The private control of credit is the modern form of slavery.
And as for other men, who worked in tank-rooms full of steam, and in some of which there were open vats near the level of the floor, their peculiar trouble was that they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting,-sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out into the world as Durham's Pure Leaf Lard! This contributed to the passing of the Pure Food Act of 1906.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the dangers faced by workers in hazardous conditions and the subsequent need for food safety regulations.
Upton Sinclair's quote reflects the grim reality of industrial workers who faced life-threatening risks in their jobs, particularly in the food processing sector. It underscores the tragic consequences of neglecting worker safety and hygiene, which ultimately led to the establishment of significant legislation like the Pure Food Act of 1906. The reference to the horrifying outcomes of accidents serves as a critique of industrial practices that prioritize profit over the well-being of individuals.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about worker safety and industrial reform.
More from Upton Sinclair
All quotes →Human beings suffer agonies, and their sad fates become legends; poets write verses about them and playwrights compose dramas, and the remembrance of past grief becomes a source of present pleasure - such is the strange alchemy of the spirit.
I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.
Fascism is capitalism plus murder.
The old wanderlust had gotten into his blood, the joy of the unbound life, the joy of seeking, of hoping without limit.
One of the necessary accompaniments of capitalism in a democracy is political corruption.
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Of what use are the great number of petrifactions, of different species, shape and form which are dug up by naturalists? Perhaps the collection of such specimens is sheer vanity and inquisitiveness. I do not presume to say; but we find in our mountains the rarest animals, shells, mussels, and corals embalmed in stone, as it were, living specimens of which are now being sought in vain throughout Europe. These stones alone whisper in the midst of general silence.