The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-04-20
GIVE THEM ENOOURAaEMENT.

WOEk are freely Opeui as many slIOUB
man has found, as he has battled his way
forward, solving day by day and week
by week the bread and butter problem,
only to find its persistent array of fig
ures again confronting him, waiting to
be again balanced by his earnings. Men
who work at daily toll for daily fee can
not but choose to answer faye" to this,
yet with strange thoughtlessness, many
of them persistently oppose a move
ment that has for its object the giving
of working women even an equal
chance with themselves.
1t is surely hard enough, men and
brethren, that yonder sister who now
finds herself by elimination of unfor-
tunate circumstances forced after youth
and strength have been given to the pains
and cares of motherhood, to earn not only
her own but her children's bread in the
"sweat of her face" thus being the vic
tim of both mans and woman's curse
it is surely hard enough to bear this
without meeting on the very threshold
of her endeavors your encouragement
and adverse comment.
There are comparatively few women
Of thirty-five or forty years of age who
in their youth were prepared to meet re-
verses of this kind, because, forsooth,
the fathers in those days expected the
girls financial existence, sooner or later
and it was generally hoped sooner-to
culminate and be merged into marriage,
and as if men had a lease on life until
their wives were dead, their daughters
married and their SONS educated, the
needs or possibilities of widowhood for
themselves, or of fatherless childhood
for their children, were not contem-
ated, without trade or profession, al
though possessed of all the vaunted
womanly plishments; she is a
"good cook" good house-keeper, an
ordinary seamstress, a careful and pains
taking mother, but-she is without in
come. Place these accomplishments,
that doubtless persons of both sexes
consider as the chief essentials in wom-
ans education, in the finaucial market,
and what will they bring her? Perhaps
food and scanty raiment for herself, but
what for her children? Absolutely
nothing. Seeing this, the woman, in
every way capable, casts about her for
something that she can do outside of
these things, or in addition to them,
and of course her eyes fall upon the
places and professions from time i'm
memorial considered as masculine pre-
negatives. "Out of her sphere" comes
to her ear in ominous whispers.
Wait a moment. Here is a possible
post office with government salary OF
four or five hundred dollars at its back.
She calls to mind men who have filled
like responsible positions under Uncle
Sam. Common sense tells her they
were no better calculated to discharge re-
sponsible duties than she is, and being
reassnred by the fact that women have
successfully filled this position, she asks
counsel of a friend and his influence in
securing the place for her.
at will not pay you," is the first ex.
cuse.
"But what can do that will pay bet
ter?" is the answer.
"The people would not stand it tc
, have a woman in the place"
81 do not expect to receive the apoint
ment from the people," is the reply.
'The hoodlum element of the very
worst class would object"
'Is the postal service of the United
States at the disposal of the very wors
class?"
r "The people will want to get thei
D mail on Sunday"
e "Can they get it from a post offic
closed according to law on that day, will
] the exception of single hour ?"
= "Well, you don't know anything
about the business" concludes thi
model of encouragement, "and yo
had better not try it," and so, discouI
8 aged and discounted, without politica
e influence, and not representing even
VI single vote, the woman closes her lips
/ and the Office that would mot pay fo
's the trouble" is applied for and receive
IS by the protector, and the "hoodlum ele
ment" is satisfied.
al Now, opposition may not alway
y come in precisely this shape, but com
1t it does whenever a woman attempts [
p invade the business realm that men o
lie ten no better qualified seem to thin
ut they have particular right to monopc
le lie, solely because Of their sex. Let
D. woman apply to county school boar
10 for a situation as teacher, produce ht
O. certificate and references and state b,
a. terms. The autocrat of the board-a
We ignoramus, perhaps, of the first magn
TO tude, but man, as far as sex goes-i
u noring the essential qualifications of
es teacher, elevates his eyebrows and SCI
w tentiously remarks, awe can get me
1g to teach for that"
yh We have stood before one of these a
d. gust nobodies, reader, and we could,
gh we could speak instead of write concer
ing it, give y ou the exact intonation
10 yOfool III