The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-21
THE soSG or THE SHIRT.


London sixty years ago 20 rea these pa
thetie Annals OF the poor have no exist
snce In our own day, but recently COM
mlEtes OF girls stated 20 Inspector
Williams At police headquarters y y,
that the wages paid the shirtmakers on
strike we're 50 low that the girls were
likely to bc driven 10 the streets for .
living.
This statement vas subsequently con-
firmed tn the New YORK saa By Secretary
Berman, OF the strike committee. who
asserted that be knew numbers Of honest
girls In the sewing trades on the East side
who had 10 take 10 a life Of shame or
s;srve slowly. He did not know any such
cases among the shirtmakers so far, bnt
unless there was 9 change IN the condi-
tons he did not know what might happen.
81 know girls" he said, "sho were
driven to such a life through poverty"
Berman went on to say that the present
wages the girls get Ct shiFtmaking when
they are not living At home meant slow
starvation. Expert girls might make =
living BY working night and dsy. ASKED
what the average earnings OF the girls
we're. be said:
From 81 TO S. a week. working from 7
In the morning until 8 in the evening. II
they work overtime they may make 81
week extra A girl must sew four collars
or four pairs OF sleeves for cent. Three
cents q dozen is all they get. They have
Little expenses, such as oil for the ma
chimes. You can figure up for yourself
how much they are likely 10 earn"
Is there any cure for this state Of
things? Nothing except the spirit Of
sincere in distinction from sham Christian
ity. When public opinion rises 70 q
point where man would be resolutely
boycotted in business who dared TO pay
girl less than living wages for days
work there will be no more women turn
ing Magdalen TO keep the wolf OF want
from their door.
What Is wanted in this world is not
more churches: there are churches and
ministers enough; what is wanted is more
absolute imitation OF Christ in the daily
walk, as well as talk Of the world. Christ
not only did not make MagdaIens, bat
crossed His path and besought His SYM
patty and counsel in their lives of sin and
sorrow.
Just so long as men can hold up their
heads in business who pay starvation
wages to toiling needlewomen. just so long
the bridge Of Signs" with desperate
women: just so long We shall hear the
pathetic Song of the Shirt lifting it..
plsint to the weeping angels of heaven !;
just so long the dreams of lazy, luxurious,
seltisn women deserve 10 be filed with the
spectres of their sisters in God made
wretehed through want and slowly slip
ping through starvation into sin.
We do not see these frightful sights In
our smaller cities often. if at all, but in
great cities the competition is so fierce,
save in the highest fields OF skilled labor,
that poor needlewomen i've life of living
death ere they let so the last spar that is
woman and consent to be swept out to the
open sea OF sin and self-destruction.
We do not want socialism. for that Is the
irreconcilabie foe Of marriage and the
family unit; but we do want in
dividualism that Is instinct with the spirit
which made Christ curse not the Mag
dalens. but the internal inhumanity of
man that makes countless thousands OF
women mourn. Christ blessed the Mag
dalen. and babe her go and sin no more,
but he heartily cursed that brutal spirit OF
greed and selhshness which makes it more
difficult for forlorn women to do right.
Society xili never be saved by socialism
and its ultimate communism: II will
be saved, II II is saved at all, by
an increase Of that spirit which
made Christ benlguant to the Mag
dalen. but blasting in his denunciation
OF that horrible. widespread human self
ishness and greed which muitiplies Mag
dalens by paying less than living wages 10
suffering women.
IL Christianity really stood tor the irni.
tation Of Christ no man dare get rich by
starving bis women labor; he should be
boycotted SO completely that he could not
do business at a profit: he would be CON-
PEELED to be human in order TO succeed.
1t is easy % reply that this is but ITO
pian expectation. Very we'll; oaly in that
Utopia lies any hope Of the regeneration
Of modern society this side OF anarchy.
We must become universally less inhu-
.nan. greedy aud unjust OF We shall all be
condemned together.
No sudden short cut through socialism
will cure our cancer: the degenerate heart
Of man must BE reformed by sincere inaita-
ton OF the spirit of Christ in every day
life, or We shall not be saved by trying TO
cut she Gordian kno; Of our troubles with
the sword Of socialism. No artificial ma
ehine-y. no new system will reform the
selfish greedy heart Of man: nothing bat
Christianity will do that: Christianity
preached snd pFAetiee1 by such evangelist.
as John Wesley and men % kindred
shirt aud undertaking No mere iheo-
Logan who
.isavos 70 tend his little row
OF gospel plants with psyeAoloxie hoe"
Can hope to 10 this work what i. wanted
l. great .vsnveiis,s Of the Wesley spirit Of
self-aeniAl and absolute se,I-surrender "a
hls cause.
Yoa might as wsll eHpec; 20 meAsers
love by the bnshsi or regulate the rush o,
slequsnee BY . tuning fork IS 10 reform
social evil. by new machinery; you only
shift the bnriens Yen DO not lessen 10. a.
even lia it 30 &noshsr's eaok than sour
cen. Nothing bat the increasing uuiveF-
.ts..~ - ~ f.,.ssatscr, ~ Christ IN harazn