The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-06-13

rageous sWlndle, land says it is amazing
IhaC II should have continued so long.
| Some of our readers NAV how,
thought that in depicting the condi-
zion OF misery to which political mis-.
government has reduced the laborinp
people of the great manufacturing
centers of our country, we cverdrew
the picture. We will ask them tn
read the following from a recent ed;.
torlal IN the st. Paul Dispatch and
they Will see that we have rather
understated than overstated the
facts:
The condition of the laborers EN-.
plOyed by the great protected mining
ana manufacturing corporations Of
pennsylvania lS,aS notorious events of
the last few years have shown. borri.
bly, bad. They are at all times poor
ana often starving and desperate.
Iaey are slaves in all but the name.
but slaves OF such sort that their
masters have no interest in or care
Tor their welfare. And now it appears
that the cotton mill hands of Massa.
chusetts are, even when work ia
plenty. but a degree removed from
pauperlSm. A letter of the 9th of
May from Fall River to the Boston
Herald says, writing of the stopping
OF the mills there for two weeks this
month:
Inns city has no corporation board.
ing houses like some other manufac-
turing places where the help can be
boarded for a small sum, the prices
being from So to SIS here. Running on
full time, some have ST. week left.
after paying board. A few of the
mills will probably run on full time,
and the help in these corporations can
consider themselves very fortunate.
Good help are absent from their work
but very little. Some weavers have
worked in one mill for Is years;these.
OF course. will feel the short time
movement. Then there is a class that
rove around considerably, who work
and recreate, and then recreate and
work. These. OF course, are accus.
toned to short time, but there are
very few OF this class. The great
majority are very steady workers and
the highest wages earned by weayers
IS IN the nsighborhood of 81 per week.
with family to support for two
week. this amount don't allow straw.
berries and cream said one to-day.
y or meat oncep day." said another.
"But it will help keep us from the.
poor farm. said third. A great
majority OF the Fall River operatives
are Intelligent, sensible persons. and
realize the stress of the times. and
while experiencing the hardships of
these dull times, feel that it is una
voldable. Few, indeed, are they who
breathe forth the spirit of communism
IN these days. To the credit of the
great majority it must be said that
they are well-behaved, well-disposed
persons; they know that many of the
manufacturers are suffering privations
In financial point Of view that is not
pleasant to bear. In conversation
with prominent manufacturer this
afternoon he said: II pity the opera.
ives but how can we help it! We
are having men working for us who
are filling boys places; they ask for
them and we can give them bnt sixty
cents day." Last week was tho
busiest one known to the clerk of the
Overseers OF the Poor, who issued Isl
orders for relief
In times gone by 1.-TWO dollars a dav
and roast beef was the rallyinp cry
of the party Of protection. But here
we see the best of American working
men, Industrious, intelligent, uncom-
pialnlng-reduced to one dollar a day
and Liable at any time to be deprived
OF that pittance for week two weeks
or a month, or more, just as NAV be
indicated by the masters interests in
keeping short supply of goods On the
market. Here are men glad to take
boys places at sixty cents a day. and
others, wanting work, who are COM
peiied for want of it. to 20 to the
Overseer of the Poor for relief. Ia
TINS not the pauperism from which
protection was to have protected orr
working people And does il not
prove that protection does not nro.
tectl 1'"-
The protective system has works d
ike hot-honse Influences upon veue-
ta1ion: 1t has made our great manu-.
iaclhflng interests too tender to bear
exposure to the chances Of trade. It
mas also weakened the sources of
manufacturing strength in DESTROYING
TRADE and 1t has limited the ability Of
customers to buy. 1t has failed to
preserve our workingmen from pan.
perlsn; 1t has rather fastened their
crescent INTO pauperism by increasing
the cost OF living and by fayorino
lnose combinations Of employers
which seek to thrive through conspir-
acies against labor on one side and
against consumers on the other. Pro-
lection does not protect. It's simply
iegai thievery which, like other crime
inality, at last pnnishes itself.