, 1875-03-30
HOW AMERICAN BOYS ARE WRoE6ED,

|
HOW AMERICAN BOYS ARE WR0KGED,
| Ihe wrongs of women n1u negroes have
1nouopolizcd public attention for many years.
Serious as son,o Of them are, or have been,
tho wrongs Of boys aro rs bad, II not worgc.
For scrica of yenrs, the boys of Americn
havo been shut out, moro and more CON-
| plete1y will cacl years nilvaucc, from tile
chance of learning trade. Tho tratle.,,nions,
with almost incredible blindness, have olopt-
ed rules which prevent the clnp1oyn,ont Of any
| except very limited number Of apprentices.
These rules forbid master to employ M ap-
prentice nnless he employs q certain number
OF jonrncymen. In Bomo trades, tho proper
ton is one boy to twenty men. Tho few
places loft vacant by apprentices becoming
sands Of boys aro thus deprived Of the oppor.
tunity to boeon1e reputable and seH-support-
ing artisana, When they lcavo school and
try to do something for themselves they find
tho doors shut in their faces. Instead Of be-
coming blacksmitly, silversmiths, cerron-
tors, co1npositors, cabinot-mnkers, COACH
makers, hatters, 1nachiuists. bakera, tanners,
timers, tailors, masoas, shoemnkors, stono-
| cuttors, plastorers, bricklayors, VIEWERS, they
| have to become bootblaekn, newsboys, or
ranit-boya, boggara, loafers, dea,l-beats, pns~
pers, thieves, etc. No ono of tho
occupations open to them offers any cd,lca-
| tion, except in u sort Of cunning which In
often d curse. If tho members of tho 60
callod liberal professions, tho journalists,
/ lawyers, tenclers, doctors, aud ministers,
should successfully combine to prevent the
education Of boys and young men in auy of
thoir specinlties, thero would be universal
howl OF complaint. A far greater wrong is
| committed, however, when trade-eslucation
Is prevented AIany moro boys aro affected,
for ono thing, and most Of them must 70 to
work at once aud 1abor constantly in order
to live. II they do not do this and do not
steal, they mnst staryo.
Tho trades-unions are perhaps beyond the
reach Of raason in this respect. II not,
their members may be ,natlo to sec tlcr
folly. This restrictive action keeps their
own aons Us well rs those Of their relations
from learning useful trus!es. It drives agreat
number OF tlom into enforced idleness, knav-
cry, and hin. Itthns keeps full tho classes Of
roguos who prey upon society and live at tho
expense Of honest mon. This necessitateB
costly reformatory, penal, and charitable in-
| stitutiona. The rate Of taxation Is thus n,a-
tcrially increased, and most taxes, from whom.
socyer collected, ultimately fallupon tho poor.
Forcing masters to employ mon to do tho
work of apprentices rnises tho cost Of the
commodities produced aud so diminishos the
purchasing power Of the wages Of all buyers
of thoao commodities and Of all buyers of
goods produced transported, or distributed
by means Of those commodities. This polioy,
again, d'scri1ninates, u Chicago politics,
against Americans in favor of foreigners.
Tho fact that our workshops are full Of
foreign-horn artisans, md TINT tlo native
American mechanic is comparatively rare in
them, hna often been commented upon. II Is
largely due to the studied exclusion ot ap-
/ prcnticos. Tho demand for skilled labor is
met by tho importation Of persons traincd
in foreign workshops instead Of by supply
Of American boys trained at home. 1t Is
money In tho pocket Of person who wishea
to follow trade in the United Stases TO be
born ont Of tho country. 1t BENJAMIN
franklin, RoaEE SHERMAN, 1Iu1AnD F111.-
MORE, ANDREW JOHNSON, HORACE GREELEY,
and HENRY WILSON, were just entering lnau-
hood now, they might seek In vain the ap-
prenticeships sin the printing, slaoemaking, mud
tailoring trndcs, Which gave them their first
start inlIte, Such OWLS result from. the selfish
short.sighted policy Of the trade.unionlBts.
Tho solo advantage claimel for that policy Is
that It produces q scarcity OF mechanics