The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-12
The Arsrage American Woman.

Now is the time when the average
American woman begins to negotiate
for a handsome Christmas present for
her husband-at some store where his
credit is good.-BOOHe county (IOlcd)
Republican.
Exactly It is the "average Auneri-
can woman" who tends 10 the babies,
washes. cooks, scrubs, washes dishes,
irons, bakes aud sews, and sits down in
the evening tired and discouraged, to
take up the weekly paper and read such
cruel and insulting taunts and jeers, be-
cause in spite of her care and toll, she
is unselfish enough to wish TO give her
husband Christmas present
10 is the average American woman"
who takes ten cents worth Of flour and
converts It into thirty-five cents worth
of bread.
Who earns the bread for the family,
the husband who gives ten cents worth
Of labor, or the wife who gives twenty
. five?
IL is the "average American woman, ~
who, when her husband brings home
I five yards Of calico for child's dress,
+ does seventy-five cents worth Of sewing
/ 10 make a dress Of il. Who earns the
most of that dress, the husband who
gives thirty cents worth Of toll, or the
wife who gives seventy-fiye
The husband Is considered a generous
man IL he gives his third without grum-
T bling, while the wife's services are ac-
cepted as matter of course, and con-
sidered worth nothing.
II you want to know how much the
average American woman" earns, 90
] into "A restaurant and find out the differ
. -. a "a
cooked food, or into a store aud inquire
the difference In price between ready
made clothing and the same quality OF
cloth unmade.
IL is the unpaid labor Of the "average
American woman" which makes it pos
sible for a poor man to raise a family OF
children i'm tolerable comfort. Ii you
don't believe that twO-thirds Of the labor
OF the home and family is performed 10y
I your wife. OH, "average American man.
/ just try the experiment Of paying hel
FOR all the actual labor she performs
laundry work, hous keeper's work,
nursery work will your wages pay it,
do you think?
AT some store where his credit i,
/ good"
Can it be that the chivalrous husband
who provides his third of the family
I earnings, and votes himself all the con
troll of the money, and two-thirds o
the real estate aud all the family au'
thority, would be so unutterably selfish
and mean as to give TO her care no part
Of the joint earnings, but compel her q
wander about, often fruitlessly, to FIND
''some store where his credit is good,
20 buy this selfish robber nice Christ
mas present?
Can il be that the wages Of the "aver
age American man. would be fOunt
wholly inadequate to pay the marke
price for the services Of the "aveTag,
American woman in her several ca
pacities as matron, house-keeper, cook
seamstress, servant girl, laundry woman
all high-priced labor, you perceive, a
compared with shop girls aud teachers
wages. Aud can il be that his "credit j
goodi simply because he keeps his owl
! earnings aud robs her Of hers, aud tha
. all the vices and indulgences Of whicl
he is guilty, beer, billiards, tobacco, etc.
are made possible by the unpaid labo
of the average American woman ?'-
/ Julia IT, Dunn, IN Ballot Dor.