Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-15
Our PUsllc SCHOOLS.
The Question Of The Payment Of Women
Why Should they Not Receive as
Much Pay as Men ?

Editors AppeaL-I am delighted
with your remarks in to-day's APP
PEAL, on the subject OF the unequal
pay of male and female teachers.
There is quite a general feeling on the
subjeetin Ouf community and desire
to see the matter ,righted. In the
name Of my manyssisters, to0mOdest
to speak for themselves, / return
thanks for your interest and your in
dependent u~tterance In the cause OF
right. Nor dol, ia the least, mind
your little gentle hint tony future
daGghters-i Ia. law about my possible
temper. Were / not so c0neeited
aboutImy boys, 1 should be uneasy
lest your hints might injufe their mar
riage prospects. AS it is, a mothers
vanity makes me quite confident my
boys viii make such splendid men, all
the girls win be after them, and VIII.
ling enough to run the risk even of a
t'shrieking" mother-in-law.
Justice Is one OF the best things on
earth, and, seriously speaking, MI.
Editor, think a moment, and see if
there is not 8 very grave species of
NfIuoAAAC IA NAAC way YOa GICa I4LNV v
making personal hits at S woman,
whenlshe ventures TO entertain and
express opinions at variance with
your own? s...+
sFOr instance, what relevancy has
the temper or the question Of the fu-
ture happiness or unhappiness Of l..
A. MS household tedo with the ques-
ton of the rights or wrongs under
discussion?
Simply from the fact that L. A. NJ.
believes if women were represented
in the school boards, female teachers
would receive just pay, you justi-
fed in deducinE theories as TO the I'M
happiness other future household?
Because her opinions are a little diff
ferent from yours, or the masses, is 1t
reasonable in you to rush ahead ten
or a dozen years, and fall to plying
retrospective danghters-in-laW?
The sentiments you utter about
"home,'t and its duties, there are
none todeny, w TO doubt. The truth
is too plain. 2-' 3f
You ssy, 'tit il woman's missiontd
be councillor, ETC., in that blissful
realm, home, land hGtWork isenough
fOrany Woman's ambition.ns
1 know MFa-EditOr, when you
wrote that sentence you did not meal
it, but il is the "most Hnkindest cut'i
you could give to the unfortunate OF
our sex-to those who have no homes
and no husbands, and who can't get
such blessings.
1t is much as II you were to meet
some Wretched hOuseless beggar. on
the street, starving and freezing, and
berate him soundly for not staying at
home and enjoying himself by good
IRE, friends endia fad1 larder. s
Don't we all too well know only in
marriage; home and children can Wo.
men live theirltFue lives? 4.15g4t
DON'T we all know marriage, homes
and children are what God destined
US fOr2AlYet these Of as thus blessed
should not shut our eyes and our
hearts on the many who fail to find
these good gifts. T,#
And when these uufortunates start
out TO support themselves, to fight the
hard battle of life, no husband to help,
no children to sWeeten or sOlace, ali
alone, unloved, uncared for-to be told
their proper mission Is ia. homes, as
mothers and ECiUes; if that is not the
unkindest cut, IdOnt know what is!
And then, OH heaven, suppose any
poor spfnster, with the fullest appreci-
alton OF her "pr0per mission" makes
attempts to attain it: suppose she goes
for the husband and home that do not
come to her, what gibes and ridicule
cover her! W-
Mr., Editor, you object TO female
teachers being represented by their
own sex in the school boards, yet you
wish Justice done them. Have YOU
much hope this Justice will be done9
Lam told, sometime since one of the
members boldly took grounds against
paying women as much as men, as
"hey could get along 10Th Less" a
brother member replied it must be a
rather tight Job to get along on only
fifty dollars per month, for nine or ten
months of the year, the other lhreeer
two months no pay at all. To which
the first member replied "thdt o0men
could do their Oi0H todShiag after school
hours, and their OlOn Set0tn0: and, bell
lCo1aeH had no CIGARS, and thin0s
of that sort 10 60ey."
This conversation was repeated to
me, some months ago, as having ac-
occurred between members of
the Board, but whether at a private
interview or at a meeting of the
Board, l cannot say. l believe there
are gentlemen connected with the
magement of public schools, fully inn
bued with q sense of Justice to female
teachers. DR.. Taylor showed his SEN
timents on this subject in nominating
Miss Higbee as Superintendent. III
honor him. Respectfully,
L. A. M,