The Labor enquirer., 1884-09-06
DENVER. COLORADO SATURDAY. sEPTRnBER 8 1884

Z. =. IS. -.-
between the pees Of II and 20 ysars !
70 the labor they should Dc, and II the
did not do it, put them IN jail I
From this time on labor began 70 dil
enthrall Itself and finally al penaltie
were dropped from the statute and en-
ployer and employe len TO action 70
breach Of contract:
/ Some OF the more recent acts of pal
lament eyincs very high regard 70
laborers. To day w4 find laws prohibit
/ ing the placing Of children at slavisl
labor, and providing fdf their schooling
i Very strict laws are in force as to th
working Of mines and the protecting .
laborers from dangerous machinery
/ Laws are even enacted providing tha
the master shall furnish comfortable
dwellings in certain instances.
Strict laws are found enforcing th'
payment Of their wages in cash and No
ALLOWING their employers TO keep whA
are known IS Tommy shops j. e.,
store kept by the employer to sell neces
saries to the employees. These establish
ments are called 1pluck stores in tn,
mining regions of Pennsylvania. 'Ths
employer compels his hands to buy a
these stores and sells his goods about 2;
per cent higher than they can be pur
chased at elsewhere.
We daily hear courts in this countr,
linstructing juries under old English
common law that an employe cannot re
cover from the employer on account
of injuries received through the negli
gence of fellow workman. Recon
statutes in England have so modified thil
doctrine that the merest skeleton re
mains.
In the manufacturing districts O
France and Belgium all disputes between
the employer and the employe as regards
wages are referred to council composed
of an equal number of employers and
employees. An appeal may be had from
this committee to the courts. About
the same law exists in Austria.
The great corporate influences that
control your legislation have not given
to the rights of the working class thai
recognition that they have received even
in king-ridden countries. This influence
has permeated every branch of your
government, No Legislature dares tc
face and contend against it. Unless an
antidote be found its poison must bring
death to the interests of the producer.
1 am proud to say that your courts
have fought manly battles for your
rights. They are the laststo be reached
by such influences. The purity of the
men and their inherent love of justice
have placed them in opposition to these
influences, but even here we may occa
sionully find a weak man, who wriggles
and twists in order to make his law pal
atable to those monster powers
In addressing myself more particularly
to the injustice exercised toward the
laboring class in this country, it cannot
be expected that | should do more thar
to speak generally of them and not at
tempt to follow up any particular calling
am not here to assail class simply
because they have wealth. hope may
never stoop so low as to deal with thai
kind of argument, which deem un-
worthyto fall from the lips of an Amer
lean citizen. But l know and you know
that there is dis honest wealth in this
land. This kind of wealth. never cos
the possessor single dollar in value. tt
possession was gained by wrongs prac
ticed upon those that did produce it.
may be wrong, but if SO hope shall be
pardoned in saying that I have no re-
spect for the men or the means by which
they obtain it. They and their practices
are deadly enemies to the institutions O
this country. s,./ Ig
A representative in congress recently
gave description of the English f>iro r
workers as he saw them, and so full o
pathos did he grow, that you would sup
pose the man was about to shed tears oi
moulton pig iron over their deplorable
conditi on. H..
A Christian women of the highes
standing, residing in his own district
writes letter to he read before congress
as to the condition of that gentleman's
constituency. Also, other sworn evi
dence before congressional committee
was introduced. This woman says she
has trayersed through every street and
alley in her ward. Speaking particularly
of the women and children she says:
ls"I have seen hundreds of little girls, z ol
years old. employed in cotton mills
They work at 'spooling because theil
hands are small; there is less danger from
the machinery, ETC., etc. The effect OF
such work on children of tender years is
apparent in their wan appearance. They
| work full time. Women generally go t.
work in the morning at I and work till
| in the evening When they go hom'
they are often compelled to work several
hours at washing. ironing, patching
sc rubbing, cooking, etc.
Speaking of little girls she says, "Hom
is word that has no real meaning t