The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-23
Gle NeD a!.saft5@e5t. 6
OCTOBER %. 1879.
WORK AND WORKERS RESPECTED

10 the Woman's Journal we find tue
following advertisement:
wanted-An American woman 10 do the work
for family Of three, where work and workers
are respected. Inquire at this Office.
We will venture the assertion that
there were numerous responses 10 that
short notice, and that many a woman
felt that housewOrk for remuneration is
growing to be held more and more ere
spectabI'." Many girls who now lead
lives Of shame would gladly have
borne the drudgery Of poorly-paid house
keeping for large families if they and
their work had been respected, rather
than suffer the ostracism which dis
honor brings; but, when women are
tabooed because they honestly support
themselves, they eau hardly be blamed
for seeking another form of disgrace
which will better afford the necessaries
Of life. Every man and every woman
who 0phOlds the un-American idea that
hOusewOrk is disgraceful is party al
ways indirectly and sometimes Directly
to the crime Of forcing women into
prostitution. We know many women
in this city, who make many Christian
professions and who give much to char
ity, who constantly keep their "ser-
wants" in the .kitcheEs and treat them
with less consideration than they do
pOOdles. Imagine the narrowed feelings
Of a proud girl who is forced to bring
her young gentlemen callers into the
kitchen by back gate; imagine her
outraged sense Of honor in n so-called
free country when the silly, senseless
LADY Of the house" takes her to task
aud berstes her with all the expressions
which her brainless head can muster if
the girl should, once in q great while,
ask young gentleman into sn unoccu-
pied parlOr a minute or two while she
dons her wraps, preparatory to going to
some entertainment, and do not wonder
that so few girls Ego out to service. q"
We recognize that parlors are main
tained for the use of those who support
them, but no Christian woman with a
spark Of charity in her soul or a tinge
Of the goodness Of the great Redeemer
in her heart will object to an occasional
use Of them by the underpaid girls who
do the drudgery Of the house, and who
1T most have but little enjoyment. All
the donations Of money woman can
ever make to educate the heather in
foreign lands cannot atone for the mean
ness and lack of charity which will
make her bring to the mind Of a girl
more intelligent than she that, by some
mysterious dispensstion OF Providence,
they are in different worldly conditions.
All the begrudged gifts for the "spread
Of the Gospel" are ostentatlous, aud
prompted by an assumed love Of hu-
manity entirely contrary to the low sell
fishness which will cause her to secretly
insult a girl less favored by fortune
than herself Can such a "lady' think
that a spirited girl would rather endure
these insults than be ostracized as an
outcast, and yet enjoy the freedom
which her shame would bring Let
every woman Of the overbearing class,
when she may chance TO hear that a
irudge who was formerly her servant
has fallen into life OF dissipation, re-
member that the poor girl is less to
blame than her former tyrannical mis-
tress. And we wish every word We
have written TO apply TO every husband
who applauds his wife in her tyranny.
The people of the United States who,
as a class, are most given to the snob-
berry which makes working girls unde-
serving Of respect, are Episcopalians.
though there are many noble excep-
tiOns. There is "a silly afiectation Of the
difference in caste which exists in Eng
land. The idea obtains among them
that their church is composed OF the
better class Of people. The editor Of
prominent newspaper Of this coast, in
speaking Of other Protestant denomina-
tions, and particularly Methodists, made
the assertion that they "lack the culture
and refinement of our church (the Epis-
copaD." We do not doubt that the
great body Of Episcopalians are highly
educated, according to their ideas OF ed
ucation; but when it comes to the mat
ter Of principle, We think that the mass
of Methodists are in the lead-in fact,
the majority Of them practice more
Christianity, and understand aud carry
out much better the principles on which
our Government is based, than the
church Of the boasted excessive Couture
and refinement" The Episcopalians
must remember that other people have
q right to pass judgment on their cul-
ture, and that claim Of refinement Is
not necessarily evidence of it. The
great body Of the American people will
accord a verdict of snobbery aud affecta-
ton, instead Of culture and refinement,
50 long as they ape the airs Of the Eng
lish aristocracy and regard persons in
the humble walks Of life as their infe-
riors. AS an illustration OF the ideas of
caste that are inculcated into the chill f.
dren Of EpiscOpalians, we will state that
short time since a girl refused 10 dance .
Win gentleman, for the reason, as she /
witheringly told him, that he had some
time danced with her "maid.u The
young man was not burt much i,.s
much as the maid is mucb ,ba t,.,,o.
danOsr aud couyersatioualist n.
ents Of the young lady are 10 ~ =
her fostering this idea Of superior,,v -