People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-04-25
NATIONAL.

NATIONAL.
Washington, ID. c.
SIGN OF THE TIME.-william L. VIII
son, the new Postmaster General, has
already given indications Of rather So
cialistic ideas so far as the mails of this
Government are concerned. He is cred
tied with an intention of claiming that
the United States should not pay the
railroads for the privilege Of carrying let
tiers and packages over their lines. In
deed, when one comes to think the mat
ter over, it is source Of wonder that
the Government in return for the great
liberties and favors extended to these
corporations, should not have claimed
right OF free transportation for the mails.
Especially must one wonder at this, mas
much as the mail trains give the rail-
roads great advantage when contests
with labor are on. 1t is not permissible
for anybody TO obstruct the mails. and
therefore the roads put mail cars on
trains which they fear will be molestsd.
ana then call upon the troops OF the
National Government. 1t is to be feared
that the new member OF the Cabinet will
be called off" by the money power, as
so man. other good men have been. II
is dangerous to endeavor to curb the
railroad power Of this country.
STRIKE sETTLED.-The strike Of the
drivers OF the Anacostia Street Railway
Compeny has been settled. The company
agreed to pay the old wages, and il the
receipts for April, 1895, exceed those for
April, 1894, to divide the excess among its
employees; also to allow the men to ex-
anime the books, together with receipts.
Chicago, Ill.
MODERN CANNIBALIsM.-Poverty in
rags and filth, in ignorance and disease.
is striving to earn a modicum of lifes
comfort, while afIluence, proud and lux
urious, seeks with avariclous heart 70
augment its fortune. The greedy man of
wealth and privilege preys on the i'll
housed, ill-clad and ill-fed laborer with
as much inhumanity as the Dakota ate
the heart Of his fallen antagonist and the
New Zealander swallowed the eyes Of his
slain foe. Is cannibalism Capitalism? In
Chicago there are l,iS7 sweat shops"
in which are employed 4,46i men, 52sl
women and 721 children. In places that
are too vile to be the habitation of fami-
lies, men women and children are herded
together. In circumstances where the
usual restraints and dignities of life can
not be maintained in rooms and sheds, in
stables and Easements, in the midst of
terrible sanitary conditions. under in
huences strongly immoral, liable to the in
lection Of disease, for long and weary
hours, within walls reeking with filth and
infested with vermin, these unfortunate
toilers Of all ages and both sexes pursue
the drudgery of their lll-paid toll. These
conditions leave an indellible impress
on the constitution and character of the
unfortunates. Frail and unresisting chill
dren are subjected to an atmosphere that
Is sickening, to toll that is exhausting and
to influences that are demoralizing. Little
boys are constrained to make button
holes when that employment develops in
their pliable frames curvature Of the
spine. They are compelled to work foot
machines which almost necessarily pro-
duce intestinal disorders. Little girls hem
and sew, sew and hem. until their Shout
ders grow crooked. They ply sewing ma
chimes until they incur pelvic disorders
and tuberculosis. Children stand in the
stoekyards ankle keep in water used for
flooding the floors and washing away
blood and refuse into the drain. Chill
dren stand before unguarded saws cut
ting bones, while within few feet skulls
and horns, bones and hides, are scorchipg
ard smoking and emitting a horrible
stencil.
Pitiable and pathetic are these spec
tacles Of childish toll The statutes OF
Illinois prohibit the employment of chill
dren under the age of IA, and during three
recent months over 100 children were
stopped working who were under that
age and were turned over to the trust
officer Of the Board Of Education. In in
specting $40 workshops which employed
$500 men and 24,335 women there were
found $3.50 children between IA and l6
years Of age who were at work. The
factory law should be so modified that no
child under l6 years OF age should be al
lowed to work at any employment that
would be injurious to life Or health or
morals. In the meantime the laws pro-
hibiting the employment under Il years
and compelling their attendance at school
should be rigidly enforced. Medical ex-
aminations conducted by the factory in
spection department should be extended
until children are reasonably protected
from the compulsion to work when they |
are not qualified in body or health. Dur !
ing the year there were l3j factory chill
dren examined by physicians in the Of
flee of the factory inspector. The health |