The Cecil Whig., 1877-05-26
THE Wall OF THE WORKING WOMEN.

I
amelioration of the condition of work
ing women are kindred social questions
that appeal forcibly to the sympathies
of the humane and to the activities of
the philanthropic. The superior physi-
cal strength Of the sterncr sex, apart
from any collateral question Of relative
capacity or ability, commands for men
easier opportunities for business and ac-
tive employment. Unfortunately, fewer
| avenues to remuneratlvc pursuits are
open to women, and restricted by the
conditions of their sex, and restrained
by erroneous but popular ideas and no.
tions that bar their way to many lucra-
tive trades and callings, for which ma
ture has eminently fitted them, the path
heretofore followed by working women
has been at best an arduous and dis
couraging one Education and inteli-
gent discussion however have removed
bic preiudices heretofore so prevalent,
and more generous and sensible pub
lie sentiment has been the result, and
which, to u great extent, has broken
down the social discrimination against
working women as a class. No foolish
question of personal responsibility is
any longer involved in the case of
woman whom choice or necessity com
pels to become her own bread-earner.
The only restriction upon her employ
ment is that Of personal capacity and
physical ability. Indeed in many
branches of productive industry here
tofore exclusively filled by the opposite
sex, her superiority, especially in me-
chanical operations that require light
hand and delicate manipulation, has
already placed her upon an equal foot
ing with the skilled artisans of the
other sex. As consequence, the per-
sonal independence of woman is as
sured her if she but possess the spirit,
courage and ability to attain it. With
that, increased selfrespect is excited,
and, assuming by force of character
developed and fostered by favorable cir
cumstances and opportunities, a higher
plane Of usefulness and activity, she
can now contribute her share of the
worlds work, and reap in return the
corresponding personal as well as aggre-
gate benefits Our immediate object,
however, in referring to this subject is
to notice more particularly the sensa-
tional and too often misdirected sympa-
thy sought to be excited by prominent
newspaper writers in behalf of parlicu-
lar classes of working women. As
usual the most necessitous classes are
overlooked. Enterprising city journals,
seeking increased popularity and en-
larged circulation, make very pathetic
appeals in behalf of pretty shop girls,
for instance, as a much-abused and
sorely-oppressed class. Their refined
manners, personal beauty and becom-
ing attire appeal with unconscious
power to the hearts and sympathes of
pantaloons-wearing philanthropists. A
leading New York daily contained re-
Gently very thoughtful article on this
subject. The cruelty of hard-heartcd
retailers, who deny the weary limbs of
their delicate clerks comfortable repose
during business hours, was severely
and touchingl ly animadverted upon.
The gushing sympathy of this metro
politan philanthropist laved the whole
fraternity of well-dressed female clerks
like refreshing shower But what
sweet words of comfort had he for
the thousands and tens of thousands
of plan-featured women without sit
uations as desirable as these? The
Rev. John d. Long once said that
Maryland hospitality was an institu-
ton generally conditioned upon the
political opinions of its expectants
The remark helped to Danish him from
old (slave) Maryland. At the risk of a
lesser prescription for opinions sake,
we venture the assertion that the woes
of shop girls are similarly conditional
institution If the aforesaid be Young.
amiable, engaging, but UNENGAGED we
wot not their employers, from self-in-
terest only, afford them every personal
consideration AS less favored class
we champion the cause of the poorly
dressed and plain-featured workers -
They, who by stress of poverty and
the demands of daily bread, wear out
their lives with their working day bv
illy-requited and meanly compensated
labor. They, who occupy the dingy
garrets and the unwhoIesome attics
with the never-ceasing rattle of the
treadle, run by the enfeebled limbs of
over-worked widows and dependent
daughters. Here lies the field for phil
anthropic activity The ribbon-be-
decked counter over which your Ian
guild shop beauty daint;ly displays her
wares, can take care of itself amply
well, even if she have no velvet-cov-
cred stool on which to ease her delicate
limbs. The theater or concert room
will cure her ills The masquerade or
the ball will not tax her too severely
after her days work is done. But who
lifts his voice in behalf of the over
worked domestic, the drudging house
wife, or the meanlv-paid seamstress ?