The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-23
The Women's Rights Imbroglio.

mere was q cOnSlderaDle surfing up vi tciu-
per at the meeting of the working Women's
Association" in this city few nights ago, which
proves that, after all which has been said and
sung about them the angels are no better than
men when they assemble in public council
The Working Women's Association enters upons
public life with the avowed object of securing
protection for the women who honestly labor
for living, so that they shall not be cheated by
the innumerable Shylocks who take the profit
Of their services and cut down the prices of
their work to starvation point, to say nothing
Of the swindling to which the poor female opera
tives are often compelled to submit. This Is a
commendable effort to emancpate labor from
the oppression Of capital so far as it goes;
but there appears to be an apprehension that
the working womens movement may be gradu-
ally merged into women's rights association,
claiming woman suffrage and so forth, and
hence we Judge that the attempt of the elegantly
clad, jewelled and gold-chain ornamented
element Of the Sorosis Club which attended at
the meeting the other night was meant to sub
vert the throne of Susan b. Anthony and
erect Sorosian dynasty on the ruins. Defeat,
however, attended the attempt Of the fair
Sorosians, and Miss Anthony, being unani-
mously elected President now rules supreme.
The movement of the women struggling for
life, liberty and the pursuit Of happiness and
all else that they can obtain appears to be
represented by three distinct parties. There
are the Sorosians, the female Bohemians of the
literary world, who ''do" the sensa-
tional stories, weak dilutions Of poetry
and incomprehensible criticisms for the
weekly press gentle and fair reformers
of the public taste, who combine their love for
the human species with their devotion TO tea
aud coffee and now and then, perhaps, little
wine, for the reason recommended by ST. Paul
TO Timothy, in a strictly Scriptural sense. Of
course, not dsdaining to accept the same from
the white cr~vated walters at Demonico's
Then there are the women's rights advocates,
who form another branch, and, in the person
Of Miss Anthony and her followers, aspire to
woman suffrage and other absurdities. The
third section Of the parties comprising the total
of this women's rights movement out of which
tnc ltnUrORnO HAS ITiSCu IL COUpuctu vi the
earnest, hard working, over-taxed and poorly
paid women, young and old. who have real
claims upon the protection Of society, and in
whose behalf law should be invoked to exert
its utmost power. These women ask no more
| than fair remuneration for their labor and
the privilege to be insured the honest return
Of their earnings. They seek no political dis
tinction, nor are they anxious for the empty
notoriety of public life. Bread for their
children. comfort in their homes, which their
labor entities them to, is all that they seek,
and If they join body like the working
women's association il is no doubt with the
hope that their rights will be protected there
by. II would be poor consolation to them
that the ambition OF certain female politicians
should be gratiaed while their families cannot
live upon the fruits of their honest labor. This
is the class of working women which has the
highest claim upon the sympatbies Of the com
munity.