The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-23

Fall River, Mass, one of the largest textile
cities in America, and where the records are
very perfect, showed that the operatives
supplied 80 per cent Of the whole numbe OF
arrests, while they constituted - per cent
Of the whole population over ten years
Of age; and the factory population Of
Lowell. which was 30 per cent. of the whole
population over ten wears of ope in that
city, furnished but % per cent of the whole
number of persons arrested. In the great
shoe-factory city of Lynn the shoe facso-
ries furnished 2S per cent Of the whole
reputation over ten years of age, and but
90 per cent of the persons arrested. These
facts ara quite representative in their
character. and they should dispel the pre-
yailing impression that the bulk of the
crime of manufacturing WI comes from
the factory.
Mr.. Wright states emphatically that reg
ular employment is conducive to regular
living, and that regular employment does
not, as a rule. harmonic with a life Of in
temperance, or even of crime. The factory
girl whose character is not good usually
find herself in an atmosphere not con-
genial ct first, and finally so chilling that
abe leaves the establishment. What there
is in factory employment that is not in
other employments that wou tend to an
unchaste life. he has bean unable to dis
/ cover.
In 1854 it was his privilege to makes very
! careful inquiry into the condition of the
~workinPwomen of the city Of Boston. The
result was as emphatic as that reached in
the investigation of 1881, involving many
cities and W in this country and in Eu-
rope. The testimony Of the police of Bos-
ton was very gratifying, and was fully e1-
pressed by a captain of the police when he
said that people who charge the working
women with unohastity do not know what
they arc talking about. All the officers
with whom the experts in this inveBtiga-
ton conversed ON the subject gave similar
testimony. The conclusion of that investi-
CATION was that. SO far as their moral con-
| dition WAS concerned, the workingwomen
OF the city Of Boston were making a heroic.
honest and vlrtuoua struggle to earn an
honest livelihood, and that it was raro that
one of then could be found leading an i'm
proper life. The fact that here and there
a girl forsakes q path of virtue and leads a
sinful life should not be used to the detri.
ment OF the class to which she belongs
especially when her life is peculiarly ex-
posed to temptation. as is the case witt
girls struggling on S. q week. 1t ia exceed.
ingly easy to be good on a sure and gener
GUS income; but it requires the strongest
character TO enable one to be good on AZ
unstable income of S. per week.
In conclusion he says:
Another official investigation proves
these statements to bs true. In 1888 ] AGAR
had the opportunity to make some ex.
tended inquiries into tho character, aur
~roundings and conditions of working.
women. This Wac lone for twenty-five 0
the large cities of the United States; ans
under this investigation information wa
secured relating to 1866 fallen women Tn
result showed TINT a large proportion o
, them, namely, ], 155, or nearly 80 per cent
came from house work and hotel work; tn
next largest. so far az occupation is con
cerned, was 505 from the ranks of sean,
stresses, dresEnakers and employees OF cloa
, and shirt factories: while 1,23G. or nearl
31.37 per cent of the whole number, cam
f directly from their homes. Nor did the in
yestleetion show that the employers q
labor are guilty Of reducing their employe
, to the condition of unchastity, as is ofte
= alleged. II is only in the rarest cases tina
a one meets with q whisper that this is til
e case, and these whispers, followed to the
source, have rarely, in either of the invest
: cations named, disclosed my facta whic
d ~onld lend TO tho conclusion that employe
make bargains based on loss of character {
l. their employees. All such Impressions ori,
mate in the idea that girls cannot DIRE
l. well Upon the small wageg they receive. b
4 must necessarily lead immoral lives to r
G. celVa pecuniAry assistance. All the test
l. mony, however, hat / have ever been ali
n 80 collect upon this point is against SUI
an idea; but | am sorry to say that it pr
le walls to a very great degree, and the stat
as ment is constantly met with.
~ II used to think that industrial pu.su'
y, engaged i'll by woman might cause l.
rs some degradation, or at least bring to he
loss OF respect, which is always disestro
T. IN any senses; but | nave become convinc
OF | that q lohs OF respect does not occur fro