The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
STARVING woRKMeN in AMERICA.

STARVING WoRKMEN IN AMERICA.
We want our farmer friends to
read the following, and then remem-
Der that the greed and avarice of the
powerful will most assuredly bring
them and their little ones to the
same desperate condition, if they
have not the sagacity and courage
to act together and defend their
right. How a man can know these
things and still stand aloof from our
organizations for defense passes our
comprehension.
CHICAGO, Sept. 28-Henry D.Lloyd,
of this city, who has just returned
from visit to Spring Valley, ILL.,,
where he distributed among the
destitute miners medicines furnished
by a charitable New York lady,
writes long letter to the Tribune,
in which he describes the wretched
condition of the people there. He
says:
Among other means Of getting intelligent and
unbiased Information as to the exact state OF
things. visited the Catholic school and the pub
lie school, in which together are over 500 children,
and talked with the teachers and many OF the
children. The sisters who teach in the Catholic
school said that their children gave unmistak-
able evidence OF not having sufficient food. They
not study as well. Children would frequently fall
asleep at their desks from weakness But so
sturdy was their pride and sef-respect that 1t
was almost impossible for their teacher to obtain
from them any acknowledgment that they did
not get enough to eat at home Children who
were Enthusiastically suffering for want OF nourish-
ment would even refuse food when offered
them by their teacher, and in some cases the
superior sister said when food was taken by some
such child it was Immediately rejected by the
stomach showing how far the EXHAUSTION OF
HUNGER had gone One OF the teachers in the pub
lie school stated that on her way to the
school in the morning she would sometimes meet
as many as q dozen OF her class out with baskets
going to beg AS they saw her. the little things,
ashamed, would try to hide from sight until she
passed In both schools numbers OF the children
were insuciently clothed little boys and girls OF
tenderest years having on only some light sack
or jacket, with no underclothing. 1t was cold,
bleak day, but many were barefooted. How the
people lived at all is mystery , Tn ere mas Is been
distributions by the relief cOmmittee0all in
goods No money has been given out-and the
extent OF this charity is sufficiently indicated
by the statement taken from the account Of the
committee that each family OF seven, and Others
in proportion had received for the entire period
OF four weeks, flour, meat, etc., to the value OF
$685. or "a cents worth for each person for the
whole four weeks The mayor OF the city, the
editor Of the Spring Valley Gazette, the Congrega-
tional clergyman, Mr. Stringer, all the physicians
OF the place, every one in fact, stated without
qualification that were it not for the relief from
without the people would have starved and
would be starving. To check so scant stream
of relief ga cents worth of food for each person
monthly by talk about refrigeration" seems
to me nothing short OF inhuman.
Mr.. Lloyd declared that the death
rate is high there and that it will be
greatly increased as it grows cold.
He declares to his own knowledge
that the sick and poor have been re-
fused medicines and medical advice
by the poor authorities there. He
urged that contributions be sent to
these people.
The proprietors OF these mines are
millionaires, residing in New York.
It is a dreadful thing to think of
children trying to obtain an educa-
ton while literally starving. Here
we have one of the terrible contrasts
of the Nineteenth Century-a benev-
olent government trying to fit
the rising generation for self-govern-
ment while human greed is dragging
them down into the grave! 1t is an
awful picture.
The men were being paid ninety
cents a day, and the owners wanted
to cut the wages down to seventy
five cents day! Would it not be
well to abolish the tariff on coal,
since it protects (?) American in
dustry in this fashion? "-