Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-27
THE WOMAN QUESTION.
Female Editresses aud COmpOsifresses
Women TO do Everything-Shave.
Sing Bass and Play Baseball.

Female EdiGresses aud COmposIiresses
Women TO do EVerything-Shave.
Sing Bass and Play Baseball,
The New York Express says: The Wo-
mems Rights paper, the Revolution is out in
a fearful double-leaded article, in its issue
of this week, in favor not only of women
working in printing offices, but women
working everywhere else-up stairs and
down slairs-where their work can be done
as well as the masculine gender can do it.
The fair editor (editress y announces with
flourish, and as a symptom of real pro-
gress in the right direction, that there are
at present in this city, to-day, over FIVE hum
dred female compositors. This, we are in
formed, is but small per cent. of the whole
number of persons employed in the differ
ent printing establishments of New York
city; yet, considering that these five hum
dred belong TO what the "lords of creation"
are pleased to term the "sofler sex" and
that only few years ago the doors of the
compositors' room was shut against all such,
the Revolution claims that the number is
large. But it seems there are good many
other rights besides type-sticking belong
ing to women, even in printing Offices and
what these are we let Mrs. Stanton herself
say:
+" 1t is conceded that woman is as good
compositer as a man, even better, as far as
dexterity goes. Her fingers are more
nimble; she can, therefore, set type faster
and better than the opposite sex. Yet
here, as in all other places, she is limited
TO one or two things. While man is al
lowed to learn everything connected with
the printing business, woman must be con-
tent with setting few different kinds of
type; and all because it would not be
ladylike to do otherwisep In the name Of
common sense, which is the most unlady-
like, for her tosit bumped over her desk
and composing stick ten or twelve hours,
till every bone in her body aches, or TO stir
about, take hold of the printing business,
and make something of herself besides
mere machine? Let her go to work and
learn the trade and you will see what
she can do. She has shown herself compe-
tent to set type, now let her see if she can
print.
When we ask why women does not get as
high wages as a man, the answer is, first,
she cannot do as many kinds of work; sec
ond, the latter is supposed to be laying up
hiVAN W. htaO Vi - Az thC
first, we say once more, let her learn the
different kinds of work and she will do
them; to the second we ask, how many
printers support families with this surplus
money? Not one in twenty 1t is we'll
known fact that printers, as a class, are dis
sipared they will, as they say, ego on a
spree" and when they do this, are quite apt
to use all the interest, and dive pretty
deeply into the principal of their bank ac-
count, if they have any"
This is pretty hard on the moral char
acter Of the masculine typos. 1t is to be
hoped they will survive it. Those of them
who ego on a SPREE" however, are very apt
to feel indignant at Mrs. Stanton's re-
minder of the fact, and we would advise
her, thereiore-being "horrid men"-to
keep out of their way, especially on Sat
urday nights We do not suppose, how
ever, that it is an easy thing to affect the
nerves or touch the sensibilities even of
fair creature who can give utterance to her
pent up feelings in a style like this:
We heard "male" compost
tor say the other day that at was mean for
woman to step in and take work at the old
price, when men had struck for higher
wages besides, it was degrading" Mean"
is it? we'll, we're agreed. We only wish
to tell you one thing. Just as often aspos-
sible we shall step into new places, and
then get us out if you can. If you won't
let lis enter in any other way, we must en-
ter in this; and, az 10 its being degrading,
we beg leave to differ with you there.
Woman is not degraded, but man is. Every
time that strike is made, and woman in
consequence enters some new branch OF
business, she is elevated and man degraded.
We think it will not be long ere the social
scale will be balanced little more evenly.
Woman expects to be sneered at and scoffed
at if she steps aside from the beaten track.
II she edits a paper, man holds up his
hands in holy horror If she takes the
| Speakers chair he would blush, if he
could. Does she write-she is a blue. Does
she take any prominent position-she Is
bold and masculine. If to be masculine is
to be smart, do let her try or, are you
afraid, if she has the chance, that few of
your laurels will droop?
Our female comp0sitors have taken one
step in the right direction in entering the
compositOrs' room; now let them take one
more and learn the business, not half but
| wholly be printers and work for pay"
So far as editing newspapers isconcerned,
we are not aware that any "horrid man"
has interposed veto on "woman's rights
in that direction. But would the dear
creatures like to sit up all night, under the
lamp, whiting up the editorials, or doing
the compiling, or the proof reading OF
morning journal, say? We fear that, with
paler cheeks, and wearier eyes, they would
soon be glad to get rid of the task. The
evening papers, possibly, might offer them
a more promising feld-but, after all, the
weeklies are better adapted for the develop
ment of their industry and genius. There
is no reason in the world why-for ex-
ample,-the nine or ten religious journals
published, once a week, should not be
written up by the female mind We are
quite sure that they (the papers, would
lose nothing in intellectual force, while the
chances are ten to one, that the moral in
fluence would suffer no abatement. Any
how, why not give the experiment fail
I i