Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-02-28
Teachers VS.. District Officers.

One of the schools of our village, the in.
termediate department of old District No. l,
was closed last week, and it is thought ex-
pedient to explain the cause of its being
closed, lest there be any Misunderstanding
in regard to it.
The young ladies in charge of the school,
after deliberation, decided that their salary
(twenty-eight dollars) was not in proper
ton to their labors, nor in fact what it
should be in proportion to that received by
others doing the same work. Another
school in the village of the same grade is
taught by a gentleman who receives forty
five dollars, and whose assistant receives
twenty-eight. 1t was considered by the
teachers who have left this school, that it
was unjust that they, with the sole charge
of the largest school in the village, should
receive no more than the assistant in the
other school. But these teachers did not
ask for the same wages that the gentleman
received-they only requested an advance
of two dollars. Although the "Board"
professed to be highly pleased with the
manner in which the school had been con-
Quoted, and admitted that they were quite
as successful as the gentleman, and had
given quite as good satisfaction, it refused
to advance their salary, and rather than
establish such precedent as raising a
teachers cages, would find those who did
not put such an er0r6itant estimate upon
their services. The only reason for this
refusal was that as they were only women
their remuneration was already ample
that it was the custom not to pay women
anything like as much as men. What
kind of justice or even christianity is there
in such an argument(O as this? Men call
women weaker" than themselves. Is
there anything manly in requiring them
to do more acorb for less pay? When it
is admitted that the teachers who have
left their school did their work as qceU as
the gentleman, will any one who pretends
to have any sense ofjustice argue that they
ought to receive less than two-thirds of
what he does p?
The world is wide for a man-occupation
after occupation, profession upon profess
for woman who either chooses or is COM
PEELED to support herself, there is but enc
branch of educated labor that she can turn
to-that is teaching in this she has
to contend with male pettion-and
the argument that "custom" requires her
to be paid less for this work than a man,
independent of its Injustice, is silly.
The injustice practised toward woman
has not been thought unworthy the atten-
ton of one of England's profoundest think
ers-John Stuart Mill In speech before
the House of Commons, he says: cit is
not Just to make a distinction in matters
of right, without some positive reason.
No one could possibly deny that women,
many of whom were responsible heads Of
families-womcn who conducted estates or
managed business, who paid taxes-women
who in the character of school mistresses
taught great deal more than the great
proportion of electors ever learned-no one
could pronounce such women incapable of
exercising the franchise that is conferred
upon every male householder"
This article is not written to advocate
"female suffrage" but the above is quoted
to show that such a man as Stuart Mill
does not think the matter of "woman's
rights" beneath has notice. The only right
here contended for is the right of women
to be paid for the work they do; and if
twenty eight dollars is ample compensation
for the labor in the schools cited, it is a
great injustice to the district to pay man
more than his services are worth, simply
because he is man.
"Grievances like those borne by women,
when suffered by classes have provoked
revolution"
The subject is left to the judgment of
the community, with the question, whether,
when they are satisfied with the success
of any teachers it would not be safer to
retain them even at a small advance Of
salary than to try experiments-as it has
been the experience of this town that good
teachers are not aZaoays to be had.
INFORMATION WANrED.-The Dubuque