New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-09
Of ruins.

The Counter and Enquirer enters upon discus
sion Of "Womans Rights" in so candid and cour-
teous spirit that we are tempted to ask the
Editors attention to one or two points on which
we think his reasoning incOncusive. He says:
"H women receive for their labor less than men
there ere three good reasons for II. Their labor 10
worth less as to quality they can perform much less
of it; snd If as generally and righduly the case,
the rate of payments s regulated in measure by the
supposed average needs Of those who labor, women
are paid not q those having families entirely depend
ent on them but merely sef dependents, or at most
as those vino aid in the support of families There are
exceptions TO the latter reason; but general laws are
rot ard cannot be be made for exceptional cases. Mr.
Greeley admits the fundamental truth that woman u
rot Intellectually or physically the equal Of man; and
this granted the difference bewesn her gains and thn
Of man matter Of estimate which will be decided
Just as any cthe, like question Is, BY observation and
experience ny the combined interest Of employer and
employed, by supply and demand, and not by Womans
piehts' Conventions,'
| We presume The Courier wild agree with us that
Iron is far cheaper than Gold, not because its 10.
trin.ic value is less, but because it is far more
e,sily and chespy obtained. So with Wheat and
Crabberries, Beef and yenistn. Market value is a
complex matter, based in part on essential utility,
but in part also on rarity or inade4uacy of supply.
Now suppose those women W." 'o'' " - W
earn their living otherwise than in the direction
| cDd management Of households are restricted to,
say SIX vacations or pursuits in three of which
they have mae competition; while the correspond.
ing c'ass Of men have forty different vOcation', it
is very certain that those men will be paid higher
than these women, even in the vacations in which
each find employ ment. This principle receives
familiar demonstration in the business of Teach
Ing 1t is admitted that women teach most
branches as well a. and some better than men;
ard, though the difference in some of the
higher walks of the profession is in favor of men,
yet the average superiority Of male over female
teaching cannot exceed twenty Ave per cent. Yet
the average superiority of reconpense for male as
contrasted with female teachers is fully one HUMID
red per cent. This disparity we cannot doubt, 10
caused by the fact that men have very many
chances for employment outside of teaching where
women have one. 1t seems to US emnently de-
sirable that this disparity should be reduced, as
only it can be, by widening the sphere of employ.
ment fer single women-that is, BY increasing the
number Of useful avOcatiOns which they may pursue
without impediment or Odium. And if Woman's
Rights Conventions can promote this end, we think
'ut! Cou hoiuy NC cugoScu III duuoUt
work. Nay; it is so difficult and formidable an
undertaking for a young and modest woman to at
tempt doing what women have not always done,
that We think il most desirable that the collective
sentiment of the sex and the approving voice of
intelligent, upright mep, should be brought to bear
in favor Of any undertaking by women to earn their
living in some pursuit which women have not usu.
ally followed, such as Od.engraviDg, Type-set.
ting, Designing, &c, &c.
We demur entirely to The Couiers suggestion
that the rate Of wages is generally and rightfuy"
regulated in measure by the supposed average
"nteds OfthOse who labor" This is to give to The
recompense of Labor an eleemosynary character
against which We have ever protested II jour
neyman compOsitor on The Courier earns fifteen
dollars per week, being a single man, he earns no
more, deserves no more, after be shall have aecu.
INFLATED wife and eleven children, unless he does
more work. We are very sure the Editor of The
Courier, presumng that he is paid or allowed a
regular stipend for his services, would never think
of making the birth Of another child the basis of
demand for an increase of his salary. Since We
are all, in some sense, workers for wages, let us
not degrade our vocation. Amnn or woman work
irg for others is "rightfullyr entitled to the fair
market value Of his labor product, regardless Of
the extent of bis wants or needs.
The Cexrier observes'that
g As to the condition Of those fer who are
neither wives mothers il cannot but be regarded
exceptional"
Now those few women' must number some
scores of thousands 10 this city, hundreds of thou
sasds in the State, aud millions in the country; and
We DO rot, as The Cosrsr mistakenly sappo.es