National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-04-04

no one to understand her needs; no one
competent to work out the problem as to
what is best to be done to benefit her con-
dition. She has no representative there
now, aud, If Mr.. Commissioner Wright
has his say, she will never have. This is
contrary to the tacit understanding Of the
trainers of the bill, and is an outrage
which we will not tsmely submit to.
And again: Mr.. Carroll Wright, COM
missioner, &C., informed me that this
bureau knows no SEX" Innocent fellow!
teen agents did he take all men and no
women? The fact is, Mr.. Carroll Wright,
commissioner, &C., considers himself q
public laborer clothed in broadcloth and
fine linen and views manual labor
through gold mounted telescope. This
don't suit the men and women who have
TO gain their bread by tho sweat of their
brows. A scientific dinner would not
rest easy on the stomach OF bona tide
laborer. Bread is practical-meat is
practical-bread and meat-away with
science aud telescopes. We asked for
bread and he gave us stone. There is
not much science in this, Mr.. Wright? /
am confused to know where your astro-
nomical observations will come in.
The labor bureau has to deal with the
stern realities of this world-not take
observations of the heavenly bodies. We
don't know whether the moon and stars
arc inhabited or not. but we do know this
earth is, aud that the thousands of I'M
employed men and women living in
| filthy, ill-ventilated rooms, with the baro
crusts TO feed upop--half starved and
half clothed-living in fear Of death, but
too poor to die, with the morgue and the
dissectipg table awaiting their forms
when lifes fitful fever is over lat least
| 100 bodies find their way to the disseot-
ing table each week in New York city,
their children crying for bread-the rags,
squalor, aud filth-the avaricious land
lord-tho misery employer-the snow
storm-tho faded shawl--tho wasted
cheek-while capital smites labor and
laughs at poverty and restitution.
Come down from your high horse, Mr..
Commissioner, and help mo look into
some of these abodes of misery, and let
us devise means to do something for their
relief. Lot the moon alone-tho same
little stars will keep her company for
ages yet and shine down on happier
homes in the near future II we but do
our duty toward the poor wage-workers
Of our country. The commissioner came
TO Washington with some reputation al
missioner of labor OF Massachusetts,.
do not wish to detract from his reputa.
ton, but the last number of periodical
entitled The Working Girls Of Boston by
Carroll ID. Wright, chief Of the bureau
of statistics of labor, shows that
during the last fifteen years the
commissioner never thought Of woman
and her interests, and 10 was only last
year that he cOnd0scended TO notice ouI
sex at all. Tho zeal displayed by the
Wn-nnta NaNsn.,.I InAnafria1 fts
work in behalf Of woman, the data aud
statistics gathered for the committees on
education and labor of the Senate and
House by me, and the interest manifested
in the national councils in the rights o.
woman as bread winner. has suddenly
awakened in the mind Of the commits
sioner Of labor the conviction thai
woman as wage worker deserves {
passing notice at his hands. H'
forgets apparently that tho females
outnumber the male population by tent
Of thousands in all our large cities, and
that she demands and is entitled to hel
share in the distribution of government
faVors. There was no ono to gainsay hi
statements in his state reports. They
may be right or wrong, but the bureau
of labor and its workings are OF nationa
Importance, and woman demands he
share and her own department, presided
over by a woman in this bureau OF labor
That position we are going to have, w
will demand it first, then battle for !
sfterward, supported by the labor organi
cations of the country.
, If the appropriation for the labo
bureau was too small let it BIO increased
Appropriations are layishly made TO
! every worthy purpose; 10000 goes to in
yestigate sthe silk worn; the bird, tn
hlb, and the insect come in feE Ehe bopRt