The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-06-21
Inhuman Workings of Free Trade.

[Erom the Buffalo Express.l
Free-trade hobby -horsemen are inclined |
to give the favorite system too much credit
for the wealth accumulated by England.
British gold has been wrung from the pso.
pie of England by an oppressive labor sys-
tenn, more than from other nations by the
operations Of free trade. If coupling with
such labor system as free trade requires
to make it successful results in building
up of a powerful moneyed class, and put
ting down in the depths of misery the
laboring classes, then the system is essen
TALLY un-American and we want none of it.
It is we'll, therefore, to inquire if, under
the working of free trade, all classes in
England achieve the highest prosperity
and happiness. There is abundance of
evidence to show that such is not the case
in England. Take for instance the results
in the manufacture of a single article-ths
working of iron. The following from an
English Journal-an organ both of the
iron trade and Of the anti-protectiye sys-
tem-called Iron, of May 20, present
picture of the effect of free trade upon iron
workers:
"The public have been frequently horrifi-
ed by tales of opposition and demoraliza-
tion Of young women in the nail-making
districts, and now, thanks to the chain
makers association, like revelations have
hanr ~
branch of iron work, of an evil which has
been going on for considerable period un-
noticed until the local press brought it un-
der the eye of the public. Visiting Cradley
Heath in company with dsputation from
the above named association the special
commissioner ofthe Wolverhampton Daily
News entered smithy where he found a
graceful, fair haired girl of Is summers,
turning out links of twisted dog chain.
The work, especially in summer is labori-
Gus and continuous, there is ne break, no
the anvil to the bellows, and back again il
goes on from morning to night, day after
day; and the days are of eleven or twelve
hours each, il not longer. The poor girl
thus interviewed scarcely knew how long
she worked; but she had eighteen chains te
finish that day. Neither had she any idea
how much she earned, for her mother tooi
the money. There is ever worse than thi
behind. In the summer time, we are told
the temperature is such that both men anc
women strip to the waist. Many of thes,
women are married, and the husband o
many of them are living in cemparativ,
idleness on the labor of their UNIVERSAL,
overworked wives. The commission ant
deputation visited an immense number o
shop. In Cradley and neighboring villages
and found in all of them girls and womel
Of all ages working in the same unwoman
{ ly way. Some Of the poor creatures wer
far advanced in pregnancy, and there
one pitiful sketch of a poor young woma
who had bur recently given birth to chile
She looked pale and emaciated, says tn
writer, but she was blowing her below
and forging her links as we'll as her scant
y strength would allow, while her baby, wrar
y ped in some rags, lay on heap Of ashe. i
! corner. There is evidently somethin
requiring instant attention here, for some
q body, and not the worder, is reaping II
fruit of the labor Of these poor women.
h WAS with the greatest difficulty, we al
told, that any information as to their hou
4 or the extent Of their earnings, could
n extracted from them. All they could ss
=, was that the limit Of their task was SO In
II ny chains day, and that they worked Fl
), some one; but from what could be gathert
n some Of the poor creatures toll unceasing
O at the forge twelve or thirteen hours a d.
10 for from six to seven shillings n wee
% What are the hardships or wrongs of 60
"a ernesses and impecunious young ladies
,. the middle class" compared with this?"
L. The pen revolts from properly cbara
nj terizing system that develops such
lg states of things as this. The workings
K free trade according to this sample cou
n- not stand an hour in America. Ameri
y, never will tolerate it, and therefore t
~ advocates of free trade in this count
it waste their breath. The cheap articles
fl foreign manufacture which they para
a. temptIngly before American laborer's ey
as specimens of what we might have
~ the price if we would inaugurate fir
at trade, are not the real that they won
% bring US. A degraded and easlaved labor
be is rather the trade mark of the system. N
ca the beautiful fabrics 80 cheaply offered
ne wives and daughters by foreign manufi
ho turers; but young women and pregna
a mothers hammering half naked at
In forges-these are the triumphs and allul
n ments of free trade backed by the or
ed labor system that can make 1t successful
as Are we ready for the "reform ?"