The Russellville Democrat., 1885-06-18

article IS what he gave for It. 1lcke
 it rightly, and it will stand--"St
 much money and so much misery
 So much cash and so much life blood So many shillings and so many g eis..:.ss s...s
 So many pence and SC ns;aiosfi prosti ltution."
 Start not in anger! It is simpl,
 true. l am not only telling fact
 It is no alliterative fancy.
 Ruining glrlhood must be reckon
 ed in the price. The child's suit
 with it's careful braidlng, does not
 look 80 cheap when you add this
 item. No, nor shirts snd jackets,
 and baby hats, and lawn tennis
 aprons, and children's frocks, and
 host of other things beside. The
 true value of any article is what it costs, not what it fetches. How
 much "buying on the cheap is re- sponsible for fallen virtue, only God
 knows. The marvel to me is, not that there are so many seeking a livelihood upon the streets. but so many, in spite of want and hardship, still hold with tenacious grip tbe in- nocence of childhood. Nothing is cheap that is bought at the cost of misery. weariness, hopelcssness, and virtue.
 Having thus written, wish it distinctly to be understood, that 1 do not level any charge against manufacturers, nor insinuated that low wages are the result of heartless greed, and desire for cxorbitant profits. l deeply regret that some have, by their unguarded utterances, rather more than insinuated such an explanation of affairs. While such examples arc doubtless to be found, 1 believe them to be exceedingly rare. The fact is that employers as we'll as well as employed are suffer CTS. It is vicious circle Tn which both are working. Through the smaliness of profits, the manufact- urer has to do two or three times as much trade as he had few years ago, in order the realize the same in- come. He naturally tries to do 1t; so do all the rest. The consequence is enormous over-production. This reduces prices still further. Thus cheapless demands quantity, and quantity produces greater cheapness. They act and re act on one another In the fierce fight of competitor, without any deliberate intention, the weak are trodden down. This is grievous, and ought not to be, for It is violation of Christ's law; but let us not !mputc motives or judge harshlv. Thousands of employers are being carried along in rush they have no power Co stem.
 Something must be done-done quickly, and on large scalel What is that something? This is ques tion hard to answer. It is always far easier to see difficulty than point way out of it. Yet there is one remedy l venture to suggest. It is one l nave frequently advocated and hold by more strongly than ever: ''Let teaching trade be considered | 3 necessary part of the national ed l ucation of a lad" It was so with l the Jewish nation. "To the Greeks | and Romans all mechanical trades l appeared mean, vulgar, contemptible, and was therefore left to slaves. The | Jews, with truer and nobler wis lom, enacted that every boy should l learn trade"
 It is the mass of unskilled labor | that fills our slums and constitutes a national danger and disgrace, and .his will never be removed by men ,al training only. Last week a child | If thirteen stood in the doorway of house near by. It was filthy, dirty, 'agged in garments, with toes look ng through the rotten shoes. In answer to the question, What are iou doIng at schoo?" the reply was, 'Declmal fractions, please sir" Poor title creature! it looked a decimal fraction itself. Would it not be at the very root of the evil f, with the decimal fractions. we ,aught the use of saw, chisel, and ile, etc.?
 l have little hope of any thing be- ng done with the fathers and moth. ITS. bat we may save their children rom sinking into the slough after hem. Trade education, combined with State directed emigration, would, in my judgement, go far to eradicate the evll.
 It is recorded of Christ that in lelping the helpless one "he took lln by the hand" There are thin, fred hands all around us. Let hem feel our grasp.
 "A 2:4O Gait