The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-02-15
Gail Hamilton on Men and Women.

We are inclined 90 th.nk there IS consid-
cradle good sense In tie following remarks
Of the NoaHly Religious Magazine on Gail
Hamiltoh's new book
On these themes Gail Hamilton utters a
GOOD dear Of sense, with Hoods Of nonsense.
She writes senSibiv ab0u, the necessity Of
Oi wOmanly Independence. win q distinct
object in life aside from getting married
She writes the usual nonsense about wOm-
ems wages and wastes torrents of indigna-
ton against employers. committee men,
and the masculine gender generally. be-
cause women. IN some departments. are
paid less than men Tor the same work. She
ignores the fact that the law of demand
and supply here. as everywhere. is inexOr-
able; and that all The men and women Ia the
universe cannot change or annual IT, The
reason why woman is paid less is. not that
She IS a woman, hut because seven women
10 one man are ready TO 10 the same work
The remedy IS u0t railing at employers
Committees who employ teachers pay the
market price. rs they are fixed already. and
they would be false 10 their trust if they
did otherwise. The remedy is not splitting
against the wind. but enarCiug the sphere
Of wOmanlv employment: and when there
are less women available for the same work.
and cr0wding into Il. the wages viii 20 up.
The price viii Increase exactly as the sup
ply decreases. Touching The enlargement,
Of wOmau's sphere. ana the Dreiu Ices
against il. Gail Hamilton, too. has some
" "spasms Of sense. an1 more violent spas
ms of nonsense. 50 far 4 We know, the
prejudice Of men is not half so strong as
that of women themselves against this free
range OF employment. We know. At least.
what a great many men think and say: and
depend uDOn IT, Oh Gail, that the girls
that float and languish without aim, and
without doing something. are not the Oh
iects Of mems most ferveut admiration.
while those who will outdO the men in
teaching In writing books In raising pears
and apples, in managing q household. or
in managing q business firm challenge
our unfeignef homage. We men are ieal-
Gus and enviOus when competing with each
other: but when beaten hv 4 woman. If so
be she retains her wOmlnlv excellence and
glory, We love her the better: We rather
like 70 be beaten by her; for we have an
instructive feeling that We are ennObled by
her success. Hence. Is soon as the fact
becomes patent that women make better
teachers than men, the latter retired from
the field: and women are becoming the sole
teachers in most Of the common schools Of
Massachusetts. And they are paid better
than the men were when the latter had
possession OF the field. simply because
women have g.0riied this calling. elevated
the standard, and distanced the men in the
race. So Il will be in anything Do some
thing: enlarge yOur sphere Of henedcence
IN any direction; 10 anvthine You can do
well; not sit still Or scOld at irreversible
laws: and the law Of demand and supply
will operate without regard 10 sex: men
will be ready % render homage and God
will be well pleased. The whole field Of
domestic service, once filed hOu0rably by
American girls, they abandoned 10 foreign
"help.r Those girls that purchase starva-
tion by making drawers A. five cents a
piece or finely stitched shirts az sixteen.
could re,ake this field OF service any DAY
through all the homes OF the country con-
Quering no prejudice" but their own. ele-
va,e this sphere Of work and giorify il. add
immensely 70 human comfort and welfare
and received more compensation than many
4 minister receives f0r preaching The Cos
r,al