The Labor enquirer., 1884-10-04
on civuizxiarioas


hsoks Won print AMI enjoy all the other
bensfits of the xhite mans civilization ?
aThev do not have tins to dc all these
things and they arsl not theirs to enjoy
Il they had. If they had more leisure
and more wisdom they would not work
for other men like this. /"
Then all the pale facet do not have
the beautiful thingl you tave shown me {
Some of them dig dirt in the hot sun ten
long hours, eat dry brlad out OF tin
pail and do not ride on the cars, OF hve
in the beautiful houses. They cannot
hunt or fish, or wander in the woods.
BAIL would rather be lonely Red
Man in a wigwam under The trees. But
may be these are exceptions; something
unusual IN this gre.,t society OF paletaces.
Let us 60 on and see.s
They passed great black buildings full
of roaring furnaces, vhose red mouths
olowed through the darkness and smoke
like those of angry demons. Men half
dressed and grimy With SCOT, glided
about in the freight like silent goblins.
They carried greab kettles Of shining
liquid iron; they caught and swung
round and hammered and pounded great
bars Of iron. The sweat ran in burrows
down their blackened faces and shout
ders, the sparks fell and pfistered their
flesh and they painted for breath in the
terrible heat. Outside and in other
buildings were immense piles Of beams,
girders, rails and pillars, that were des-
tined to stand for aises, parts of splendid
edifces, the monument of raan's ingenuity
and strength.
"Will they belong to these men who
are working SO hare
"0h no, these men are paid so much a
day, as much as the market will allow,
and they must live on thas.p
aAnd have they any of the advantages
!. of civilization ?"
= "Oh, they are better off than working
people were hundred years ago, no
:, doubt, but of course they must be saying
and live cheaply or they could not get
along"
They wentto that consistent accompa.
niment of refined society. the stock
yards, and saw hogs and cattle killed,
dressed, cut up and packed, one after an
other; in fact, the arimalsdid not realize
theyiwere dead till they were ready to be
eaten. They saw brutes tortured by less
sensible brutes, and blood, dirt and
coarseness till the uncivilized Indian
uttered war-whoop and fed from it all.
+. They entered long, high buildings
where men, women and little children
sat, shut up in the dust, heat andimpure
air, following the motions Of machinery,
all day long. They were all pale, sad
and shrunken and none smiled as they
passed along.
'"Whatl the little: psppoose, too
Great Spirit! what have they done that
you punish them so f'
''That is not for punishment they
have nothing and so must work to get
bread to eat, that is all"
HHave nothing? Where is the land
they were born on? g? Turn them out,
turn them out, son, aud let them at least
run IN the sunlight, and eat the wild
food Nature gave them. Who has got
what God gave them?"
The son could not answer and they
passed along. They saw men high up on
., frail scaffoldings piling up masonry and
wood work in grand structures, that
might last forever. They saw one of
them fall, crushed mass on the pave
ment saw him hurried away, and saw
the rest work on. They looked into
some of the handsome houses, and saw
beautiful, welI-dressed ladies and gentle
men looking very happy in the lovely
rooms.
They crossed dirty stream on q rick
ETY. bridge, after waiting half an hour for
it to be swung they went into some
dirty streets that were lined on either
side by houses six and seven stories
high They entered and found many
little rooms with family in each, some
times two or three. There we're no pic
lures, no sofas, carpets, or curtains, no
buttons to touch, no telephones, no one
to come and minister to wants.
"And who lives here2 Surely these
homes are no advance, on a wigwam in
s the free woods, or q cave in the noun
tains out in the pure air. Do you claim
these as some of the advantages of civlli-
zation ?"
"These are homes Of the working peo-
/ pie they cannot afford better"
They went down and stood on the cor
ner Of a street. A group of listess men
louuged about with their hands in their
pockets. &c..
+. Z" IGose men 90 Got seem 10 De ENJOY
ing themselves very " well !; who don't they
GO home, or go to the theatre, or take a
ride, or enjoy some of your boasted ad-
yantages ?"
"They are out of work and have no
money. They are hungry and houseless,
and are hunting for employment"
pWhat are they begging for a chance
to dolwhat the Door fellows we saw this
morning. were doing2 Who prevents