The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-10-26


Mr.. Editor, Shsll I shrink from my task
to prove the terrible condition Of the fac-
tory hand, or shall quote the language
of Gov. Foraker's commissioner OF labor,
where he continues to say:
Men and women are often employed in
the same shops making immoral goods and
gOOds that suggest immortality; they know
the character of the goods and theiE uses,
which only increase the moral degradation.
(See preamble
Many of the workshops where the sexes
are cOmmingled have but one water-Closet
for both. (See preamble). Slavery fuy-
nished few scenes more demoHalizing than
are constantly occurring and recurring in
such shOps-men waiting to receive the key
Of the closet from women, and vice versa.
(See preamble). Such scenes and others 80
revolving that mention of them here would
subject this bureau to criticism, help to
divest women Of those charms with which
nature has go richly endowed her and that
shine with such Pesplendent brilliancy while
filling the sphere she naturally adorns.
After deploring the condition of the
poor factory women, the commissioner
remarks
find il much easier TO Criticise than to
suggest remedy. Legislation possibly can
avail nothing except in few minor cases.
Something of the kind might be
done by legislation that would smooth the
rough surface over little, but the cancer
remains, gnawing ITS way deeper and deeper
into our social system. (See preamble). It
is indeed sad to contemplate the degreda-
b. IL =.
forced to admit in that connection that no
adequate remedy can be suggested. The
woman wage worker has come, and fear
has come to stay. She has not come as an
angel in disguise, bearing blessings, but like
dreadful frost in midsummer, biighting,
withering and destroying. She is in nearly
all the factories working at starvation
wages, displaoing men wherever she appears.
(See preamble). She is not only in the
cigar, stOgie, and tailor shops, but every
where chat wheels are moving in workshop
or factory. She is in the glass factories, the
planning mills, carriage and iron works, and
wherever she 10 found she is doing the work
of man at half mans wages. (See pre-
amble.)
] have purpoSelV or otherwise omitted
the following sentence of the commits
sloner's report found on page "a:
am not prepared to recommend the en-
actment of law that would remove women
from the workshops Of Ohio as competitors
of men. Such law would be unjust to
Ohio manufacturers, who must compete
with manufacturers outside the state per-
mitted to employ women; and yet it seems
that nothing short of such enactment will
remove the coil. It is sad, indeed, to con-
template the degradation to which this sys-
tenn is tending, and be forced to admit in
that connection that no adequate remedy
can be suggested.
Can 1t be possible that proud America
and the loyal sons Of freedom have
allowed system to be built up in their
midst that has for It's victims the lnno-
cent mothers and daughters of our fair
land, dragging them down to the level Of
the beast, and no hope for them In the
futureH Then II there is no remedy for
this, Christianity has fallen far short Of
its mission.
On page 90 find the total number of
women employed In the factories of Ohio
to be 10000, "working at starvation
wages, dlsplaciDg men wherever they
appear" (Psge 25. See preamble.)
On page 81 1 find that these 10000
women are supporting 10000 dependents
on "wages wholly inadequate to feed and
clOthe them" (See page "a Think of
this horrid state of affairs In Ohio, while
the ex governor is in Kansas preaching
the beauties of the present system.
On page 135 l find General Summary
Of Industries" From this I take but
two lllustrstlons-the wooden and mis-
cellaneous. The following figures will