Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-04-05
A REPLY.
To the Editor of TIE HERALD !:

1
"Ifmen now idle and yearning for en-
ployment were put back into the places
which the weaker sex now weakly
occupy, society would be upon its feet
again" says this sage individual.
Granting this assertion to be true
yet most of the deductions drawn from
the two facts, namely the country in
tested with idle, dissolute men, and
women working in stores and posi-
tons formerly filed by men, are /
think untrue; and some of them If
true place the blame where it does not
belong.
1t is an undonbted fact that society
as it exists, is far from perfect, but
the blame is not all upon the feminine
half of it. Women have faults and
grave ones in plenty and it is granted
that if all these were corrected great
step would have been taken toward a
more perfect state of social well being.
But there would remain few things
still needing correction even after all
the faults of the weaker sex were
wiped out. 1t has been the custom
ever since society began to lay the
fault upon the side of the weaker sex;
''for did not Adam, the very first man
throw the blame of his transgression
| upon 1.-THE woman thou gavest me-"
| From this fact he-for | would wager
a years subscription to your valuable
| paper that the Fennimore Correspon-
| dent is an old bachelor. From the
fact that so many people of both sexes
are out Of the relation for which they
| were created, your correspondent ar
| CUES in a most illogical manner that
the fault is upon the side of woman.
Being such an advocate of what is
"womanly, feminine, &c.," would he
have those thousands of young women
90 to the thousands of young men and
beg to be taken by them in marriage p?
[ am quite sure he would not.
| Now low came women in the posi-
tons they are, Behind the counters
of thousands of village stores, and city
stores also, in state and government
offices employed under the name (?)
of teachers? Does your correspondent
think they are there because they
prefer those places to the position of
wife and mistress of their own home?
If he does he greatly misjudges the
average feminine character. Too
many accept miserable sticks as hus-
bands, and have them to support in
| addition to themselves and children
into the bargain. A girl with any
| wisdom will earn her own bread until
a man who can support her asks her
to be his wife.
| Your correspondent POUNDS his ex-
cuse Cor tramps-men idle and seeking
emp loyment upon the grounds that
the positions which belong to them
are pre- occupied by women. Now let
each one of those worthy young men
idle and yearning for employment, 60
to some girl whom he knows, en-
ployed upon salary in any of the
above named situations, and say to
her ''Be my wife, and let me fill your
position here'-slways supposing him
capable of filing it-and he would
find few who would not willingly say
"yes" and gladly relinquish her situa-
ton s'to one who would get the same
pay, do the work better, aud keep
himself and her more respectfully than
she is now kept"
| The charge that the money earned
by women "goes to the extravagant
adornment of their persons" is, in the
main, as unfounded and as illogical as
is the other clauses of the proposed
"Remedy" of your correspondent
Many s-"thousands" l might
quote-earn not only their own bread,
but help their parents by their earn
ings to bring up younger brothers and
sisters, and provide comforts for the
family which could not be enjoyed
without their exertioHs. A son earn.
ing the same wages would generally
spend it all upon himself, cigars and
other habits too numerous TO mention
The girls who have "a multiplicity Of
gowns, Jewels, and superfuous hair"
are not in general those who have to
earn the money which goes to pay for
them. Girls who GO away from home
to earn their bread have to dress neat
ly as a matter of course, and some
men-most men | may say-think if
a girl dresses in fashion, looks pretty
and tidy, has her hair arranged in a
becoming manner, and particularly if
she chances to have speck of jewel
ry, that she is extravagant and her at
tire must Of necessity cost a fabulous
sum. Now | know woman in this
city, one of the great army who earn
their own living not however from a
desire of being Independent, or be-
cause she has forgotten that woman
was created to be mans help" but
from The sheer necessity of working
or starving-I say know one whose
entire expenditure for keeping her
wardrobe in a presentable state for
one year, amounted to but fourteen
dollars. This lady wore handsome
gold watch, relic of better days and
some superfuous hair. She also had
several new gowns, but none which
cost over seven cents per yard.
These being made up in the prevail
| ing mode might have led an ignorant
masculine critic to accuse her of ex-
travagance. But l think few women
deserve it less.
Your correspondent hints at graver
and darker evils which he deduces
from women being employed in posi-
tons formerly filed by men. My
knowledge of life in city and country
does not give me any proof that the
ranks of vice are recruited from girls
who earn their own living. Respect
able industry is preventive of loose
tendencies and women who live idle,
luxurious lives, with no necessity for
exertion, are far more prore to fall
from virtue than the girl who stands
behind counter all day or the one
who writes until head and fingers
ache in some state or government
office.
The practice of employing women