The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-09-09

DAY MORNING. SEP
1 1.T ~ Z + ii ------1- - I - :
processes Of civilization, and has changed
the character Of Legislation md OF national
policy everywhere. Is this great, power
iul and growing system 4 power for good OF
forevil? Does It mean the elevation OF
t he race or i,srs'r)g e:sion? My position Is
that the system has been ,nd IL Il most pc.
tent element IN promoting civilization. !
nm well aware that speak against popular
impression, and largely against popular
sentiment, whenI assert that the factory
system In every respect Is vastly superior
US an element in civilization to the domes.
tic system which preceded il; that the SO.
ciAl aud moral influence oitlle present out.
shine those of the old, The condition OF
Tho workers otsoeir,r has never been the
ideal condition, md the worker Is too often
the victim of the Contemplate sell lishnesi
which tempts a>man 10 eou,nit the crime
OF robbin2 the operative Of his jus. share III
the results OF his toll. ..N
Mr.. Wright then skctchtd the wrelchcl
condition Of the labOrers OF England, rs
history and not poetry depicts It, under
the domesticsys,em. rauperism grew until
one-fnurth iof the anunul, budget was for
the support OF paupers, and It was not
checked till the inventions in cotton man.
uincturers came. Under the factory system
it has been on the decline, taking, the, de.
cades together. The tegular order main.
tained in the factory keeps the operative
steadily employed; lie lcinnDtf Consult his
own caprice, Rah lie knows with rtasona.
bic certainty the wages he is to.receive ut
the next pay day. His lie and habits be-
c1mc more orderly, and in the usually
Glenn and well.lighled factory lie. .breathes
pnrer air than hewould in the home shop.
EIt Is commonly supposed that cottoni ,fuc.
tories are crowded with operatives. From
tho nature. Of things The spinning ind
weaving rooms, where the machinery oc.
cupics so much space, cannot be crowded.
The poorest iactorytin this country Is MS
good II place to breathe in us
Representative Hall during sessions, or
the ordinary school room. In this respect
the new system OF labor far surpasses the
old. Bad air. is one Of the surest sinhu-
eilccs to intemperanco, and it. Is. slscepti-
bic Of proof that intelnperance does not
exist and has not existed to such alarming
degrees under the new as under the old
system. The rteularities required in mills
is such as to render peraons who are in the
habit OF getting intoxicated unfit to be en-
ployed, and many manufacturers object TO
employing persons guilty or the vice. To-
day drunkenness is not an obstacle to the
success OF manufacturing establishments
either in this country or in England. The
statistics OF crime usually offer evidence Of
the tendencies OF dileient classes in u
community. In studying these statistics
for large manufacturing centres in Great
Britain, have found that neither the
criminal ranks nor the ranks OF prostitu.
ton are filled up from the factories.
What is the truth us to wages? am
constantly obliged to reiu,e. the assertion
that wages under the factory SYSTEM are
growing lower and lower. Tie reverse is
The truth. The progress Of improvement
in machinery may lave reduced the price
paid for Il single article. yard or pound OF
product, or for the services Of skilled and
intelligent operative; but the came i'm.
provement has enabled the workman to
produce!in ngreater proportion, with less
expenditure Of muscular labor and in less
time, and it has enabled a low Crude Of Ia.
tor to increase its earnings. At the same
time, greater number huve been benefited
either i'll consumption or production. Ex-
prrience has not only evolved but proven
LAW in this resptri, which'is, the more
the factory sys,en,iis perfected the more
will'it reward those engaged iu; ir,.ii not in
increased wages to skill, certainly in higher
wages TO less skill Better morals, better
sanitary conditions, better health, better
wuscs-these ARE the political ,sulis OF the
factory system as compared with that
Which preceded it, and the results OF
ali these have been d kGcner intelligence.
Under the domestic system there existed
no common centres OF houghtand action.
One OF the chief causes Of tronble i'll Ire.
|land. outside labor difficulties; lis, the indi-
vidual system of labor which pretlominatcs.
Fill Ireland with factories and her eleva.
ton is assured; indeed, ,.thG north Of Ireland,
with its linen factories, is prosperous 10.
day. The factory brings mtntal friction
contact which could not exis, under the
old system. The factory brings progress
and intelligence; it establishes at the cen.
tres the public hall for the !yreuln and the
concert; and cyen littr.l, yinStilu,ioEs have
been the result OF the direct Influence OF
the System, which things could not, in the
nature Of com! !i,ions, find II lodgnentunder
the domestic system. 1t is in evidence
that "the book trade oiGreat Britain -four
ishcs and fades with It's manufactures in
vi,al sympathy, while it is nearly indiiler.
cut tothe good or, bad state Of its agricul.
ture. S5Sits>tEf, JRS
l While the factory system is superior in
almost every respect TO the. individual sys.
tcm it has evils which should except con-
stan,ly in mind that public sentilnen, may
be strong enough some day to remove
them. count the employment Of married
women the very w0rstof tLese evils. Drunk
enntss and intemperance are not the nec-
essary accompanying evils OF the factory
system, and never have been, but WHEREBY
er corporations furnish unhealthy home
surroundings there the evils OF iltenpcr-
nucc will be more or less felt. Industry
and poverty are not hand-maidens, and rs
poverty is lcssened good morals thrive. II
labor, employment Of the mind, is an cs-
sen,ial to good morals, then tile highest
kind OF employment, that requiring the
most application and the best
intellectual effort, means the bes,
morals. This condition, I take
courage to assert, is superinduced, eventu-
ally by the factory system, for by it the
operative'is usually employed in r. higher
grade OF labor. .iliun that which occupied
him in his previous condition. For this
reason the present system OF productive
industry, Is constantly narrowing tho limits
OF then In ss that occu pies the bottom step
the social ord, r. The fact that the lowest
grade 'ofy operatives can now? be employed
iu the Mills docs notIsignify more; ignor-
ancr, but raising OF the lowest to higher
employmeuls. Tie deviation OF m in.
creased proportion OF working people from
the position of .unskilIed 10 ,hGt; Of skilled
laborers. and the opening Of an adequate
field tof ,remuneratiye employment to
women are tUo' Of tho most important i'm.
proyemeu,s ,whicl, could he desired in the
condition the, working classes. fEa 4
The veal or WOO Of the operative popu.
lalion depends largely, said Col. Wright in
closing, upon the icmper in which the en-
ulnvnrl thn I,i