Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-04-14

She is not generally Htted Tor The
more remuDerative occupations, for
she has not learned them.
Her low wages are not thu result
OF her Acknowledgement, or III arbi-
trafy discrimination against her sexj
but Of the terrible competition which
comes Of the fact that there are DO
few remunerative emplOyments for
which women are well fitted. Wit,
such tremepdous rivalry, the Shyl,ck
Of Chatham street car. answer the
poor girl who protests that size can
not live on tie pittance SIZE gets:
VERY well; there are twenty who
want YOUR chance" Apu the School
superintendent can j,.stly reply to
the teacher who aslus to have her
salary raised: I'VE ouDnOt do it;
there are a half-Iozen cjamOring for
your place." There are laws of trade
as well as laws Of justice. Supply
will regulate demand. In vain shall
BenevOlence fling hard epithets at
avariciOus employers, as long as the
dismal alternative is presented to
thousands Of deSparing women, "Do
this work or starve!"
AS long rs the multitude Of grow
ing girls are taught, by father, moth
er, and minister, that the only thing
that ii Is really fashionable to do, Is
TO stay ut home and lie in wait for
husband, 50 long will sharp compe-
tition and starvation prices beset all
working women, and SO long will
the bagnio be populated to repletiOn.
CDskiiled labor never commands
premium. II all women were taught
varied remunerative occupations,
according to taste and convenience,
no woman would be compelled, in
her trial-bour, to rush into an en-
ployment low in the scale and terri
bly, OyercrOwded.
The Citizen and RDund Tube sol
EMMY sets forth that "a woman's
true place is that of wife," and adds.
'.we do not think that women are
suited for the rOugher phase Of life,
not even for the struggle fOr bread"
The question Is one Of fact, not Of
sentiment. Hundreds of thousands
Of women are compelled to go into
1.-THE struggle for bread" whether
they are "suited" to it or not. and
the only question in order is-What
discipline do they need, 50 that they
may make that struggle with advan-
tage? And it il unmanly and I'M
christian to lay sneer in the way Of
their success.
No doubt q true marriage is the
normal condition Of both sexes; "A
blessed condition which should be
desired and will be desired by every
young man and every young woman
who takes a wholesome view Of life.
But II must be sotghtYronftte stand
point Of Independence. If young
woman Is hunted down by the neces-
sity Of daily bread, the touch Of Hy-
men becomes n yoke indeed, and the
"silken fetter" becomes gauntlet
Of steel.
Will that goOdly time ever come
when every young lady will learn
how to do something useful to the
world, and for which the world is
ready to pay, 50 that she maysupport
herself and defy want, whatever her
own matrimonial fortune may be,
and whatever reverses may strike
her fathers estate?-when woman
may learn to be useful without los
ing caste or placing herself socially
under ban? Shall the next genera
ton of young women be the prey Of
sharks and dependent on evilchances
as this one Is; be taught early the
necessity Of marrying somebody, as
the only means Of living, even if the
marriage no only legalized prostitu-
ton? These questions challenge
serious thought; and for every hour
of sluggish delay in the ljustment,
we shall suffer from the decay of that
private virtue and social order upon
which our national life is built
Chicago Post.
The subject is indeed a serious one,
aud well and strongly presented in
the above article. We in this region
may not perceive it so clearly as
others elsewhere; but the principles
apply here nevertheless. We are
not called upon or able to reform the
whole country in this respect; but let
US here see to 1t that our own daugh-
tiers are educated for some useful
purpose and rendered able to main
tain themselves by their own efforts
If called upon to do so. They will
be all the better wives and mothers
for such educatiOn.
How our National Debts