The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-08

some extraordinary developments wert
made. We append some Of ths discus
siops:
OPENING ADDRESS BY Mss PHELPS.
Miss Phelps said: The object ~ thi.
meeting is to bring Du. the purpose Of the
petition Just read, and the facts wherein II
u based. We do not think the men 81 Mass
achusetts know how the women live. We
do not think if theY did they would allow
such 4 state 81 things 10 exist. Some al u
who signed she petition have bad 10 work
forlcss than twenty-five cents a day, and w
know that macy others have had d dc the
same. True, many get good wages Compare.
lively Cor women. Ihtre are girls that ge,
from 81 70 $50 per day, either because
they are superior laborers or b&ve had unu-
sual opportunities. But many ~ these poor
girls, among whom il has been my fortune
10 live and work, are not skilled laborers.
They are incapable Of going INTO business
for thl msslges,lT carrying on for themselves,
snd Incapable " combination they are IN
educated, and have 20 resource but the Sys-
tenn that employs them. There are before
me n0w women who l know 70 BE working
at Che present time for less than twenty-five
cents a day. Some Of tbe work they 40 al
these rates Is from tie charitable institutions
of the civ These institutions give out
wora t0 the women with die rIus.ssed 0b-
iect Of helping them, at which they can
scarcely earn enough 70 keep them fro u
starving work at which two persons, vi =
their utmost eXerti0ns cannot earn more tt Q
forty five cents a-day. Thesstlings rep, 1t
should Be known to the public. They do / 1t
know bow the daughters Of their soldiers
fare. 40. They have a little aid, to be
sure. from the State, but il is only little,
and they have to-day 70 live IN miserable
gsrrets without fire, and, during these cold
winters, with scanty food and insufficient
clothing, they 20 out daily 70 labor-alone
these beautiful streets. DO not you think
that they feel the difference between their
condition and that Of the rich well-dressed
ladies who pass theml II they did not they
would be more Or less than human. But
they work on bravely and uncomp lainingly
genturiT all things Tor the hop Of the life
that Il 10 come, We know tnat there is
wealth enough in this state and ID this city
to remedy this state Of things, and that il
only needs u be brought before the people
10 be done Our legislators will not iet such a
state Of affairs last. There are lands elOse
70 the city ~ 30 on, which can he bought
az prices ranging from So 20 SIj an acre,
near enough 70 he city for work NJ. women
~ come W their work there 0r take Il home.
And these homes ear be made cheaplv. Il
can be done Fl q less cost than these poor
women now occasion IN the shape Of public
charities. For last winter many VI them did
nat get work enough II even ten cents a gar
ment 70 i've upon. and were obliged 10 ak
charity. They ret il doled out 70 chem, but
~ what I loss n self respect, Of iDdepeu-
dence. How much better 20 have these girls
independent, earning their own living, en-
loving their own homes, than that they
should be compelled 10 80 70 station-houses
nv soup. That is what many 81 them had
20 DO last wi1tcr. The people have wonder
cd how these girls live. Can you imsgine
how YOU should live upon 20 cents q day.
Rent Is one or tEe collars 81 the lowest, and
there is your clothes Ind your food Count
Il upt VI here does II come from There
is often no resource inshealIh bat the chart
sizes, or ID sickness bat the hospital. AS for
ia hospitals the poo glrts that have been
thee have told me that they would amOs
sooner III down and die than 20 again But
we think that women could sustain them
selves, and buy little homes for themselves,
under the plan We propose, even al the small
wages they get IL seems ike good deal
10 %, but DAY By daY the pennies viii count
up, and after time the homes be secured.
Aud then, again, these girls working and
living il these garrets and cellars, damp, On
wholesome olaces, are not vel. They can
not 20 into kitchens and do homework az
their mothers did. Men often ask ne WHY
those working women do not 60 into house
work. One sufficient reason Is that there
are not houses enough for them all nor any
large proportion Of them. Bat If there were.
still they are COZ skilled In homework, and
misresses would net have them. Another
reason Is that. their Strength is not sufficient
They have not oecn 50 Drought up, and this
fragmen larry labor they have been EMPLOYED
at has % weakened their whole 81 stem, bod
ily and mental that they cannot DO the work.
They are said 10 be impTovident and shift
less. ! grantit. Who would not be ID their
condition lake their condition better and
they will nOt resort 10 tie streets after dark
Make their condition better and YOU viii See
them educate themselves in skilled labor and
become whsG our grandmothers were good
good wives and good mothers. But IN the
condition they are in, bow can we ASA it ?,
how can We expect it From all that have
seen and heard | aDs convinced that It is wo-
mans homelessnesS thai hrings all these
evils toto the community. GIVE these wo-
men little homes and they viii not be obliged
10 take work AZ such rates. May of these
women sent Their husbands, their brothers.
their sons TO the batut-held. They were
alone, listening 10 every echo, and expecting
BY every mail news Of loved ones Deaths.
And the torture Of that suspense who can
TELL It is far, far worse than the strife Of
he battlefield itself. And new when the
little homes we ask for them viii save them
from starvation, / ask, have not soldiers
widows, have not soldiets' daogeters, hight
TO have them? Have they not earned iGs !
knosr the State will help them. know it,
We do not want to blame aug one. v 9 do
not feel that individuals are to blame.
IL is . fault Of a system which makes
women homeless. W do not care to trace
il I'D TO the where or bow. We are home
less. This homelessaess makes. as suffer,
makes society suffer, makes cur children
criminals, fills the jails, and FITS Zoe gsllows.
v. i a direct t.< noon capitalists, It il di
rect tar upon iut0feas, FOR from the laboFer
At Last come all taxes. - tsese ahomes
huse taxes, IL xoald alec Sal taxes.