The Labor enquirer., 1884-10-18
no WonzN.

An Earnest Appeal 70 tho Mststs.
whare Their Interests and
Duties Ara
Editor Labor Enquirer.
CHICAGO, Oct l8.-We 80 often hear
women say 81 don't take any interest
IN the labor moYement; don't SO
what the women have got to do with It.
anyway. Let the mon fight it out with
the bosses themselves. Il
Sisters IN poverty, have you really no
interest in the labor movement, which is
. movement against poverty 7 Who is
first made aware Of the presence Of that
cold. cheerless. mysterious something,
which enters your abode and with re.
lentlea grasp steals your little one from
the school and playground, and sends it
to the factory to waste its sweetness
amid the miasma Of these disease breed
ing dens? We call it poverty. Then
have you no interest in the labor move
ment. which is q movement against pow
ertg2 Whose heart is first made to-
bleed when the iron law Of poverty as
serts itself and its mandate goes FORTH
and those little amenities must be fore
gone which come to gladden. the heart at
birthday or Christmas time, and instead
of being cheered by the peal after peal
of laughter which rings out as the mys.
teries Of that -honored stocking are;
brought to view, you look around and
see only evidences of your abject pow
erty but made more hideous and unbeari
able? Mothers Of the rising generations
is itfnot yours? Then ask yourselves
while these calm, bright autumn days
are fitting 50 noislessly by, how many Of
your abodes are doomed to like fate on
next Christmas day. when all the world
is supposed to be shouting hosannas to-
Him who said, Suffer little children to
come unto me, for of such is the king
dom of.heaven J" then instead Of their
JOYOUS smiles within when all nature
seems to frown without, you, mother,
who read these very lines, may be
doomed to sit with your offspring on
that day and, as you muse upon the
cherries prospect. wonder within your
selves why you were ever cursed with
having to breath the air Of world so
laden with sorrow. And perchance the
only break in the monotony Of this once
cheerful day, will be when the father
enters with very poor article of 9 tur-
key which he has received from the
hand of his master, in the name of
charity, in lieu of the hard cash for the
labor which he has performed the other
800 or more days of the year. Then,
sister, have you really no interest in the
labor movement, which is a movement
against poverty?
The factory inspectors of this great
CITY, this Queen of the West, inform us
that $4,000 women and children file
from the portals Of our mind and body
destroying dens, conveniently called fac
tories, workshops, ETC., each day when
the master permits the slave-bell to
strike the hour for. cessation of their
daily toll. And toll, indeed, they do, for
no one with-a heart could take their
stand, as the writer has often done, at
the intersection of our streets, and watch
the vast concourse of pale-faced maidens
passing on to premature graves, and
children of tender years growing old
long before their time, without being inn
pressed with the crushing lniquities of
our industrial system. say no one
with a HEART, }, I mean no one, save those
who are engaged in drawing the hearts
blood from th .se innocent victims for
proft-mongering and Of molding from
their bones precious jewels to hang
around the necks of their offspring.
Thirty-eight thousand, we are told exc
out similar existence in Boston, the
t'Athens,of America !" and in that other
wonderful city yonder by the seaboard
known as the Metropolis Of the Western
Continent, perhaps the number mightbe
likened to that number which John saw,
that no man could count" Then, in
deed, have not only women, but children
an interest in the labor movement.
Do you ask me what you can do ?
/ Learn first that you are victims of an
accursed and unjust system, and that
the robber hand is laid more relentlessly
upon you even than it is upon your,
brother or father, requiring you to rem
der more service for less pay than them;
then let your name be found upon the
membership roll in some labor organic
alton in your vicinity, and thus having
enrolled yourself under the banner of
Freedom and Progress, stand firm, fight
ing shoulder to shoulder with your
brothers, as did your sisters last summer
when the telegraphers were engaged in
their hand-to-hand struggle with those
who would reduce you, with them, to the
common level of serfs.
Lucy E. PARSONS.
4 y
HaverhiIl.
[By Associated Labor Press.l