Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-06
WOMEN A. WORKERS.,


There i 4 mass Of valuable matter in
the two volumes-'COmpcndium OF the
Census of the United States be-
fore US, but there is no item in the cont
prchensive returns more interestingly
suggestive than will hc found in the
tables on occupation, showing wOman'S
share in the industrial pursuits and pro-
gress Of the continent. In agricultural,
mechanical and mining labor, profess
sional and personal service, and so
forth, she occupies a fair position an l
an advancing one, for It /, shown in
the tables that, while the relative eX-
ce~s Of occupations in lNSO over 1870 l.
/, los, 1856, onc.quarter, namely, 27I,7S5
is of females. The actual number of
women reported As pursuing gainful
employment in 1850 was 2,6i7, l57, and
in this ratio Of increase shown in the
decade returns it Is not too much to as
sumo that ii now exceeds 100000.
This is not unpleasant reading. The
weakest link in modern social and in
ployment for our female population.
For convenience sake, taking the three
conventional grades working, mid
die aud the upper clasS-we find that
while the first have life's work ready at
hand. and often earn earth's sweetest
joys in the performance OF i, the other
classes, notwithstanding the hollow,
barren tinsele of comfort and pOmp sur
rounding them, often pine through en-
i,tence in laSsitnha and lisrnntEnt. and
not infrsquently, on the turn Of the
ficklc wheel, end their days in indig-
euce and poverty.
Pareuts are ever anxious to provide
employment for their sous, but thought
is hardly ever given to the weaker
members of the household. The girl
in humble life, untrammclei by con-
vcutiOnality or false pride, goes a. do
nestle servant, in manufacturing dis
tricts seek, employment in the various
industries, or learns Il useful trade, so
that il the chances Of the matrimonial
lottery leave her in ~imgle-blessedness,
or feast on her own resources, Il widow
with helpless family, with naught but
the cold charity of the world to look to,
the staff provided in early life may then
help her to exc nut life in independence
and comparative comfort. And it is
from this grade and i'll these occupations
the great aggregate of female labor in
the census returns is made up.
With women in the other grades it is
different, chiefly owing to the general
neglect we have alluded to. 1t is pleas
ant to read of tue progressing industrial
independence of wOmanhoOd- sad to
contemplate the companion picture of
the hundreds Of thousands of the sex
for whom there is no place and no pro-
vision. And this, a. we have urged
more than once, is a problem to which
philanthropic thought might be lauda-
bly, and usefully directed. The first
great barrier 10 be broken down is the
contemplate stigma popularity attached
to "work.' With shabby gentility for
girl to be- lat business" is limited at
and indirectly spoken of "a an iusuller.
able ban to responsibility. No matter
what the employment is, no matter
how suitable or becoming, the social di-
aStic prescription is the same; and
while the noble province of labor-even
If it be female labor thus stigmatil ID,
it is in vain to look for reform. There
Is a sentimental notion entertained that
American equality knows no distinction
between the fortunate one with silver
spoon and her less fortunate sister who
waits on her; but look around you and
the speedy perception Of the baselesS-
ness of the theory will come; ask Mrs.
DtyEREUN BLAZE or any of the devo'
ted women who have labOred for the
status of the sex, and the answer will
be that to be q needy woman entails
the condition of a social criminal.
The census returns point out how
women may be employed without re-
sort to the labor of the field, the mine,
or the factory. As clerks in offices, both
public and private; as designers in the
arts, as scriveners, as literateurs, as
skilled nurses, as telegraph operators, as
store assistants there are women toiling
nobly for bread. They have invaded
the colleges and lecture.rooms, and rs
far as their sex will allow are successful
competitors in the various industrial
walks of lite. In truth with the major.
ity Of the world the matter is really one
more of necessity than of sentiment il
but private affairs were more rigidly ex-
amined.
The problem Of wOmen's work is one
easy of solution If only family pride
would yield little and social csnven-
tionalities were thrown aside. Though
marriage is no doubt the lsudable am
bitioa Of msidenhood, yet. In these
prOsaic days Of marriage portions it is