New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-18

emnioymentS let us CONSIDER what - tue
amount Of this evil consequence, and what the
conversation for II. The worst ever asserte'i'
much worse than is al all likely 10 be real
,zed, is that if women competed with men,
a man and q woman could not together earn
more than is now earned by the man
alone Let US make this supp0siloh' we
most un!ayorable suppos.tlon possible 'he lOlh'
income Of the two would be the same a' oeio'c'
while the woman would be raised IRON ,ie Po
sl,.oA Of servant 70 that Oh partner. hSe1 :
every woman. as matters now stanu' hdu
claim on some man for support, how lhhnlie,y
preferable is IL that part Of the income shoul'
he Of the womans earning, evenn the aggregate
s,m were but little increased by IL, ratHeI thah
ina, she should be compelled TO stand aslue III
order that men may be the sole earners, ana .iie
sole dispensers of what is earned. Even uhdeI
,bn nresent laws respecting the property OF
women woman who contributes materially 70
the support of the family, cannot be treated ID
the same contemptuOusly tyrannlcal manner as
one who however she may toll as domesIC
drudge is dependent on the man ior suOsis
tence. As for the depression OF wages ny III,
crease Of competition, remedies VIII De ioGnl
for II in time Pallatives might be applied I'M
mediatelv for instance, more rigid exclusion
of children from industrial employment, curing
the wears IN which they ought to be WORKING
only to strengthen their bodies ana minus ioi
after life. Children are necessarily depeioeh1'
and under the power of others; and ther ldlof,
being not for themselves but for the gain OIL
tbe;y narents is proper subject for legislative
regulation. With respect to the future, we
neither believe that improvident multiplication,
and the consequent excessive dlhcuty Oh gam
ing a subsistence, will always continue, nor that
the division Of mankind into capitalists or hlreu
laborers, and the regulation OF the reward OF Ia
borers mainly by demand and supply, VIII pe,
forever, or even much longer. the rule OF the
puf sol long Z cOnDptltlOn Is the gBUcidI
law of human life, 1t is tyranny 10 smut OUT one,
half of the competitors. All who have attained
the age Of self-government, have an equai CAIN
10 be permitted to sell whatever kind OF useiul
labor they are capable Of, for the price which II
will bring.
Expects on CHARACTER.
The third objection to the admission OF women
10 political or professional life, Its alleged hard
ening tendency, belongs to an age now past ana
is scarcely to be compTehended by people Oh the
present time There are still, however persons
who say that the world and It's avocal0ns rem
der men selfish and unieeling, that the strug-
rles. riyalries and collisions of business and OF
politics make them harsh and unaniable that II
half the species must unavoidably be gwen up to
these things, it is the more necessary that the
other half should be kept free from them. that 10
preserve women from the bad influences OF Inc
world. is the only chance of preventing men from
being wholly gwen up to them.
There would have been plan,ibilty IN tins ar
gument when the world was still III the age oi
violence when life was full OF physlcal cohllic''
and every man had to redress his INJURIES or those
OF others, by the sword Or by the strength OF his
arm. Women, like priests, 10y beng exempted
from such responsibilities, and nom some part OF
the accompanying dangers, may have been en-
abled to exercise a beneficial influence. But IN
the present condition OF human life, We 90 not
know where those hardening influences are TO be
a. from fIlsit
women are at present exempt individuals now
a-days are seldom called upon 10 fight hand to
hand, even with peaceful weapons personal en-
mites and rlyalitCs count for little IN worldly
transactions the general pressure OF clrcun-
stances not the adverse will OF individuals. Is
the obstacle men now have 10 make head against.
That pressure, when excessive, breaks the spirit,
and cramps and sours the feelings, but not less OF
women than of men, since they suiter certainly
not less from It's evils There are still quarrels
and dislikes, but the sources OF them are Changed
The fcudal chief once found his blttefest enemy
in his powerful nclghbor, the minister or courtleI
IN his rival for place but opposition OF interest IN
active life, as cause OF personal anlnoslN, is
out of date the enmltleS of the present Gay
arise not from great things but small, from Whal
people say of one another, more than from whdl
they do and If there are hatred, malice ana all
uncharitableness, they are to be found among
women fully much as among men In we
present state of civilization, the notion OF guard
ing women from the hardening influences OF the
world. could only he realized by secludng them
from society altogether. The common duties OF
common lie, as at present constituted, are III
compatible with any other soinesS IN womcl
than weakness. Surely weak minds IN weak
bodies must ere long cease to be even supposed
to be either attractive or amable.
GENERAL ARGUMENTS.
But in truth, none of these arguments aud con
smerations touch the foundations of the subject
The real question Is, whether II IS night and oN
pedient that ono.half OF the human race shoulo
pass through life IN a state of forced Subordl
nation to the other half II the best state o
human society is that OF being divided into tw,
parts one consisting of persons with VIII anc
4 substantive existence, the other of humble com
panions to these persons, attached, each OF then
TO one, for the purpose OF bringing mp hS chll
dren and making his home pleasant 10 HIM 4
this is the place assigned To women, II Is but KIND
ness TO educate them for this TO make then
believe that the greatest good fortune which car
befal them, is to be chosen by some man for tins
purpose and that every career which the World
deems happy or honorable, is closed to them 10y
the law, not of social institutions but OF naiur,
and destiny
When however, we ask why the existence o
one-half the species should be merely ancillary
to that of the other--why each woman should bt
amere appendagc 10 q man, allowed 20 have 1T
interests of her own that there may ho nothing
TO compete in her mind with his interests and his
pleasure the only reason which can he gwen $
that men like II. 1t is agreeable TO them tina, mel
should live for their own sake, women for tn,
sake of men and the qualities and conduct II
subjects which are agreeable TO rulers they sue
coed for long time IN making the subjects them
selves consider as their appropriate Virtues
Helvetius has met with much obloQuy for assert
ing, that persons usually mean by virtues the
qualities which are useful or convenient TO them
selves. How truly this is sand OF mankind N
general, and how wonderfully the ideas of virtue
set afoat by the powerful, are caught and lmbi-
bed by those under their dominion, Is exempll-
ned by the manner IN which the world We're once
persuaded that the supreme virtue oi subjects