The Richmond palladium., 1871-01-28

Snos W INC mere IOFcO Oh
habit--n second nature--many of
the sex have come to look on their
situation as fixed and doomed, or
even that they should hug the
chains that bind them to servitude,
fawn on their oppressors, and even
beg to he allowed to remain in their
torpid inactive state--like the
criminal, referred to in a previous
article. who having been incsrcer-
ated almost life time, implored
his keeper to permit him to spend
the remainder of his days in prison,
when offered his Fl eedom.
We occasionally witness some
goodly, and in other respects, sane,
and even moderately Intelligent
women petitionjng Congress and
other legislative bodies not to 81
low them to soil their delicate fin
gers with the ballot. Can folly 60
further And then the reasoning?
which these women indulge in for
asking the kindness2 of being con-
tinued in their present happy? con-
dition!! 1t is ono Of tho redeem
ing attributes of error and wrong,
that the arguments advanced in
their defence are almost always SO
obviously illogical--so shallow and
absurd--that the mere statement
Of them makes their confutation
clear. l have already laid before
your readers, Mr.. Editor, two pc
titions of this sort, and ! will en-
deavor to procure more, as we are
advised that Congress is again i'm
portuned by some infrm men and
weak sisters, to grant woman the
blessings Of a continuance in sub
lection.
In last November number of
'Scribner's Monthly,' edited by DR..
Holland, him o! bitter sweet
memory, is an article under the
heading Of sex and wages'--which
for power OF logic2 for force and
beauty of illustration-for 'ele-
gance in disguise and learning in
Distress excels any thing of the
sort, it has ever been my good for
! tune to meet with, unless it is the
logic3 Of the women petitioners
against the enfranchisement of
their sex. Were it not for the
length of the article, would glad
ly transcribe it in full. l will
therefore be compelled to give its
points only with few extracts.
Speaking of the inequality OF
wsges awarded to the two sexes,
for equal services and of the cause
of the discrimination against wo-
man, the writer in question informs
Us that the rapacity of power in
the hands of brutal man is respon-
sible for the oppression Of woman
here and there. in the matter oi
wages, as it is for the oppression o.
mm; but it has nothing to dc
with the general fact to which WI
allude.' Legislation--public opin
ion has nothing to do with it--h'
tells us, neither has the law of sup
ply and demand. There is a Law
somewhere in which it has its brit
and finds its perpetration.'
"A law easy to find by the candle
! observer, and impospible to Sc
aside After all this flourish o
: words gentle reader, what thin
you is the law invented by thi
} modern Solomon Listen-'It j
the Law that that instrument O
agent of labor which has the higl
or value shall command the create
> return for use and operation Ur
t der this law, if you please, clair
= then that for equal labor, ment'
J. or merely physical, equally We
Q executed, justice, reason, ever
q consideration founded ON righ
: demand equal compensation, n
Il matter whether such labor is pc
d formed by man or by woman.
But let 10 take DR.. Holland
. illustration. The owner Of Il
> mastif that turns q churn can n
. expect to receive for his work
much a. the man who furnished
horse to perform the same servie
!, 1t is the dog, and not the hor
that settles the price at viii,
churning can be done. The illu
- tration is homely, and perhaps e.
:. treme, but it has the advantage
=. being forcible.'
n. It is rather torci6le, and m
add it has the additional advanta
Il, of being very complimentary
=. woman, and to say the truth, it
a. stupid and senseless IS it
n .homely and forcible.' To gi
this illustration any significau