Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-06-15

SEINE Ofthe Striking Reforms Which
Liberal.ty - Eoaugurating


| One of the most striking social and in
dustrial reforms of the present day is that
which concerns the employment OF women
! in many of the various professions, trades
and occupations, which formerly were
open only 10 men. A few years ago, had O.
woman engaged in the pursuits which now
occupy thousands of females, she would
have been considered in manner unsex ed
and have lost in social standing. The
positive benefit to society deris ed from
provid ng W, men with suitable means of
making their livelihood, and freeing them
from absolute Dope dence on the support
Of The opposite sex, wns not recognized
then as il is now. Says writer in the New
York Herald. treating Of this subject:
The foe TO progress, pref udlce, is losing
it's hol upon society in tn S country Time
was when a female lost caste when she
gained independence and when woman
worked was woman who was 'tabooed'
But all toat is over now. Honestly and
quietly selt-supporting women are to be
III ct with in 1881. A leading lawyer and
politician has trained his three daughters
each to different line of pecuninary Inde-
pendence, and a leading society belle on
Madison avenue, could at any time support
herself and her children, if need be. by
her own technical skill. Aud these are as
a salesman would remark, but samples of
the lot" Of course, all the Old and ORTIZ
Odox avenues Of employment for women
are open to day, and are as crowded, often
by Incompetents, as ever y . The profess
ions have been captured-not Withou q
st ugg e-by women. There ale several
successful and highly respected female
m nisters Of the Gospel. There is one
famous as well SIS pretty female lawy er.
One Of tue ablest physicians In New York
IS q WJInan-herself the wife and III every
way the professional equal Of her well
Known husband. There are female report
ers, ferna 9 critics (and conscientious ones
and several addresses of papers. One of
the lea ing illustrated famly papers of
this country has female edit r, while in
art and liter lure women are not only
holding their own, but N some cases are
crOwdIng the men to the wall. The
dramatic profession Is to day emp aticaly
and uHdenIab!y the WOman's profession
in it, rs at present constituted, clever
woman has decidedly the advantage over
clever man. In fact, in sll the higher
| OCcupatl ms smart apable gifted woman
Is folly the equal Of man In the same grade.
michlgan UNIV ersIty, Holyoke Seminary.
Oh Rim Go lege. Vasser College, Antioch
College, st. Mary's Il H. Linden Hall at
Llt1z, lie MUravian School-all these are
Women's colleges winch need and make no
Apologies but can point to results"
America seems To have been foremost in
IN movement, aud offers better and more
numeTuus opportunities Tor the develop
:neht Ut female industry tran other cuun-
tries. ct of late years much encourage
ment has been gwen to women workers 10
Europe. La France and SWI z5rland III
are empiopes In the managem ent of postal
affairs, telegraph and railways. Since 1873
women ha been employed in the Aus
TRAN postal sefN ice, and In Italy, England
and RUSSIA in telegraph Offices. Other
European governments cave also engaged
women IN official departments, and other
careers are being thrown open to them
every year. In most.-of these foreign
States mentioned above, women IN the
publIc employ are bsund by rather string
rnt regulations Tne female telegraphers
IN e. iaiId must b. between four,een and
eighteen ears OF age, aud III Austria the
postal agents may not marry while holding
IN appointment but this prohibition DOS
n IT apply to the teiegraphlsts. Asa rule
tie enumeration in Europe is less than it
IS IN The United States, the social
position OF the female employees depends
pom the class to which they belong. A
statement prepare for Brad streets Jour
Nal SHOWS That 1888 women are employ ed
IN toe United ST ties Treasury Department
Their salaries range from Sl8IU per ear
| t. huy cents per day, about one-third Of
OF the clerE receiving yearly salaries Of
o9OO. Nearly oU per cent. of the clerks
VINO were occupied at the Washington
office IN work on the lew census were
women, and in all operations requiring
accuracy and neatness, rather than pbysi-
cal endurance, they displayed trst-class
capacity. Throughout the United States
all immense cum Ger Of women are ems
ployed in various department of manufac-
lure, aud as saleswom, n, needle women
and the like. In the several branches Of
decorative art, as car ling n wood, paint
draWi g In crayOn, 1t Is tue feminine artist
who attalns 10 the greatest perfection.