White Slaves; or, the Oppression of the Worthy PoorBanks, Louis Albert
History
White Slaves; or, the Oppression of the Worthy Poor
Banks, Louis Albert
Poor -- Massachusetts -- Boston; Sweatshops; Working class -- Massachusetts -- Boston
7. There is an ample supply of money available for purposes of true
charity. Does not true charity consist in refusing to give alms to
those who can or may support themselves? Is it better to give alms to
those people in their attic, or to give alms to them under the
conditions of the almshouse? Which course would be most sure to
pauperize them utterly?
8. The use of the term "slave" implies a slave-owner and a
slave-driver. In this series of (1) _the manufacturer_, (2) _the
sweater or middleman_, and (3) _the working-woman with her children_,
which is the slave-owner and which is the slave-driver? Under what
authority does the slave-master force this woman to render her labor
for all that it is worth?
9. If her work is worth more than she gets, can she not get it?
A little inquiry into the condition of the clothing trade, and some
examination of the fact, might disclose to you that the poor
sewing-woman is poor because she sews poorly, and that there is always
a scarcity of skilful and intelligent sewing-women, at full wages.
My final question is, how do you propose to help those who are
incapable of helping themselves, without pauperizing them yet more than
they are pauperized under their present conditions? What will you do
when you have destroyed the house and done away with the sweater?
Are you justified, as a Christian minister, in creating a prejudice and
arousing malignant passion by the use of the term "_slave_?" Can you
defend or justify this term, under the conditions that are reported, as
they are stated in the printed report of your sermon?
I venture to put these questions to you because I think that the
dangerous class in this community is to be found among persons who,
without intelligence, create animosity, and by their method of
preaching tend to retard rather than to promote the progress of the
poor and ignorant in this country.
Very sincerely yours, *****
III.
REPLY TO A CRITICISM ON "THE WHITE SLAVES OF BOSTON SWEATERS".
"Freedom's secret wilt thou know?--
Counsel not with flesh and blood;
Loiter not for cloak or food;
Eight thou feelest, rush to do."
--RALPH WALDO EMERSON: _Freedom_.
Among the scores of thankful letters which I have received, commenting
on the discourse on "The White Slaves of the Boston Sweaters," there is
one of an entirety different character, written by a distinguished
writer on social questions, a gentleman for whom I have always
entertained the highest respect. I should be very glad to give the name
of the author of this letter; but as it is marked "personal," I cannot,
in honor, do so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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