Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-06-25

Committee, towards II convention. by delay,
questions of purely local nature are likely TO
arise and have II tendency TO divert interest and
attention from the all important matter OF set
tling our congressional representation. viii
not our committee soon follow the lead Of 9th
er districts and get out their call for a Conven-
ton?
Since writing the above, "a cali has been sent
| in, which may be found in another place
THE WAGES or WOMEN in the departments
at Washington, are at the rate of 5000 per
annum. Their employment in the Depart
mems al any price, was an innovation made
during the war, and for it the women of the
country are far more indebted to Secretary
CHASE and Gen. SPINNER than To all the ora
tors of womans rights, of both sexes, ciiher
combined or dubiously single. When first
employed, 5000 was the salary and the AZ pill
cations at this price were more numerous than
the places to be filled.
THIS compensation was first raised to seven
hundred and twenty dollars, and then, about
| oar years since, to nine hundred dollars, the
present rate. Their cmploymcnts are varied,
some being employed as aSsorters and coun-
tiers Of fractional currency, some as press. feed
crs, some as copyists some as book keepers
and some in the responsible positions of over
seers of The clerical work of others.
Mr. TRCMBULL of the Senate by an amend
mcnt to the appropriation bill,by avotc of39 to
! ii, put the female clerks on the same footing
with the male, enjoying salary of 81 200.
n,,, G,,,. "a 4. Il
liyered himself in the following way;
1--WE have here, without particle depressing
necessity, added $i00 900 to the annual taxes Of
the people sf this country, to pay n number of
ladies employed in WashngtOn who are now
receiving higher pay than any ladies employ
ed in similar employment in the United States,
| who do not ask il ut all, who never had asked
| it, and whose positions will be endangered hy
granting it to them"
This last consideration is undoubtedly a
strong one, since it is an unquestioncd fact
that if the pay of these clerks of the simplest
grade is increased from $500 to 81 200 per
year. there will be a multitude of able bodied
voters pressing after thcm who may very like
" succeed in pushing the women from their
stools The women not being MS yet inv, sted
with the suffrage, and the prospect of its lie
stowal upon them being sufficiently remote
(as appears from the fact that the constitution
al conventions of such radical States rs Hi
nOis and Vermont have almost unanimously
pronounced against it.) it follows that the men
who vote, can bring stronger pressure upon
the bcstowcrs Of Offices than the women, who
do not. Recognizing this fact, number o
the women holding these clerkships have ap
penlcd TO members OF the House, since the
passage by the Senate of the provision, to in
tcrposc so MS To prevent this increase Of pay
which would render their situations prccar
Gus, from becoming law.
Acting partly, herhaps, upon this motive
and partly upon considerations of economy
the House of Representatives, ON the lth inst.
struck out the Senate amendment increasing
the compensation of women, and inserted on,
Of its own, as follows;
"That hcarltrr. in the appointment and en-
plOymcnt of clerks, COpyists and counters o
other employees in the several Departments o
the Government there shall he no dscrimina
tion between males and females, and it shal
be lawful to appoint and employ any compe
tent and worthy persons in such positions
without rcgald 10 sex; but the number q
clerks shall not be increased by this section
The effect Of this provision will be to throw
open the various grades of clerkships and Blu
E rcnus to women, at the same salaries as men
1t will not, as did the Senate amendment, in
crease the compensation Of the whole grade
of clerks at 5000 TO $1,000, nor will it, AS tha
did, add tn the whole number of clerks employ
f ed. 1t is measure aimed simply ut equality
with an eye 10 economy, instead of being II
the Senate proposition was charged to bt
r aimed at eallantry, regardless of expense.
Thus we see that progress Is steady, an
there is nothing nsuprrablc in the way of iai
play for womcn This amendment vii
serve TO put men upon their merits TIL
A indolcnt aud incompetent man with salar,
q above his worth, may be reduced to his propc
standard of compensation and position, Will
the efficient and capable woman may he pr,
NOTED To any position for which she may L
/. fitted, with compensation adapted TO it,
: TWENTY Senators will be elected by the nc,
State Legislature. The Senators whose term