The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-03-25
HE POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE
PRESENT,

Woman in the present. said PROBES.
n Adler. in recent lecture, sis, as in
re past. the slave of her master-man."
he said slavery existed to-day the
tatement would be received with incred-
'ity. The lacy of ease might smile and
hlng her shoulders, and say she was
,mfortable and cnntentei. Because
me women had husbands, fathers. and
rnthers. who could take care Of them
luxury, they thought that all their
i>ters ought to be satisfied with their
t. But how true it was that man>
re not supplied with the common de
"nces Of life. Professor Adler said liz
'nuld first speak of women Of the poor
classes. and then of the opposite class
:. In GERMANY. according to au emf
Int physician. women were placed on n
vel with men Fifty-five per cent. Of
'oSe who died from mercurial poison
- contracted in the looking glass facto-
rs vi Nelllidut. "cT' "olucu III ELuS
md, where factory legislation had &C
'nmplished 81 much in the last forty
years. an appalling state of things exis-
ed. In the BLACK country the
hahn and nail making parts OF England
ne reports of the government inspect
rs told terrible tale. In a row Of
vain shops women alone might be fonnd
IT work. and their husbands would be
zen lolling against the walls. 1t was a
,ct that men married "nailers." as they
we're called. to live on their toll, and
rink up their earnings. The delicate
.irl of twenty-one welded the heavy
oliver The reason women were en-
,'oyed was because more work could be
srung out of them than out of men.
'hey were docile and submissive. They
could obtain SIS. for a week. work. and.
iter paving their baby tenders, the G. fir
RS at the forge. and other expenses.
,nuld have IS Cd. left. In the agricul-
nral district women and children were
worked in gangs. The gang-masters
rove them from field to field, and far
way from home. in boots and semi male
'ttire. This, however, did not compare
Nth the sights in the collieries and far
rrpasSng Imagination were the specta-
les in the collieries of Scotland. Wo-
nnn were compelled to work in mines
Tiled with gas and flooded with water
he Bible said the life OF man was three
core years and ten hut women working
II the coileries seldom lived to be over
hrtv or forty. Little girls of four
we're taken in the collieries, and at six.
,arried loads of 100 and $50 pounds on
heir backs. The .black spittle" car
les the toilerS off with terrible certainty.
OR Annie Hamilton worked unceasing-
f'or twcnty-E,ur hours. Then she was
:iven two hours to partake of her pea
soup and secure rest. after which she
worked twelve hours more. The women
we're nude to the waist. and wore q pair
If loose trousers. About the waist was
, bel. to which heavy chain was at
ached and dragged between their knees.
they pulled with this chain loads of coal
through long. low. damp passages, and
,rutes. In this way they hanled loads
8 900 wards a day. Professor Adler had
:nen late picture in which nun with
lis bare hands was digging u grave in
re sands for his paramnur. But"
what" no asked. sis this to the picture
have drawn? | should like to see some
n1nter who can dip his brush in this
ness of he'll and paint naked women.
with belts about their waists, and chains
cture would be real The women
we're not compelled by their husbands
lone to toll in this manner, Professor
tdler went on, but by the owners of the
'nllieries-the gentlemen of England
rhe number of women working in the
lax. WOODEN. and cotton district of Ery-
ill'i. itiClCdStN StiCG loOV.
twice as MANY women were employed
: men. aud it was the same in the fac.
Dries of New England. Professor Adler
poke of strong men locked up day in
'nd day out in the shops. away from. rec
reation. and said; "Ifthese things mnst
We for men-must be until they have the
sit and intelligence to resist-spare the
women at least The dragon of indus
try was monster that was feeding on
human flesh. When women were kept
way from their homes ten and twelve
hours a day, it was no wonder that the
''nnsehnlds were untidv. A mothers
luties wore sacred. and should be re-
.arded, In Switzerland the law gave an
,nur and a half in middle of the day TO
women. bat no provision of this sort had
scenes in the tenement houses af New
York, and the manner ia which chill.
.lren were allowed Ia grow up. the crimes
in consequence Of enforced neglect were
tainted. 1t was poverty which made
the woman question. and gave it it's dir
est aspect. 1t drove women into the
workshops and collieries, aud kept them
from their duties as mothers. The I'M
equaled distribution of wealth was re.
sponsible. and only by relieving the mas
ses at large could woman be freed from
her slavery, II the women of the poor
er classes failed to live a womanly life, it
was because they were poor, and on the
other hand, it was SO because tLey were
rich. So-called hospitality was not to
entertain, but "a make show. The as