Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-05
WOMAN-SLAVERY.
Lecture of Prof Felix Adler Before the
Society for Ethical Culture.
New York Times. February 9th.


A great many ladies were standing when
Prof. Felix Adler came forward in Chicken
ing Hall, yesterday morning, to begin his
lecture before the Society for Ethical Gull
ture. He said he could not go on pleading
for the rights of women and see them stand.
A number of gentlemen at once surrendered
their seats. The subject was "The Position
OF Woman in the Present" Woman in the
present, Prof. Adler said, IL, as in the past,
the slave of her master-man. Eighty five
per cent. of those who died from mercurial
poisoning contracted in the looking glass
factories in Germany were women. In Eng
land, where factory legislation had accom-
plished so much in the last forty years, an
appalling state of things existed. In the
"Black Countrywide chain and nail making
parts OF Eugland-the reports of the govern
meut inspectors told a terrible tale In a row
of chain-shops women alone might be found
at work, and their husbands would be
seen lolling against the walls. 1t was fact
that men married "nailers," as they were
called, to live on their toll and drink up
their earnings. The delicate girl of twenty
one welded the heavy solver" The reason
women were employed was because more
work could be wrung out OF them than out
of men. They were docile and submissive.
They would obtain So for weeks work, and
after paying their baby-teRders, the "firers"
at the forge, aud other expenses, would have
IS Cd left. In the agricultural district women
and children were worked in gangs. The
gang masters drove tkem from field to field,
and lar away from home, in boots and semi
male attire. This, however, did not compare
with the sights in the collieries, and far
surprising imagination were the spec
tacles in the collieries of Scotland.
Women were compelled to work in
mines filled with gas and flooded with water.
The Bible said the life of man was three
score years and ten, but women working in
the coilieries seldom lived to be over thirty
or forty years. Little girls OF four were
taken into the collieries, and at six carried
loads OF 100 and 80 pounds on their backs.
The black spittle carries the toilers of with
terrible certainty. Poor Annie Hamilton
worked increasingly for twenty-four hours.
Then she was given two hours to partake OF
her pea-soup and secure rest, after which she
worked twelve hours more. The women were
nude to the waist, and wore pair OF loose
trousers. About the waist was Il belt TO
which a heavy chain was attached and
dragged between their knees They pulled
low, damp passages, and were compelled to
go on all tours like brutes. In this way
they hauled loads 10000 yards day. Prof.
Adler had seen late picture in which n
man with his bare hands was digging grave
in the sand for his paramour. "But what"
ne asked, rs this TO the picture L have
drawn? | should like to see some painter
who can dip his brush in this mess OF hell,
and paint naked women, with belts about
their waists and chains dragging between
their knees. That picture would be real"
The women were not compelled by their hus-
bands alone TO toll in this manner, Prof. Adler
went on, but by the owners OF the cOllieries-
the gentlemen of England. The number OF
women working in the flax, wooden and cot
ton districts of England had increased three
fold since 1850. Twice as many women were
employed as men, and it was the same in the
factories of New England. Prof. Adler spoke
OF strong men locked up day in and day out
in the shops away from recreation and
said: If these things must be for men
must be until they have the wit and intelli-
gence to resist-spare the women at Least.
The dragon of industry was a monster that
was feeding ON human flesh. When women
were kept away from their homes ter~-lld
Twelve hours day il was wop5er IN at the
households were untidy. A mothers duties
were sacred and sho,rfd be regarded. In
Ssilzerlani the low gave an hour and hall
in The middle of the day 10 women, but no
t,rovisioa of this sort had yet been made in
froe A merica. 1t was poverty which made
the woman question and gave it its direst
aspect. Ii drove women into the workshops
and collieries, and kept them from their -du-
ties as mothers. The unequal distribution Ui
wealth was responsible, and only by relieving
the masses at large could women be freed