The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-07-25

oEOue ouu bAe propricOOFh 80 Dosottcu
that none were left to Withstand the bar
barians, except mobiles too effeminate anC
cowsrdly to defend their property anC
slaves who had nothing to defend.
In the city of Rome itself many slave
became rich and of greater or less import
ance; but for the most part the laborers II
the Roman dominions were an oppressed
and -embruted class, often put in PEN
Mt night and let out in the morning
M II they were herd of cattle. The
master was both judge and executioner
Positions which he has not held by modern
codes. Serfdom, which existed in r lssis
till within few years, was a sort Of slavery
where the bondmen were attached to par
ticular estate and sold with the land, a
80 late as ITO the colliers Of Scotland went
with the mines when they were transferred.
Owners of serfs often allowed them to
work OF engage in business for themselves
on the payment Of q stipulated sum. Some
of the richest men of Russian cities, mer-
chants and manufacturers, were serfs en-
joying comparative freedom by paying q
rental for the use of themselves. The
feudal system of labor was of a military
origin, the chief granting certain privileges
to his understrappers on condition Of their
fighting for him or furnishing number Of
fighting men.
This system is not so old as slavery but
still ID Of very ancient date. IL existed in
Persia in the time Of Xerxes, and In Spar
ia Japan is still divided into feuds as
England used to be, and for aught that is
known to the contrary, it always was
Feudslism began to displace slavery in the
early part of the present era. 1t had
spread over Europe from the northern ma
tions in few centuries after Christ. 1t
was in its greatest vigor during the twelfth
and thirteenth centuries. In England
among the SaxOns, in Alfreds time, a
thousand years ago, not one man in twenty
was free. They were held for the most
part in feudal bondage, small proportion
being actual slaves. The degraded con-
ditiOn of the people was such that they
submitted to be yoked to teams and
branded and whipped like cattle. Their
value was appraised like SO much live
stock. Under the feudal system there
were different classes Of laborers, as viii
lains, bordars, cottars and thralls.
The villains were the highest grade, and
at the close of the Anglo Saxon period,
about the year one thousand, numbered
in thirty four counties lO2, 7O2; the bordars
numbered "A, 1923; the cottars numbered
8, ,947; the thralis 26, 552, while the citizens
and burgesses were only IL, lO4. Villains
were Of two sorts, those who belonged to
the soil, and those who belonged to the
person of their lord and were transferable
from one person to another Thrall is the
Saxon for slave, and they were the lowest
order. In llO2 it was declared unlawful
to sell slaves openly in the market. In
the reign Of Edward L., l240, villains were
held to perform certain specified duties
and labOrs for their lord, for the use of
land, and at other times might work for
themselves.
Under the feudal system the laborers
were harshly treated, could not own
property, and il caught after having run
away were frequently branded with red
hot irons. To kill one was an offence con
doned by ine according to the grade Of
the murdered man.
The theft Of twelve pence was among
the Ssxons a capital crime, and took the
oaths Of several Of the lower grades Of
laborers to equal the oath of one Of a
higher. Numbers tied to the woods and
formed bands Of outlaws, like that Of Robin
Hood, who frequently plundered whole
towns and villages.
While the barons in the country were
building their castles, which served at the
same time as mansions, fortresses and
prisons, and their vassals we re huddled in
huts around these strong holds, the cities
were becoming, by reason of their COM
merce and manufactures, powerful rivals
Of the landed nobility. In these cities free
labor was supplanting that Of vassals, and
we begin to meet with the terms freemen,
lourueymen, apprentices and the like.
The barons managed to force their dues
from the towns till these last had com
bined in sufficient strength to successfully
resist their seigniors. The corporation OF
silk merchants was founded in I15l, that
Of the bakers in ll55. The carpenters,
masons, tailors, and many other trades,
had associations also established at an
early date Masters and men with the
female members Of their families belonged
to these organizations. In 1247 the feudal
system began to decline. Money wages
commenced to be paid instead of privileges
in kind, the chief characteristic of feudal-
ity. In 1857 a servile tenant, if employed
before midsummer, received wages instead Of
privileges or perquisites, and free laborers,
who bartered their services for hire, began
to appear Wages were then a penny a
day in harvest time and a half penny at
other seasons. In 1850 the ''free labor
ers" were first taken notice Of by English
laws. 1t was ordained that ''in districts
where laborers had been severally paid in
wheat, they should receive wheat or money
at the rate of ten pence per bushel, at the
option Of their employers they we're tc
be hired by the year and other accustomed
periods, and not by the day Weeders
and haymakers were to be paid at the rate
Of one penny, mowers tive pence per acre
or i've pence per day reapers, during the
first week in August, two pence per day,
and from that time till the end Of the
month, three pence a day, without diet OI
perquisite." The Law enjoined ''laborer,
OF this description to carry their imple
ments openly in their hands to market
towns, and to apply for hire in q public
quarter of the town"
This regulation of the laborers and the
wages of labor was repeatedly confirmed
by succeeding parliaments.
The law of 1868 regulates the diet snd
apparel of the lsborers. That Of 1885 pro
hibits servants from removing from one
place to another. Finally, Justices Of tn,
peace were directed to ix the prices to b
paid for labor OF various kinds every Eas
ter and Michaelmas by proclamation. The
statute of 1868 directed that artifcers anc
servants shall be served once a day with
meat and fish or the waste of other vict
uals, as milk and cheese, according to theil
station, and that they should wear cloth o
which the whole piece did not cost mor'
than twelve pence per yard. Carriers
plowmen. Ox-herds, neat-herds, shepherd
and all others employed in husbandry wer
TO use no kind of cloth but that called blacl
russet, at twelve pence per yard.
We may date the commencement of tn
wage system, the present system of labor
from 1850. The masters of those days dis
/ liz IN oou.a 1aux, IN ha h h.,