, 1891-06-10
WHERE DANGER LIES.
Suggested by the Meeting of the Tall
Dress and Miss Hank"

49, lass "A@AA
A story which is going the rounds of
the goody-goody press reads very much
like the yarn of the timid little girl who
discovered that the big bear wasn't a
bear after all, but a fairy godmother
who loved her and would protect her.
The mouthpieces Of hypocritical and
sanctimonius robbers delight to print
this story, with comments detailing the
beauties Of a unity and harmony be-
tween all classes w&ch does not exist,
and which al never exist while one
class has the power to dictate to another
rs to its means of employment and the
amount Of return therefrom.
Briefly told, this sweet little tale with
a heavenly moral is as follows: There
was a meeting of working girls and some
rich ladies in a New York mansion, at
which measures for the improvement of
the condition of the former were con-
sidered. A girl who was a tailoress
rose when the meeting was about to close,
and said: IL have been cured of some
mistakes by coming here. thought we
were the laboring class, and that all rich
women spent their time in dressing and
lolling in carriages. 1 sew eight hours,
and then I'm lone for the day. But as
for Miss Blank"-naming a prominent
society leader who wa one of the chief
promoters of the conyention-"her work,
it seems to me, is never done. | have
just found out hat brain work is as
hard and firing as hand work, and that
there are other kinds of hard labor in
the world han that of earning your liv-
ing in the factory or in the workshop"
The working girls of New York would
like to know more of this t~ailoress who
works only eight hours a day, that is, if
she makes a decent living, which, of
course. is assumed from the tenor of her
alleged remarks. The "tailoress' and
Miss Blank" are not set down in the
city directory, and exist only in the i'm
agination of some space fakir, who toad
les to Murray Hill aristocracy, and who
serves it well in putting up dummy
working girls to testify to the utter alb
surdity of the discomfort so manifest
among the women who have to earn
their living.
One paper, commenting upon the very
sensible remarks of the ''tailoress"
aforesaid, says: Great danger lies be-
fore this country in the formation of
castles and the prejudices which exist
bNANNth inc IiiD anu tue pDOTs MuCn OF
this might be averted if each class of
workmen would learn to appreciate and
respect the labor of other classes, pro-
vided that labor conduces to the general
good"
Men who have been for years calling
attention to the great danger referred to
have been denounced as cranks, disturb
ers and anarchists, and many of them
have been imprisoned and otherwise per-
secuted. These men, however, had the
sense to know that the flames could not
be kept down by pouring oil upon them.
The seat of the danger is in the system
which allows a few to get rich while the
many remain poor, and its influence for
evil is quadrupled by the fact that riches
are the result of the untiring toll Of the
poor.
1t is nonsense to talk of preventing
the formation of castles and the holding
of prejudices in a society where one
man has the power to dictate the terms
of existence to another; where those
whose labor creates all wealth have a
never ending battle for the means of
barely sustaining life, while those whose
hands neve contribute to the creation
of n single necessary article are sur.
rounded by everything that makes life
worth living.
| freely admit that brain work is as
necessary as hand work; but | deny that
the rich AVE contributed allthe brains.
There must be brains and muscle, but
it is an unfair partnership that gives to
n all the surplus over a bare exist
ence. The men of muscle are also men
of brains, and it is not always he of SUI
perior intellect that comes to the top.
Many a nan of rare mental gifts and
education has remained at the bottom
because he refused to rise by the means
found in the system of capitalism.
As to the good and hard working
Miss Blank, l have always said there
were many noble men and women
among the rich, but that was because
they were strong enough to rise above
the influences of their surroundings.
And the few of this kind that | have
personally known l nave found to be
bitterly opposed to the system which
digs a deep chasm between them and
SEINE of their fellow creatures.
For the rich women who show them
selves in charitable and other ameliora-
tive movements simply for amusement
and because it is the fad, all sensible
people have a contempt. JARB.
New York.