Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1891 — ONLY FORTY-SIX CENTS. [ARTICLE]

ONLY FORTY-SIX CENTS.

Cheap Prices Due to Low Wages, and “The Song of the Shirt" To-Day —A Startling Coincidence. Walking leisorely up the main business street of a city, the other day, I saw that the display window of a large clothing establishment was entirely filled with an artistic adjustment of white shirts. On a spacious cardboard was this notice, which I giro vrebatim: “Cne hundred dozen of these unlaundered shirts, all linen bosoms, cuffs and bands, at only forty-six cents." Nothing strange about that! To the average passerby, perhaps not. It might not attract attention, save to one in need of the article, or to a competitor in the trade. To me, however it meant a great deal. Entering the store I saw the proprietor, and asked if those goods were a part of a sheriff’s or assignee’s sale, as the reason for their very low price. "No sir; they are a regular made shirt, and come from a first class house in New York." Continuing the conversation I added: “You expeot to realize something for handling these goods, don’t yon?" “I expect to; yes." “And the jobber that took your order had a margin of profits, 1 suppose?” “That’s what I argue." “What about the wholesaler who sold to the jobber; doesn’t he reoeive something for his trouble?” *H< intends to make a living, do donbt,” was th terse reply. “There’s the manufacturer; he is to have some share of the profits, isn’t he?” "Yes then there is the raw material, spinning, etc.; all must be added to the original cost. Now, how muoh do you suppose the girl receives that made one of those shirts?” The merchant shrugged his shoulders, Kve me a searching look, and in a disit manner, as if he intended that he should not be misunderstood, said, “1 don’t know, and it is not my business. ” “Yes, it is," I rejoined; “it is everybody’s business. Only forty-six cents for a shirt, bosom, cuffs and bands, all linen.— The girl that made that shirt most soon starve, sir; go on the streets, commit suioide, or so mad. I wouldn’t wear one of them if you were to pay me for It; my oonsoienoe wouldn’t let me." Noticing a look of incredulity, not unmingled with scorn, I read him the following that I had only an honr before cat from an eastern newspaper: “Bangob, Me., July 27.—0 n the 18th instant Bianohe M. Abbot, of Bnoksport, eighteen miles down the river, shot herself in this oity. She had formerly worked in a ready-made clothing factory. On the very morning that nnhappy girl shot herself a man purchased a pair of trousers at a store in Brockport, Mass., and in -one of the pockets he found this note: '* Bnoksport, Deo. 2.—1 wonder into what part of the world these pants will roam, and hope that the one who bnys them will send me a penny, aB we have to work at starvation wages to make them. . Blanche M. Abbot." Now, after reading this message do yon teli me that it is, none of your business?" He turhed on his heel and left me. A set of men like a hungry horde of hnman wolves, conscienceless, heartless as to who goes down—whose life goes out —would crush between the teeth of avarice, greed and gain all hope, every honest and honorable impulse of the heart for a noble and pure life, and like the galley slave of imperial Home death would be the "surcease of sorrow” to these poor working girls. Are they not as those who in the morning say, “ Would God it were even!" and at even say, "Would God It were morning!" Talk about "the cry of the outcast of London!” The cry of starving sewing girlaof America almost makes one to say, “ There is need for another Christ to die for tbs world!"—Chicago Signal.

Second only in interest to thelspeecb of ex-Fresident Cleveland at the tariff reform banquet in New York was that of the Hon. W. U. Henael, of Pennsylvania, one of the moßt eloquent Democratic speakers in the Keystone State. Mr. Hensel did not claim that the result in his State in November was a tariff reform victory, bnt said: “It was a triumph of the Democratic issues of honest government, home rnle and clean politics. " The result, he claimed, shows that “all parties in Pennsylvania recognize that ballot reform most be engrafted upon the fundamental law of the Commonwealth.* Bnt Mr. Hensel rightly claim d that Pennsylvania is no laggard in the fight now on for tariff reform, and that a large and increasing portion of her voters recognized Mr. Cleveland’s tariff reform message of 1887 as a trumpet blast in the right direction. Mr. Hensel made the point that the Democratic party “need pay less regard to the adjustment of tariff schedules or the rate of reduction if we make common oanse for free raw materials.* In this connection he cited the oase of the president of the Pennsylvania Steel Company who says with nee ore his company will sell American rails in Liverpool.

The destructive influence of the tariff on onr own industries is shown in the following quotation from a letter contributed by the Mexioan minister in this country to the Engineering and Mining Journal! He says: .. “The exclusion of onr oars has so far been advantageous to us, because several reduction works are being built in Mazice for the treatment of the same, whioh used to be done in the United States. Such ores as oannot be worked profitably in Mex ico will be sent to Europe for treatment, since the doors of the United Stateß have been shnt on ns.” In other words the McKinley bill has driven a considerable smelting industry out of tha United States. The Makeever Hons# is about'to under, go considerable improvement; bath-rooms and other desirable arrangements will be added. The House we understand will be repapered, repainted and refnmished.— All of which will add to the popularity it has acquired under its present manage? meat ■ - »wr W We understand Forsythe, of the Chicago Bargain Store, contemplates the erection of s residence the coating season. '