Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-06-20
THE PATIENT To,LEA.5

Now that we have = subsidence Of
labor troubles It might be well to ask
If the recent disturbed condition OF AZ
fairs was without its nnOral influence
upon the spirit of the times. The
question to be put is, Has the Chris-
tan community been aroused TO new
interest in the spiritual. intellectual
and material welfare of the working
people? It is very certain that the
public has been afforded new views Of
the laboring classes; not merely OF
those who, blindly obeying the COM
mauds of selfish and ambitious lead
ers abandon profitable employment
| to engage in strikes that sacrif &c
more in day than the working man
can repair in month, but Of that large
and more important class, the pa
tent toilers at bench, or desk, or
counter. who barely do not starve
on wages received for work that
exceeds their strength to do, under
which they suffer a daily. decline OF
health. In the matter Of factory girls
alone some very startling facts have
been made knOw that reflect severely
upon the humanity Of the comme :ty
for it is impossible to make III, &c.
sponsibility for such wrongs an IND.
vidual affair. In the lower grades o.
labor the wages man may earn are
insufficient for the support OF bis
family. The maintenance of q home,
ihe proper rearing Of children, to say
| nothing of their education, and kin
dred interests are impossible to state
since every member of the household
| must become a wage-earner as soon a
the child can do anything for which
money will be paid.
These are the conditions that force
young girls, scarcely more than child
rem into the factories, where they enter
upon a living death, earning beggarly
pitiances, through long and tedious
hours of wasting labor in apartments
that are very often no better than
dungeons. These girls struggle a!oDi
with but two prospects OF freedom
before them, death or marriage
Within the province Of their wors
they can not hope to better them
selves, for there is neither Increased
nav nor fewer hours to reward in
dustry when every energy is bent Il
doing the required work Of the long
hours for the small pay. The girl wht
enters the factory at the age OF 10 o!
IL ia, in the majority of cases, untitled
10 become a wife or mother by thu
time she is IS; and yet it is from THU
class that no small proportion o
wives and mothers in the working
world are recruited.
IL is only necessary to look into TIT
pale, listless, hopeless face of factory
girl to determine how much at faul
must be the system under which sh
works and to which she is bound
Life to her is purgatOry, with sur
rounding of grimy walls. dreary win
Idows, uncleanly floors, foul atnos
Iphere, and q succession Of penalties
and prohibitions staring at her from
Ieverv turn, reminding her that she
the bond slave of necessity. People
who are inclined TO be benev"len
when they are put to no greater e.
peuse than the expression Of a CHAIR
table sentiment, rOundly condemn tn
lemploycrs who practice tho barbarit!
Iof grinding their employees. Thes
people righteously Rcquit themselve
of all responsibility because they ar
not direc; agents of the wrong. Bu
this responsibility is more widespread
than the individual. The case is yer
clearly and accurately put BY write
| in Lippincott's Magazine, who claim
to have run the gauntlet Of factor.
girls experience TO become ut las
forew oman of the shop.
After complaining that men hav
more considerable sanitary measures i
their stables and .log-kennels than ma
he found IN the factories where are EN-
ployei.hapic-s, voice'ess workers, "thl
woman VINO seems 10 have though
while she worked. says: "lf any on
should ask me wherein the fault lies
would say, not especially in tho EN-
Dlryer., themselves tho hardest
workers, driven by cut-throat conpe
ti,ion to undersell their rivals; not q
pecialIy in any one CAUSE or any on
set of men, but in something benin
. aud beneath them-the eDormou
greed aud seitishncss Of the individa
men aud women who compose this Ell
frightened christian COMMUNICATIVE
n.nan