The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-12-30
THE WRONGS OF THE SEAM
STRESS.


other half lives. Certain it is that not
1.-THE OF the citizens of Chicago know tn,
system Of oppression and Wholesale robt,cr,
to which the seamtresses employed by III,
larger factories are compelled Ia submit
We hear a great deal about the wrongs o.
workingmen, but how seldom 10 = Vyic,
raised or pen used to denouEce and ex
pose the grasping, soulless vllliany which
takes advantage of misfortune-ot tn,
weaker seI-whum dire necessity compeli
70 accept the scanty PIttance, earned
through six days incessant labor frequent
ly scarcely sufficient TO keep body and sou
together Are our mechanics aud work
ingmen, even from selfish standpoint,
true t. their best interests. can they eN-
pect the sympathy they desire OF deserve.
50 long as they virtually turn a deaf ear Il
the appeals ofthose hose condition ia more
/ hopeless, whose wrongs are more fragrant
and whose demands are even more Just
/ than their own. Every claim ii honor,
every dictate Of true manhood insists that
in future they shall throw aside the
selfish apathy, or petty jealousy which has
| heretofore characterized their treatment 81
worAIngWomen and make the grievances
OF which they complain, their own. We
are not now speaking IN behalf # those
whose means place them beyond the ne
cessIty Of earning their daily bread or ~ho
use the sewing machine as toy. but II
the widow struggling, il may be, by the
midnight lamp, 10 secure nuurIshment for
I her fatherless babes. while the Ninds oi
heaven sing their lullaby thrrugh the
chinks Of her lonely galret, 81 daughter
supporting All aged parent "r parents.
whom disease or misfortune has thrown a
charge upon her hands of III, orphan de-
pendent ou her own resources. bereft Of
her protectors, bravely facing the world
and struggling against the temptation by
which her pathway is beset. 50 much by
way Of prefac..
which admit Of no denial, and which must
appeal to the sense IF Justice IN the most
callous heart. There are shirt factories IN
this city-c controlled BY men Who profess
to be civilized and chrlstlAnizeG. tbut who
are neither, which compel seamstresses 10
run a sewing machine-flt for mule to
drive-ten hours per day in order to
earn-S4 90 per week. From tins amount
is to be deduo led thread and car fAre-for
them little If any mere than - UU-e,iGiy
aleut to 8 cents Ter hour, sor the labor q
90 hours. As the machine agent and the
shirt maker generally hunt Ia couples a
commission is allowed the after on the
machines sold, 10 their operators under
an agreement that all shall be required 70
use the machine Of the company which he
represents An advertisement is then IN
serted that 81 Or more snlrtmaAers can hud
employment by calling al Messrs. estAb-
l;shment, where the applicant Is Informed
the work is only given to those Who have
tile - machine, but that the company
will take the one in her possession IN ex-
change allow her 50 much f,r the same,
ana accvp IT s. down, ana - Ill monthly IN
stallmeutS thereafter. The bait = sgal-
lowed aui ths-Purse drained q sc4ape the
necessary amount The material FOR a
half dozen u SHIRTS Is then furnished az
companied with many precautions
which Is a good days work fox winch she
is to receive - cents. out II this she
must furnish her own thread costing u
cents. Ii she lives IN the outskirts Of the
city-as most ui her class do 10 cents ad-
dltloual Is required Tor car fare-which
leaves her 30 cents AS a recOmpense in full
for her labor-the sum Of $500 per
week. Now out Of this $500, a p must
be saved for her monthly installment on
her sewing machIne-over which a mort
gage is hanging, leaving her the prIncely
sumo Of Sl.75 to pay her rent, and provide
food and fuel for the ensuing week. And
yet society affects to set up howl Of viz
tuous Indignation if these i'll paid bounded
women, driven to despair, fail a victim 70
mans lust or cupidity-
Nov, let US see how ana where the EN-.
ployer secures his profits. The cost Of ma.
terial, cutting, linen for bosoms, &c, does
not exceed at the outside, 90 cents pei
shirt, Sc 60 per dozen; add to this the Sl.jC
paid for making, and We have s. 80 al
the outlay required to furnish one dozen,
which are wholesaled at Sl5. Thus r,
fad that nearly ttcice as much profit Is mad,
o. the sale ~ one 3g7eH shirts as he seam
stress secures TOR her entire tceeks labor.
This Is no overdrawn picture it is q
simple statement Of facts, and what j;
worse this damnable robbery is practiced
in Christian Chicago, by psalm singing
Pharisees, who ply their vocation without
fear, hindrance or protest.
Let us hope in conclusion that there is q
rod in pickle for them in the shape Of a
birthstone hell, and that the wArmest place
in it will be assigned to these worse than
hbels on humanity, the murderers Of
wOmen's virtue and Of women's lives.
THE STATE CAMPAIGN