The Labor enquirer., 1883-11-05
Inhumaaity Of Enployers II the
large Mercantile Estab-
lishnents.
How Our Sisters 10 Worked, I'M
posed upu, Starved and
Ruinsd
A Matter in Which 8 God-Lc.ing
Public Should be Deeply
Interested.

i Il. = y
The giant evil.of New York City orig
mated BY A. 7. Stewart and its counter
parts are to be found in all large cities
throughout the length and breadth o
the land in the monster establishment.
combining every business or calling
neded in domestic economy. The i'm
mense power concentrated in their hand
for evil to society seems to be little
thought of or people would make some
|eifort to crush 1t, for if they do not II
will soon be an impossibility for any one
of moderate means to compete with
them in an honest way. They use the
press largely, and there is no end to the
cunning devices to which they resort te
attract the people to purchase theil
wares-by the way of feelers or bats
These creatures are well versed in the
weaknesses of human nature and To
make success doubly sure they sell some
leading article at a price less than the
cost of its production. How can they af.
ford to do it 2 many will say that pur'
chase these things and think they have
saved money by going there. Poor, de.
luded victims, you forget the thousand
and one other articles contained therein
that they realize their profits upon. II
they made present to each purchaser
of the bait or feeler the purchasers are
still cheated, and would find themselves
better in mind and dollars at the end Of
each year by dealing with small trades
men in their ow n locality, where they
are not liable to be pushed and crowded
like sheep in a siaughter-pen, as they
often are on particular occasions, and
very often the~unwary get relieved OF
their money and va,uables by another
set Of light Fingered gentry that abound
in alllarge cities, and especially in these
places they are as thick as flies around
a sugar barrel in summer time.
Now, if people would but stop and
think for moment on this practical
question they would see the impossible
ity for any one to build fine stores and
princely mansions in both city and coun-
try and sell goods at less than cost.
Why, the. thing is preposterous and
gives the lie direct to their fraudulent
pretensions to benefit the public. Bosh!
By this mode of doing business the
poor as well as the rich are drawn to
these fine establishments and help to
swell their Golfers. ..-,. ....-''..l
Let us pause here and see what is the
condition of the poor shop girl employed
by many of these purse-proud gentry
Thousands are kept in abiect poverty by
the small pittance they receive for inces-
SAINT toll behind their counters, and the
cruel tyranny they have to put up with
in shape of fines for the most trivial
causes can never be fully known. And
when sickness or accident befalls them,
too many of the poor creatures as last
resort are compelled to 60 to the hospi-
tails or charneIl houses, whichever they
may be termed, and potter's fields are
supplied with these poor victims of slow
murder. Then the vast numbers in the
work rooms in their yarios umanufactur-
ing departments, in many instances, are
packed almost like sardines. No at
tention is paid to the laws of health !;
only how much can be ground out of the
human machines so many hours per
day, for next to nothing, and when weary
and worn out with the fatigues of the
day, after many hours of confinement,
many have to wend their way to a mis-
.erable abode in some wild tenement,
where pure air and Gods sunlight can
not penetrate. Those great caravansa-
ries of brick and morter are put up by
the greedy yultures of landlords, who
look on these poor creatures as so many
cnlckenS 10 De pluckeu.
If Gods word is true surely day viii
come when they must appear before the
bar of eternal justice and woe be to them
when they are confronted with their
victims of avaricious greed, from the
tender babe to man in bis youthful prime
murdered by inches by disease con.
tracted in these fever nests, leaving the
widow and helpless children too often to
end their wretched lives in the same sad
way in those horrid pens unfit for pig
styes or dog kennels. No man that owns
good horse would allow it to be kept
in such place for twenty-four hours YET
in the eyes of many they are good enough
for. human beings to live and die in
Why is it thus in this great boastine
Christian land that the people are 81
terribly blind to justice and common
humanity? For the sole reason that
wealth must be accumulated at al
hazards in opposition to human or divine
laws.
The thought often has struck tht
writer how it is possible many of the
wealthy landlords in New York City dart
sit ON Sundays with their families in gay
attire on their fine velvet cushioned seats
in those fashionable churches, to mock
their Divine Master, the meek and lowly
Nasarine with their impious prayers
Their hearts must be harder than ada