The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-08-01
EQUAL Pay zoe hoUAL WORK


The telegraph strike Is Iikely TO be of real
service to the country. There is embsrrass-
ment confusion, serious delsye, In some in
stsnces creating demoraliz stion, and yet IL
may 80 happen that the strike will bring
with IL such comDensations that society will
at lest be glad that il occurred.
The telegraph operators asked for women
who manipulate the keys of the electric
machines "equsl pay tor equal worE."
Msnifestly the demand would not have been
made If the Telegraph Companies had in the
past been governed by such a standard of
justice. They have not paid women "equal
pay for equal work, {" and the fact has created
widespread ditcussion. The Albany "a. "
Times quotes the Albany Evening Journal as
follows:
The demand that both sexes shall receive equal
IaJ for equal work is noI sen Q. because the two
Sc Q Devei Old equal work Ia an equal mAaas.,
4 d never will.
The Times is not in sympathy with its
neiE bbor. and proceeds to comment upon It's
utttrsrc es as follows:
Ia just The spirit plainly manifest in this
tract from The leading editorial IN last evenings
Journal that has led TO the .ubjeciion OF women
smokes Is pil while his squaw digs roots. hews
wotd al draws water; the IuIk whoshuts up his
concutioes In q haTem to feed on sweetme1ts and
minister 10 bls deprayity: the brut who beats nj.
wife; the libertibe who seduces a vittuous maid
en-; the pimp who lives upon the earnings OF a
prostitute, will each and sill agres with Albany
Evening Jourrsl ia its staggering. brutal ssser
iOn Il 81 1.-The two sexes never did equal work Ia
al equal manner, aud never will"
1t 10 not required, in discussing the equal
pay for equal work" question, that language
should be exceptionally szvsre. 1t will do
to be calm. Gush and sentiment msy be re-
aure6 70 take back seat The present is
very common sesse sge. The great majority
of men and women want facts upon which
TO construct theories. 1t is fact known and
read of all men and women who observe and
reflect, that in some departments o. human
activities women perform eqssl werk with
men, and il is 8 fact, as stubborn and as well
known. tha' they do not receive equal pay.
The verdict is that ,uch a policy is IN
just. Men are responsible for this in
jus ice. In this connection il is not
worth while to refer to woman's
"pnysic nature" That and Kindred topics
are Mir y out of plscs when the question
Of equal pay for equal work" isbeing debated.
Ii woman, II any OF the occa eations. known
70 ~ industries, does not and can not do
work equal to a man. the debate ends. There
Is no ting more 10 be ssid and woman must
accept the situation and hold her peace.
There is no remedy. AS a worker she is in.
ftrior md must accept pay accordingly. But
we ho'd that ID numberless instances women
can do and are constantly doing equal work
with men, ard we hold that there is scarcely
an in, lance on record where, fer such work,
she receives quail pay with men. Look at
the educational record. II is stained all over
with fsgrSnt injustice to women. In the
school room women not only do equal work
with men. but in numerous instances, better
work, but they never, or scarcely ever, re-
ceive equal psy. la a recent issue Of the
Ironclsd Age. edited by DR.. J. r. Monroe,
we find The following:
Our idea Is that 8 Nation isn't fit to live that
compels is women TO compete with It's men az
hard labor for living NJ Natl 4, n 20 exist
thai Il too poor, too craven, too mean 20 make
It's women step outside Of the domestic circle 10
earn their bread. II IS the duty of ne men OF a
Nation 70 protect and support the Eomel of that
Nation. Gsl ant men glory in doiug his so far as
they can. The home and dom este dntles are
properly allotted 10 the women. And even here
the heavier work should be performed By the
stronger Eek. There squsre built. large boned,
sioutlimbed muscular women Who are ct home
with mops. Tots. tubs aud sosp-suds But delicate
women should pa felieved from domestic drudg-
ey. The delicate mother has enough 10 DO in
attending TO her children. Her own and their
attire will give her abundant employment in the
making NJ los king after.
If our neiphbor is correct In his estimates
cur Nation with n big n ought to hand in it's
checks and sci up shop on the other side of
Jordan. Bot il is not the business of the
NsticD to determine whether or not women
shall compete with men at hard labor" or
| h. lsbor for a living. AS matter of fact,
women are compelled to work, and ID is quite
rs honorable for WOMAN to earn her own
living ~ it is for man 10 provide for his
wants The question has got beyond the
boundaries of gsllanIy. chivaIry, glory,
poetry, romance, etc, TO the end of the
chapter. Women must work or stsrve. We
prefer to cay that's Nation isn't e. to live that
will deny women equal pay for eGual work."
Indeed. we willing to be q little more
particular, and say the corporation or indi-
yidual is not fl to live that denies woman
'equa pay equal wo k" We throw
eallsntry 10 the winds or To the dogs; we en-
throne justice; we appeal TO the eternal
principles OF T ght jls'ice, fair play, honor
and TO all other things OF good report and
demand for woman equal pay for equal
work" The questions relating to what wo-
man can Go, what she ought to do, what is
suited to her physical organism, is not press
Ing just nov for decision. If a woman as
telegraph operator does equal work with a
masculine operator, the demand is she shall
have the same pay We think that is justice,
and We ady6 Gao III poicv
our Mr. KIT PRE- ,IOENT.
For weeks past there has been general