The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-10-25
For the Jeifcrsonian Democrat
Rired Girls Rights Again,

MIR. EDIToR IL thank you for setting
me right With regard to tho article to which
l referred. TO toll the truth, l mereiy
read it once in a borrowed paper, have nevor
seen il since, and had no recollection of who
the author was. beg pardon Of Mrs. Gage
for any seeming objection to day Of her
writings, which arc always oa tho right
side
Your remarks on my communication OK.
pressed my views so much botier than
could dc with my pen, that il seoms almost
useless for mo to say another word; how
ever. as l had previously prepared con-
tinuation OF my article, allow me to submit
1t. But protest against raising girls wa.
gos to the amount Mrs. Gage proposed.
Wcre they raised to one-half that amount
Bddy wouldn't get a chance to slecp wink
from Monday morning till Monday morning
again. No, no; take off a cent day from
her wages. if you will. but, for PHYS sake,
reduce the number of working hours to
something near the usual standard of other
laboring classes; olse the future wives and
mothors OF our land will surely grow pro-
maturoly old. ..
1: has long been said that girls who did
housowork never knew when their days
work was done. 1t is so now; but it is
wrong. worry wrong. They should know as
well when thoir days work is completed, as
a toachor knows when to "let out" school. If
twelve hours are deemed reasonable long I'll
for day. lot it DO twelve hours and no moro
and, i: their employer has largo family
and waits or good deal Of company, or, If
thoy keep dairy aud seem to noed their
servants help sixteen or seventeen hours
out of the twenty.four, ofcourse they ought
20 receive more than common wages. If
servants don't know when thoir days work
is done, neither do they know when their
,ce'k's work is DONE 1t may be Saturday
night; but it frequently commences in the
middle of Sabbath afternoon, and ends in
tho middle Of the forenoon OF the succeed.
ing Sabbath. Isit any wonder that respccia.
Bile young ladies arc ashamed to have It
known abroad that they Can make a good
loaf of broad However 1t may be re.
spectablo to be nice, tdv, busy housokeep.
or, to 30 submissive drudge is not respect
able, mover was, and never will be; and
what more appropriate appellation can be
given to girl in her toeus, who every day
gives away sixteen hours of her life for the
small piltauco of a couple of dimes, and
then throws in tho Sundays
1t is truly sad spectacle to see young
lady ply tho sadiron three or four hours
smoothing and polishing tho linen and en-
broidery for the family, till her sweet face
is sadder than the iron which sho handles
with so much skill and dcxterity; and, at
tho present rate of girls wages, Ave cents is
all she gets for her throe hours labor.
Since the question of Southern Slavery
has fallen into such good and powerful
hands, where 1t is likely to get its just do
serts. gentlemen philanthropists can havo lei.
suro to look about at homo, and SEQ If there
arc any evils in our own FREQ North which
need abolishing, or,at loast modifying. Sure
ly, to sentence an innocent girl to moro than
twelve hours of hard labor in ono day, in
gontlemon's kitchens, fod on bread and
water, with boef steak and vegetables
added j at q cent and half or cent and a
quarter an hour, is one of the great wrongs
allo wod and suffered in our midst. And
now, Mr.. Editor, with your permission,
will make my courtesy and retire. leaving
the field open to others. ...
Yours for tho Right.
MIsNoMER.
Gaanoa Oct 1891