New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-10

The incapacity of Woman to reason has no place
in our creed; We rather infer that her natural abl-
ity in this respect has been cramped and dwarfed
by long course of mistaken or defective training;
vet it would not be difficult to make out plausi-
bic case in favor of the more Oriental theory.
Thus we find Miss L. NJ. Powell ventlat-
ing through our last issue her view of the griev-
ances and wrongs of WOman-the gist of all which
is. that she does too much work for too little pay.
That, we have no doubt is truthful though shsl.
low and narrow statement Not only in our shops
and stores, but in our schools, our nurseries, our
kitchens, women who work for hire are paid less
than absolute justice would accord them. But
Miss Powell seems utterly to ignore the fact that
abstract, ideal justice is nowhere the law OF exist
ing social relatons-that the overwOrked or under
paid milliner or bookolder lever thinks of asking
whether the manufacturer or merchant can resy
afford to sell his fabrics she buys at the price she
pays for them. She buys her dresses, her bonnets,
her shoes, Just where she can drive the best bar
gainr, regarding the makers or sellers making
or breaking by the Iun Of the market as ex-
clusively his personal concern. How, then-with
what reason-does she expect to sell her labor by
one rule and buy the products of Others labor by
its radical opposite If she buys, as general
rule, wherever she can cheapest, how can she ex-
plead in her behalf that che ought to be paid for
nine hours labor a price that viii command ten,
unless she is willing to buy niue yards of muslin or
rire days board for a sum that would in either
case command ten if she chOse to exsct that
amount If Mis- Powell fails to see that her ar
eument pushed to its inevitable conclu ions neces-
states total readustment and reconstruction of
all socsl relations ard arrangements, then she
seems to us but very imperfecty acquainted with
her subject, and not remarkably qualified to eluci-
date it. The rule of despotism-of necessity-of
force-is very simple: II have money, which
means food shelter, clothing ali which you
"ueed; will give you so much money for so
" for which others are willing to render that ser.
"vice; if you think you can do better, you are
very welcome to try To attempt to place the
complex relations Of human beings on different
basis-the basis of Absolute Rght-of Absolute
Justice-of Universal Goods to undertake the
gravest responsibility ever yet assumed BY man.
We speak frtm some experience of our oxn, and
much more of others-an experience which in
either case cost something. We do not say this
cannot be done, for We believe II may and ult.
mately will; but how it may be half done, we DO
not begin to comprehend. Rely on it, when
wsmen cell their labor on the principle assumed BY
Mi,s Powell, they must buy their food and
clothing on that same principle, and the one
process cannot precede the other.
But what we commenced to rebuke was our
correspondents misplaced and ll-con,idered snesrs
of "the political women tho declsimer against
ter &" faneied wrongs those who e1pend somuoh
time in commenting "her right to the dlssectns.
"room, the ballot. box" &C., with many moro
thoughtless, unjust and dngeuerous slun Of tho