New-York tribune., 1886-01-31
THE CASE or the sEUING-UouEN

THE CASE OF THE SETTING OMEN.
Commissioner Peck says there are in New
York two hundred thousand women who make
their living by sewing and the majority OF
whom exist undcrcOndition5 OF the most crush
ing servitude and inccssant toll. These poor
creatures are the helpless thrals OF sO-callcd
Gsweaters -; men Who take contracts to furnish
large quantities of garments To the whole ana
retail houses, and grind their workwOmcn
down to the lowest pittance that will support
life. The sweaters have no bowels, and tho
aupply of sewing omen is 50 constant and
large that resistance to the starvation wages
offered is. in the absence of organization, out of
the question. Referring to this state of things
in n recent article The TRIBUNE observed mat
it was full of difficulty. 1t is, but for all that
it ought not to be abandoned as incurable.
Attempts to improve the situation by appealing
10 the feelings of the employers have always
failed, and must fail. In matters OF business
economy will always carry the day against
generosity, simply because in commerce the
survival of the fittcst is neither more nor less
than the success of the most thrifty in the long
run.
Efforts by charitable organizations have often
been made When tender hearted people read
about the hardship5 of the wOrlungwOmcn their
first impulse is to relieve the immediate suffer
ing by playing the part of IA little Providence.
Snch impulses are no doubt to be respected
but they are not practical, and if followed more
often end in demoraiizing the objects than in
helping them to better things. Temporary
palatives are little less than useless What is
required is to increase the value of the labor OF
the sewing women. There are but two general
modes of doing this One is by diminishing
the supply, ard that method cannot be en-
poyed in the present case. The other is by
creating a controlling force on behalf Of the
workers by organization. Hitherto that has not
been done, but perhaps the difficulties have
been overestimated. At all events organization
seems to offer the only avenue of escape, and
{ the workingwomen have any real friends it is
this method they will have recourse to. 1t
might be thought that the male workers would
have been first to 20 to the relief of their help
less sisters Some talk there has been of assist
ance from wOrkingmcn's organizations, but
nothing has been accomplished. The two
hundred thousand sewing women to-: on with
out hope and without rest, and the busy world,
though chartably disposed, passes them by
because it is too busy.
The most serious hindrance to organization
consists in the fact that these women are PR
petualy running a race with starvation. They
cannot leave their work for anything, because
sixteen hours day of it only su0ices to procure
the most meagre subsistence. If, therefore,
they are to be organized all the work must be
done for them by such as have leisure or can
make it without endaugering their own lives or
the lives of their children. Here is a definite
work which offers itself to those who seek to
help their fellows. The end sought is pIac-
tica one, and with organization its attainment
is virtually certain. If workingwomen were
ever reinforced by an association like the
Knights of Labor We should soon cease TO hear
pitiful stories about wages of fifty cents day
for sixteen hours labor, and the occupation of
the "sweaters would be gone Failing