Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-06-05

piled to the case in point, viz; the unrca-
sonable number of hours cxtortcd from
clerks in the stores in what is called a days
labor-tchat is equity? The wisest man $50
called said, ''therc is time for all things"
which means there is a right time in which
to do all things. The question seems here
forced upon us, what are The things to be
done? We will suffer the merchants of
this town TO answer, and as example is
stronger than precept, and as actions speak
louder than words, the example and action
we will take. Then the things to be done
are Work, Eat, SIeep-equity is srork seren-
teen hours per day, time to eat thrown in.
Our own definition we must withhold.
There is, however, another side TO this
question. All along down the ages errors
and abuses have crcpt into every DEPART
mcnt of life-religious, political, domestic,
social and commercial. They have been
and are impregnated by what at first were
simple innovations, harmless in themselves,
but in their development have drawn the
life blood from theiy victims and poisoned
every avenue leading to correctcr ways of
living. Men are not more selfish now than
their fathers were, and, as ARENAS Ward
said, we do not know that they are any
less and as we always thought il a hard
law which visits the sins of the fathers up
on the children, so we do yet Then we
have as much to do with the past as with
the present, SO far as the abuse in question
stands. But ii is to late to lav in our claim
| upon the past to assist in the remedy. 1t
was nevertheless transmitted to posteritv;
merchants were born luio il, grew UP with
it, and it is not fair to charge them MS n
class with all the blame any more than it is
fair to lay the sin of slavery at the door of
the late STAKEHOLDER, for willie the original
traffic was prompted only by greed to gair,
to emancpatc it was prodigious sacrifice
Man is and always has been selfish. We
all are heirs to the same common heritage,
and it is only when our noble nature rises
into day that we arc above it, Without it.
he becomes like the animals drunk in his
|
brute with his lusts satisfied, and he is full
to the extent of his capacity. For man, I've
he a merchant mechanic, miner, or what
ever else, to give all his time to working,
eating, and sleeping, how far is he above
the level of the orders below him? He de-
prives his family of the association they
crave most; of the instruction he owes
them; of the privileges of improving his
mind cutivating his intellect, and prepar-
ing himself for a more useful and happier
life. His whole business rs to catch the
dollar, and in pursuit of it rohs his God of
all time, does not even give Him a few frag-
ments that, in spite of himself, he cannot
use.
For the abuse first preached by
"Phiianthropos" through the JOURNAL, we
now bring home the charges (Which, by the
way, Mr.. Editor is only one of the many
abuses that require notice; but this, being
the one in point, We prOcccd:) We blame
CD the merchants, for we believe they arc
the most to blame; l) the clerks for they
possess the right to protect their interests
as we'll as those engaged i'll other callings,
| and if some risk is involved in doing it, and
they refuse TO incur the risk, they have the
penalty; (3) tn" pulpit, for they Il mean
| the ministers) have failed to lift their voices
against il, and if it is Il vice it is their bust,
ness TO dcaounce it, if they do not they
fail in their duty; (4) the charge falls to
yourself Mr.. Editor; you have been rcmiss
in the matter; the great recognized powers
in christendom are Tic pulpit and the press :;
(5) the public, 'Philanthropos" included,
unless he docs all his buying in the light of
day. lfthcsc charges are rightly made let
all work together to remedy the great evil.