Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-06-15

A PITIFUL PEN PICTURE.


would not like to be a German peasant
woman. l would much prefer to be a
German horse, for German horses are well
treated and we'll fed. They are not over
worked or over -burdened with heavy loads;
they are allowed a certain amount of rest
between the suns rising and the SUMS
setting; every attention is paid to their
comfort and health,-and all this. not be-
cause the horse has money value, but
that the Germans are naturally kind to all
dumb animals. Women, however, receive
none of these kind attentions and consider
ations at the hands of the male portion of
! the community, but are treated as if they
were of species lower than the brutes,
with no feelings and no souls. What the
camel is to the Arab, women is to the
German. She is made to bear the heavy
loads, and be the working slave of her
master; she is not only the "hewer of wood
and the drawer of water but she is made
to perform every kind of degrading labor.
She prepares the fields for planting. she
drives the oxen and holds the plow, and
not unfrequently she takes the place of the
OK before the plow. She sows the seed
and tils the soil, she shovels, she hoes. she
reaps, she gathers the harvest, she threshes
the grain ami carries IL to the mill, she
grinds it at tho mill, she markets the pro.
ducts of her small strip of land to buy
bread for her children, and beer for her
lord and master. She does the work and
the drudgery in the factories; she is the
scavenger for cleaning the streets and for
gathering ofal in the cities and highways
for enriching the land. Sine does every
thing but play soldier and hang around
beer shops and drink beer from early morn
until late at night like the German man,
and these occupations would be assigned
her. provided they required hard labor or
druid gerry of any kind. This picture of the
degradation of the German women is no
work of the imagination. but living
reality. Whoever has travelled through
Germany has noticed the branzed faced
women, scantily dressed. toiling in the
fields. tottering beneath heavy loads on
their heads and shoulders. climbing lad
ders with hods of brick and stone tor the
builders, saving and splitting wood in the
streets, dragging milk carts and engaged
in numberess menial occupations of such
degrading nature that Rocky Mountain
savage would disdain to have his squaw
perform them.
And for all this life long labor and toll
German woman is miserably paid.I is the
the pittance that is tolled out to the beggar.
The few peunys that are paid her for her
days or weeks hard servitude are scarcely
enough to supply her with clothes to cover
her back, or buy bread to keep her from
starving. They are strong and robust,
and perform what is called a "man's
labor" While at work in the fields, and
it is only during the warm months of the
year they can. they are only paid 8, 10 and
IL cents for days labor of II hours.
When they board themselves they receive
from 20 to % or 80 cents day. The men
when they can be induced to work at farm
ing, are paid from % to 45 and so cents
per day, and find their own food. With
their board and lodging they do not receive
on an average more than $l3O week. Is
it wonder that the emigration from Ger
many to the United States is so enormous,
and increasing so rapidlyp Women do
mestcs are worse paid than those who
labor in the fields. Thousands of them 60
into families and toll like slaves for their
board, which is poor enough, and the cast.
off clothing from the backs of their mis-
tresses. Those who are paid receive but a
mere pittance for their labor. Common
house servants, chambermaids, etc. only
get or 10 marks (Sl 92, o., SOY per month
and cooks who are considered extra good.
and cook for very large and wealthy fami-
lies and for boarding houses. seldom re-
ceive more than l2 or is marks (S2.8S,
SO 36) per month. Although the wages
paid are SO insignificant. yet the laws
governing the relations between master
and servant are very strict and always
enforced. The master cannot discharge
his servant, nor can the servant leave her
master without months warning either
way. All servants are under the espion-
age and the protection of the police, and
are furnished with books which are num-
bered and registered. and in which the
laws are printed. II they change their
place of service, they must report to the
police, and they are under the necessity of
producing a certificate of good character
for honesty. faithfulness, ETC., from their
last employer, which has to be inscribed in
their book.-Leuer in Springfield Repub-
ltcdn.