The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-31
The Voice of
The People
DIFFERENCE IN SENTIMENT.


Editor Providence News:
trust that the readers OF The News
are. like myself. horror struck at the
revelatio among some OF the silk mills
OF Pennsylvania, In which quite a num-
Der OF girls under 13 years Of age. sew
eral only II years old were discovered
10 be working nearly IL hours per day.
But In the midst OF our indignation comes
the tding that the semi-slavery OF these
girls will soon cease and the law pro-
hbiting their employment under IL be
rigidly enforced. God bless Roosevelt's
commission for probing these outrages!
II the commission accomplishes nothing
else It will grandly pay for the appoint
ment and expense.
Why do | state SO positively that these
outrages will cease In Pennsylvania?
Because 1t is strong protection state:
the people are welded to protection. and
just as sure az Ghe sun rises and sets
Just SO certain will the free trade traffic
In the blood and muscle OF these poor un-
fortunate little girls be prohibited and
from henceforth they will be protected
from this form Of semi-slavery.
All hail. heaven born protection. whose
cradle was rocked by liberty-lovlng
Washington. Jefferson and jackson, and
whose majority was attained under the
fostering care OF those two Christ-like
martyrs for the welfare of wage earn
ers, Lincoln and Mckinley OF blessed
memory,
Now mark the contrast between free
trade and protection sentiment. In ZOO
mills In free trade states, says the Gin
cinnati Commercial Tribune. 5000 girls
under IA are employed. 1850 OF them
from to IL years of age; In fact. the
semi-slavery Of children six or seven
years Of age has become common az
no longer to create surprise. Several
attempts have been made TO obtain "A
law against these outrages, but with the
exception OF Tennessee. utterly failed.
Ruled by shotgun Tlllman and his free
trade pals South Carolina is OF course
the very hotbed Of this sem-slavery.
Bitterly opposed 10 the heavenly doc
trine Of protection. the free trade traffic
In the blood and muscle OF little girls is
carried on by the wholesale. the advocacy
or protection OF these little semi-siaves
being attended with too much danger TO
be made openly. In some Of the mills ~
per centum OF the help are poor little
girls less than II years OF age with pay
ranging from 10 TO ~ cents per day
But not content with this horrible state
of things In the Palmetto state. Shotgun
Tillman advised the free traders of North
Carolina to carry that state by the shot
gun. and stralghtway the so-called Red
Shirts followed Shotgun Tilrs advice.
the state went for free trade and North
Carolina as we'll as South Carolina will
soon disfranchise half the poor whites
by the rising generation being unable
to read or write.
In conclusions the outlook for these
poor semi-slave girls is not. however,
entirely hopeless. Union organizations
are increasing all through tho free trade
state. and by and by they will become
too strong 90 be sllenced hy such free
trade monsters as shotgun 1'ilinan and
his free trade ollearchy and when that
time arrives tho Goldfish aristocracy Of
tho free trade states will no longer dare
TO uaf1ie In the blood sad muscle OF lit