Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-10-05

hHulnk themselves ail po8&f1Iil. b
more arbitrary ID their demanis shan
the capitalists in their exaosions
How and when then can It be ac-
complished2 ? Only when the men
who bold the pure strings are vii
ling 70 lay aside. 1t. the desire 0f
amassing wealth 81 the IL xpense Of any
consideration: 2nd. when they afe
willing 70 overcome the insatiafe de.
sire to outstrip their nei1hb0rs: Ord.
when they are willing Ep bear
share of The depression II business s.
reaeetine ine iAAng Mnafa mfs
mitted through want OF redsesion)
that the world and its goods we're not
made entirely for their use. Bnsi-
ness rivalry is Indirectly one Of the
greatest incentives to the oppression
Of the working classes. A man starts
in business-take for instance the
ready made clothing business-opens
up fair trade and prospers. Imme-.
diately rival springs up. and to at
tract business, fills the papers with
startling advertisements of remarka-
bic reduction in prices-goods within
the reach Of all. To keep even with
the innovator, our man drops too, and
they cut and cut, backward and for
ward. utterly demoralizing the trad.
ing within their reach, until goods
can be had at such moderately low
prices that these men actually appear
benefdctors TO a great number of peo-
pie. But now comes the question,
who has to make good the great re-
duction in prices9 Does the manu-
iacturer lose by it? II he did, where.
would he find the money to carry ON
his business? Necessarily it falls
upon the employee, and in this par
ticular branch. upon a class Of en-
ployees who are least able to bear it.
the sewing women of our large cities.
Who that has ever been in the vi
cinity Of these establishments has not
seen them staggering along under the
loads of ready-made garments OF much
greater weight and size than them
selves. over which they have spent
sleepless nights in order to have them
ready in time that they may not
run the risk Of deduction on the
small pittance which they are to re-
ceive, ,withs drunken hands snd .lIow
cheeks. over which the skin seems
TO be pinched and drawn, as if TO test
its tentiong These facts fnIly attest
to what | say, and what has been done
for their relief? Has the EMPLOYER
ever done anything except grind them
down TO lower wages Has the leg
islature ever said how many hours
they shall labor? Do not trades-un-
ions, entirely wrapped up in them
selves, to all intents and purposes, ig-
more their existence as a part of the
laboring public? Finally. do you
ever hear complaint loud enough to
attract the attention Of any one to
their real condition? Nor are these
lev isolated cases; hui drsds and
hundreds of women in this great
country of boosted enlightenment and
p ogress. in the heartf,lt synp i
tiny with Hood Seanstress, coulu Il
claim,
Oh, TO be slave!
Along with the barnarous Turk,
When woman has never a soul to save
IL this be Christi,R work.
And this brings to my mind some
thing which | read in one ofthe many
sewing advertisements. Start
ing out with what seems to be a ma
tional propensity to deprecate every
thing not American, and advocate
all that is, it said, if remember right
ly, Whilst Thos. Hood was spending
his time uselessly bewailing the mis-
cries Of the sewing women in senti-
mental verses, Elias Howe, Jr., was
straiaing every nerve to bring to per-
fection q machine that would be at
once an obliterator of their woes and
hand down his name as one Of the
greatest behefacters of the working
class.
Now, has he done this? I do not
think SO. That the sewing machine
Is a great invention is not the aues-
tion, but that it has accomplished
what its advocates claim for it. the
emelioratian of the condition Of the
sewing woman, | do most unhesita-
aingly deny 1t certainly enables
them to do more work, but is not this
an increase of their burden rather
than the contrary? It is a fact that
the more work they do the less they
are paid for it, and IL Mr.. Elias Howe's
work is remembered at all IN times
when Hoods verses are still sung by
admiring millions. there is no certain
ty that It will be with gratitude as
machine TO tighten the sorrows Of .
weary woman, but simrly another
means for heartless and uncompro-
missing master to grind more work out
OF her for lower wages. In these DAYS
ofpr0gressand enlightenment, the idea
Of advancing the condition of the poor
seems to have no sharei In the thoughts
Of the rich, whose only conception Of
Improvement seem 10 consist in hand
some houses. interminable railroal
systems and gigantic factories. A
person travelling through the country
Is struck with the picturesque beauty
Of some quiet stream bordered by rich
meadows and al the signs Of pastoral
thrittness. and everything seems full
OF life and beauty. The green pas
lures. fertile felds and industrious
inhabitants ali speak Of thrift and
prosperity. We return to the spot IN
few years. | might say in 3 few
months. 70 sea IN nlsea al fha r.saas-