Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-13
Mr.. Powderlv's Letter.

MI. IcNnfRLrS ictttI III ststcIuaf
DISPATCH is not calculated 10 elevate him II
the estimation Of the people whose good
opinion II Il TO be presumed he desires u
have. He shows an inability to understand
the real questions at issue between hin
and the people OF this city, which is not Al
all creditable 10 him as a would.be leader
OF men. II is a proof OF puerility or igno.
rance 10 say that anybody would deny hin
the right TO make his own selection OF &
speaker for any occasion. Our State
Constitution requires oil State officers in
their oath OF Office TO declare that they
"recogplze and accept the civil and
political equality Of all men," We repeat
that nobody here objects TO sitting in
political conventions with negroes. Nobody
here objects to serving on iuries with
negroes. No lawyer objects to practicing
law In u court where negro lawyers prac'
tice. Ina word, the negro is denied no
right 20 which he is entitled as a citizen.
All, therefore, that Mr.. PowDERLY says on
this point Is out Of place in his letter.
To offer rs an excuse for anything he had
done the fact that he has strong desire
TO see the black man educated, was another
admission by MI. PowDEELY that he is
ignorant Of the condition OF things
here. There are public schools here
educating negroes by the thousands at
the expense OF the white taxpayers.
The negro has no better schools any
where. The world cannot produce a
parallel TO the extreme liberality OF our
people 10 respect Of the matter of educating
the children OF the moneyless negro.
Mr.. POwDERLY is equally unfortunate
when he speaks Of " southern cheap labor"
and adds that "thls labor must be edu-
Gated" As we have already said, this labor
Is being educated here in Richmond, and
educated at the expense Of the negro's en-
ployer. Mr. PowDERLY is inexcusably
ignorant II be does not know that in his
own State Of Pennsylvania the laboring
classes answering to the negroes OF the
South are In far worse condition than the
southern negro. The southern farm-laborer
(snd most OF the southern negroes are
farm or plantation-aborers) is in a far bet
ter condition than are thousands and thou.
sands Of white men in Pennsylvania. The
southern farm.lsborer has abundant fuel
free, rs much TO eat as he needs, hellthful
occupation, a clear conscience, happy days
and nights. To prove this statement to be
true, we need only cite once more the fact
that the negro cannot be tolled to the
North. He positively refuses to live
amongst these northern men who she'd
crocodile tears over his poverty and hold
him up as a menace 10 the American toiler.
Let us enlighten Mr.. PowDERLY on the
condition OF things at his home, and see
whether II IL in Virginia or in Pennsyl-
vania that the " American toiler" is threat
ened with starvation" We shall quote
the highest Labor authority in the United
States-Mr. HENRY GEORGE, the Labor cln-
didaie for mayor of New York city. In
the North American Reuieic for September
as well rs October Mr.. GEORGE has an arti-
Gle ON Labor in Pennsylvania" We
proceed TO quote from the September No.
as follows. Mr.. GEORGE says:
GAS for the laws against the employ.
ment Of children, they are dead letter IN
Pennsylvania, except as they are to some
extent enforced in the city Of Philadelphia
by the efforts OF a Children's Protective
Society, and | recently found in Pennsyl.
vania papers, without any comment on the
illegal age, an Item recOuntiug the cutting
to pieces Of q child OF eleven In q Reading
mill by the starting OF machine Il had
been sci 10 clean. In the coal-mining re-
gion no one seems TO pay any attention TO
the law prohibiting the employment OF
children under twelve, and boys OF seven
and eight may be found picking slate in
anthracite coal breakers or trimming coke
In the bituminous regions"
As 10 the work Of these little slate
pickcrs, Mr.. GEORGE quotes what Is said Of
II by MORGAN JONES, formerly mine-boss
In the schuykill regiOn-as follows:
al have witnessed the agony OF wives
and mothers and sisters as victim after
victim 20 the perils that constantly threaten
the miner has been raised from the deadly
depths; but the spectacle OF score or
more OF boys aged before their time, bent
and stunted and worn, working their lives
away In the black, dusty breaker, swelter-
ing and sulIocating in the summer aud
chilled TO the bone IN the winter, was some.
thing that brought perpetual heartache.
ain room OF these colliery buildings
mol more than fifteen feet square, have
seen forty boys at work picking slate from
the coal that passes swiftly down chutes in
an endless stream. They are seated on HEM
lock boards stretched across the room In
fo~s- The windows are always open in
winter and summer In order that the dust
may escape. In winter the wind whistles
through the apartment aud the snow beats
nj the windows and doors. From o'clock
In the morning until darkness compels
work to cease these boys sit on their
benches, with backs bent almost double
over the running coal. separating the slate
from II. To do this requires great dexterity
|. with the hands and a quick eye. The slate
pickers range from seven 10 fifteen years OF
age. Az fifteen or sixteen they are old
enough to enter the mines, and TO reach
that stsge In their career l. their only ain.
bilioD. II any visitor will take the trou-
bic TO enter the miners graveyard near by
be viii not need 10 be told bow many OF
these boys never reached the goal OF their
aHDf(son. ne tOuDstont> are numerous.
but the great majority bear the names Of
BOYS under the age OF fifteen years--slate-
pickCrs who have succumbed 10 the over
strain OF toll that has made them old. de-
eTeplt, and infirm before they had reached
the freshness Of YOUTH"
From the State where those seyen.year.
old white boys are treated as the meanest
negro Is not treated In Virginia Mr.. Pow.
pERLr comes to lecture Yirginians on the
subject Of educating negroes aud keeping
them al school tall they are fifteen years
old. What negro boy In Richmond would
exchange places with those unfortunate
Pennsylvania white boyss What negro
father In Richmond would exchange places
witb.tbe Pennsylvania fathers Of those lit.
tle," miserables"i
, But let us hear one OF the slate-piekers.
According TO Mr.. GEORGE one Of them les
tifies a. follows
al went to pickIng slate when Mae
years old, and weighed thirty five pounds
. year after, and Oh the dusty breaker aud
In The mine did mans work for boys pay
for years, ~ hundreds Of boys are doing II
now. VIII be tbirty-eight next Septem.
Der, snd am. n you know, gray and Old.
Bun though ! have been myself . slate