer1 weeks We both lived on Aor 81. Then
10 time came when she could not get her
one5, and ne wcro compelled, with money :
ue US for labor, to apply to tho Reliof Society;
Ut, badly as We were provided tc., we never G
Used buying TIE SUNDAY TRIBUNE. Some- :
mes NO have >
GONE WITHOUT LOAF OF EHEAD y
order to get it. When could obtain little ! s
o7k, rs I hare sometimes, ard l Ind 70 go !
ales to my labor, I have walked home one day
the week to sayo my centa to buy the paper.
up0reds Of men in this citv have douo tha | r