Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-08-04
now POOR PEOPLE LIVE IN FREE
TRADE COUNTRIES.

cling abroad since the Democratic
workingmen refused to re-elect him
Mayor of Chicago, two years ago,
recently wrote as follows:
1t will not make our eight-hour
people love this country (Poland)
when l tell them l saw people work.
ing in the fields little after 5 in the
morning and until near 8 in the even
ing. Women seem to do the bulk of
the farm work, and sturdy, hard
looking women they are. They wear
coarse clothes and live on rye bread.
l have seen street PAYERS stop for
their breakfast. 1t was simple rye
bread washed down with water. From
light to dark is the term OF days
labor, with poor pay and poor food.
My labori"g friends at home, give
thanks to the Giver of all Good that
your lots are cast in land of free
dom, where men work. not fight;
where women are rosy companions,
and not mere beasts of burden; where
you can do fair days work and get
fair days wage; where your child
rem can learn to read and write, and
are not compelled to watch Aocks all
day in the fields, the companions of
sheep and of swine; where, if you
are industrious, sober, ard economical,
you can, if in health, always lay by
enough to keep the wolf away in your
old age.
This is nothing compared to the
report which James G. Blaine is
doubtless prepared to make on the
condition of not only the laboring
classes, but OF the shopkeepers as
we'll, in all free trade countries. To
be sure, it is very disagreeable for a
peasant woman to have to work
from before sun-up until after sun
down; but that Is nothing compared
to the indignities which the poor
people suffer from the privileged
Glasses; nor does it compare with the
hardships endured by working people
everywhere IN Europe and Asia.
In such countries as Great Britain
France, Germany, Spain, and Italy,
which are really in the front ranks OF
civilization, women of all conditions
below those Of the very wealth;est
engage in their husbands pursuit to
the fullest extent possible, making Il
"hand"-and the hardest worked HAND
at that. If, for instance, the hus
band is a grocer, or dealer in dr.
goods, a tailor, bookseller. saloon
keeper, a hotel.keeper, a brewer, ,
blacksmith, or engaged in any fxee
occupation, the wife is with him con
stantly, under the same roof, anc
oftener than otherwise in the sam'
room, because the family work, ca:
sleep and shave their being" all il
one room. This is for tradesmen
With day laborers it is even worse
They never wear a coat unless it b.
second or third hand one; instea,
they wear blouses-a garment whic
resembles shirt, aud is worn on tn
outside - exactly as the Chimes
do. In summer the blouse is of fin
or coarse linen, gingham. or calico
the natty clerks sometimes indulgin
in cheap percales; in winter they ar
of wool cloth. A blouse lasts a poo
man long ti.ne-as long as it ca
hold together. As to edibles tn
principal, almost the only one,
black or rye bread; everything is sd
liberated; meat is seldom eaten, an
then only the cheapest parts-a sou
bone costing one or two cents lasts
family several days, as it is used unit
it crumhles in the pot from exoessiv
boiling. For shoes oftener than Other
wise the thick wooden "sabots" sr
worn loose on the feet. They ar
good for mud, but must be worn
all seasons, unless one prefers to g
barefoot, which thousands upon thou.
ands do.
No one is allowed to have "gun
or weapon of any kind about tn
house without a special written pei
nit from the police authorize
Hence none but the wealthy can a
ford to 60 a-hunting. In fact ma
can better DO without arms, AS Il
price of the gun will keep the who
family in board, icaging and cloth'
for months.
Meals? For breakfast, crust