The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-07-12
UNEMPLOYED WOMEN.

we nave frequently 0aQ occasion 10 re-
mark on the limited sphere of-Jabor oper
to women, and the amount of vice anC
suffering resulting from it. This com
plant may be made with justice, of AM
country in the world, but il is not gener
ally known or understood that, all things
taken into consideration, the lot of the
women who has to labor for her living i:
harder in The United States than In any
other civilized country IN the world.
10 the first place, but very small pro
portion of girls are here regularly educa-
ted 10 earn a living. A startling proper
lion of the callings filed by females are
such as require the least possible educa-
ton. This arises in great measure from
a ridiculous pride-or rather idle vanity,
fostered by many parents. II man even
In very humble circumstances has daugh
Lers, be Is very apt to strain every nerve
to bring them up ladies'" They boys
may run about in rags aud Zagabondags,
| but the misses must have silks aud other
trappings for the great catch of marriage.
Time flies on, and the injudicious parent
| finds that his means do not increase
but that the love of fnery and social po-
siIion in his daughters does, very decid
eddy. They have not been trained to work
"a silly pride forbids going to service.
even in it's higher bFanches-and plain
sewing. or some barely life-suslaing trade,
is caught up and followed.
We are governed 10 this world more by
the false pride Of others than by our own.
! False pride exerts a fearful influence in
this manner among the female population
OF our cities. Many sensible girl would
gladly be educate to earn a living or go 10
service if public opinion would permit it
But no; gallantry and alteration of sex is
carried 60 Tar that the dear creatures must
straVe. Certain ideas of propriety and
morality are urged with prudish vigor
which defeats its own AIMS, and sends
thousands to destruction. Let us state in
illustration that, every once in a while,
an Instance occurs in which some poor
girl, gifted with energy and resolved not
to tsmely fall into the great abyss of star
walton or vice, and who cOnnot Gud work
dresses herself up as boy apd easily OBJ
tains living. Marty ali the exposes of
such cases contain sjme such paragraph
as, "She bad worked at this business sew.
al ulOutlo "lNuOuL uCE SEX UoIuR SuS-
pected" Well, some over Jealous friend
of morality" fnds out the sex of the
employee and has her arrested. Then
she goes down hill. Why does not the
very fact of concealing the sex and work
ing steadily and strictly argue in favor
It the girls morality?
How many callings are there which
girls might very properly follow, were
they not met at the very outset with the
cry from The gallant" of What would
you have female take up such BUSH
ness?" When the world at large make IS
no movement towards opening new roads
tor female industry, aud when all the
schooling and education Ofgirls for prac-
tical life which We have amounts to Just
nothing at all. it can hardly be expected
that girls themselves should resist the
hesdlong tide of fashion and folly.
IL is moriifying and Teproach to the
age, that the little there is done in this
very important reform is confined almost
solely to the quiet aud humble efforts of
few ladies. Il deserves higher position,
and is as well worth serious attention as
any subject which has been brought before
the public for years. Il involves a ques
ton which must sooner or later be brought
home to every one-the degree to which
branches of labor now arbitrarily and ri
diculously discouraged through the ira
ditional Influence of the past, can be ele
waited in the social scale to an appreciation
of their true value. Capital and industry
are forcing this question along rapidly;
when it has finally been raised to its prop
er level, then the reform in question will
assume national political importance.