The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-08-04
From the Woman's journal.
JOHN CHINAMAN AND WOMAN'S
WAGES.

The Injustice of woman's Acknowledgement
is forcibly illustrated in the Chinese question
as 1t now presents itself. San ounce of ex-
ample is worth a pound of precept." Take
the following instance:
Among the new avenues recently opened
to womans labor, one of considerable i'm
portance is found in steam laundries. A
number of these establishments are already
in successful operation in and near New
York. Mr.. R. G. Browning, the enterprising
proprietor Of "Doty's Washing Machine"
and the +" Universal Clothes Wringer," who
has done so much, by the successful intro
duction of these invaluable household ma.
chimes, to relieve the women of America
from domestic drudgery. has recently erected
QUE OF these laundries in Orange. New Jer-
sey. In this large establishment he employs
some two hundred women. These women
work altogether by the piece. With the aid
of powerful steam machinery, shirts are
| starched and ironed at eight cents apiece.
At these prices, the women earn from d dol
lar and half to three dollars per day, &C.
cording to their strength and skill.
A few days ago, we called, in company
with Mr.. Browning, upon one OF his heaviest
customers, Mr.. C., an extensive manufactu-
rer of shirts. In the course of conversation,
the difficulty OF getting faithful and indus.
trious working women being considered Mr.
| G. urged Mr.. Browning to import Cinnamon
to take the place Of women in his laundry
ISuluduicA Gull 10 ulICU dt bcNCutJ-u NS CcuLe
per day, in gold, by the year. They are
steady, strong, doclle, patient, industrious
and persevering. With little practice, they
will do more work for seventy-five cents than
the women now do for three times that sum.
| Mr.. ROWING admitted the facts, acknOwl.
edged the greater convenience and larger
profit but-to his honor be it spoken-ex.
pressed his unwillingness to supplant the
labor OF women by importing men to fill
their places.
Yet how few keen. shrewd business men
would share this chivalrous feeling How
long will it be ere working women will find
their scanty wages still further reduced by
the competition Of these laborious Asiatic
human machines
| And yet, while working-na have the mat
ter under their own control, and can infu-
ence legislation IN their own favor by their
votes, as they may deem wise and e1pedi-
ent, tens of thousands Of working women
are prohibited by law from expressing an
authoritative opinion in regard to matter
OF vital interest to themselves. The very
bread may be taken from their mouths by the
importation and substitution OF servile la
borers. And these servile laborers are le-
gally constituted their political superiors,
and are authorized to make laws, public
opinion snd social usages, to which these
disfranchised American women must help.
lessly conform.
Without expressing any opinion as to the
wisdom OF admitting or excluding their
Chinese competitors, we demand the ballot
for these working women as their natural
right It Is for them to say whether this i'm.
migration shall be permitted or prohibited.
No other class of citizens have an exclusive
right to settle question in which these wo-
men have so vital an interest.
What would any class of working-men say
If they were thus excluded What would
the Crispins say if they were DISTINGUISHED
when the rights of the laborer are in ques-
ton, because they are Crispins? Or the law.
yers, if they were disfranchiscd when laws
are to be enacted, because they are lawyers!
Or the liquor-sellers, if they were prohibited
from voting on the question of licenses, be-
cause they are liquorsellers? What cry Of
injustice would be raised, and what sympa-
thy would be awakened!
Shame on our code OF political ethicsi It
is respectable to be q Lrispin, or lawyer, or
q liquOr-seiler. 1t is q crime to be q 1consGn.
H B. B.