Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-05-28
WITH CHARITY FOR ALL,--.Lincoln

: Possibly there arl errors in this stor,
, 1t is only gathere4ffrom rumor. Do
} after day, pale. ,dralsed in deep mourI
: ing, she comes to hsr monotonous work
, no one is more resdt with gentle NJ,
KIND words to those around her-but {
herself she never speaks. Memory
rebellious, doubtless, but.she has sc
on her sweet, sad LIPS the seal of proud
sensitive silence. There are grand
daughters and daughters of three Sec
!: retaries of the Treas,ry in that depart
ment; and in another the brotler-in
law of Mrs. Eaton, whose history
il. wrote not lohg 10, and the son o
Rembrandt Peale. Men who hav,
] served their cealntly ywith fidelity an,
honor in almost ever, ,eapacity are re
prAsented by their Widows and orphans
Wish that ] IgcogM tall you faithful,
i the stories 81 alf shese women-no
stories of ancestry nor records of excep
tional heroism, nor pretty pages O.
happy romances-but stories of disap
pointment silently borne, self-sacri6ct
repeated dali ly-of courage, and noble
ness, and resignation all the more true
and beautiful, because they are un
known or forgotten by all save God
Himself. l wish I could show you the
mothers who are struggling to feed
their children the daughters who arc
working for feeble or invalid parents
the sisters who arc educating brothers.
and, the cruelest. Of all, wives who are
to!llng for idle and tissipated husbands
The intellectual average of the WON.
en- in the department. is more than that
OF the men, for the reason that while
departmental work is best for women.
it is poorest for men. The Secretary of
the Treasury. who has been wrongfully
accused, Of disparaging the ability Of
hls lady clerks, is on the contrary very
proud Of them. .'They earn all they
get and more too" have beside me in
hls own handwriting, and he has pub
i1cly declared them to be, in his opin-
ION, equal in Christian principle, and
superior in intelligence and education.
TO the same number of women selected
from any class of society.
THE CAPACITY OF WOMEN TO PERFORM
CLERICAL WORK
is tested beyond contradiction by their
general employment. They were first
introduced to the service in the Treas.
ury about twelve years ago, at the in
stance of Treasurer Spinner, who has
been their firm friend ever since. To.
day the aggregate force of the Treasury.
Postofice, Interior, and War depart.
ments is about 1000. 3 The majority of
these are counters. and eopyists at sala-
rles of $500 year. A minority occupy
positions of high responsibility at the
same salaries, which ID but half what
men would be paid for. doing the same
work: That is where the grievance lies,
and, though much his been said about
it, the remedy is not yet found. To
tho women who claim higher wages
Gail Hamilton has spoken wholesome
truth 10 " Woman's> Worth and Worth
lessness." +" To men who urge that wom-
en- are paid enough for what they do. it
should be. suggested that the salaries
be equalized by reduction of the great
er. Civil service has promised to cor
rect the evil by opening doors equally
to either sex, but that reform itself
stands on such tottering basis that
its protection has not been worth a
great deal. Many of the women who
applied TOR examination passed success
fully, but no vacancies occur for their
or promotion. Among
l40 ladies in the Interior Department:
only three resigned in four years, sd the
chances of place are not many. The
best examinations were passed by the
ladies' of the Internal Revenue
OF the Treasury. One of these,
the sole instance in the whole service.
is chief of the division at salary of
300. The experiment of placing
many women under the control of one
is not very successful -
To those who, sitting with dainty.
die hands, think this life to be so easy.
would tell them they dare to, Judge
hat of which they know nothing. Let
hem listen to- the doctors Of this city;
hey can toll esofs weak backs and
eyes and aching heads and del
cate lungs, terminated by exposure
md aggravated "by foul air. And let
hem imagine, for this no doctor can
ell them, the drudgery of constant
work, and all that must be given up to
t: 1t is very easy to tell of, but how
otten it is very hard to do. And yet,
hank God, there is discipline in it
hat no idler ever learns. 1t teaches so
many to be patient, it softens SO many
hearts, and beyond the feeling of inde-
2endence, the i,oblest lesson taught by
{ is, that no matter how small the
work, be the self-respect of the worker
leed never fail while the duty is faith
ully done. S. NJ. B.