The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1885-08-20
THE ABAsEMENT OF WOMAN.
AUGUSTA Chronicle.


When old Oscar Turner kept
on clamoring in Congress fo1
cheap trace chains, Mr.. .Chace, of
Rhode Island, proved to him
that not only were trace chains
cheaper here than abroad, but, if
they were to be made any less in
| price, the women of this part of
the world would have, in semi-nu-
dity and unutterable squalor, to
help make them, as they do in
England.
According to Robert p. Porter
and other experts, the free-trade
agitation in this country would, if
triumphant,not only reduce wages
for men, but compel women to
abase' themselves as they are fore
ed to do IN many parts of Europe,
where they suffer grievous extrem-
ties.
A shocking example is furnish
ed in Stockholm, where it appears
woman has reached the lowest de-
dagration, actually supplementing
beasts of burden. Mr.. Porter says.
[ have seen her around the pit
mouth, at the forge and barefoot
ed in the brickyards of "Merrie
England, filling blast furnaces
and tending coke ovens in Sunny
France" 1 have sadly watched
her bearing the heat and burden
of the day in the fields of the GA
therland," and in Austria unga-
ny doing the work of man and
beast on the farm and in the mine.
| have seen woman emerge from
the coal pits Of "busy Belgium, -
where little girls and young wo-
men graduate underground as
hewers of coal and drawers of
carts, for it is no uncommon thing
in Europe to hitch women and
dogs together that manufacturing
may be done cheaply. Aged, bent
and sunburned, [ have seen wo=
men, with rope over shoulder, toll
ing on banks of canals and dykes
in picturesque Holland. Having
witnessed all this l was yet sur
prised to find in city so beauti-
full and seemingly so rich and
prosperous as Stockholm, women
still more debased. In Stockholm
she is almost exclusively employ
ed as hod-carrier and brick-layer's
assistant She carries brick, mix
es mortar, and, in short, does all
the heavy work about the build
ing. At the dinner hour you see
groups of women sitting on the
pile of wood and stone eating their
frugal repast. They wear a short
gown, coming a trifie below the
knees, their home-knitted wooden
stockings and wooden shoes. Over
their heads kerchief is tightly
tied. Those engaged mixing NOR
tar and tending plasterers wear
aprons. They are paid for day
of hard work of this toll. lasting
twelve hours, the munifcent sum
of one kroner equivalent to 26.8
cents. Women sweep the streets,
haul the rubbish, drag handcarts
up the hills and over the cobble
stones, unload bricks at the quay,
attend to the parks, do the garden
ing and row the numerous ferries
which abound at Stockholm. The
entire dairy business of the city
is in their hands and here they
take the place Of horses and dogs,
carrying on their shoulders the
heavy cans of milk from door to
door.
It seems to be certain that Amer
lean labor cannot, without protee-
ton, compete with European Ia
Dor, whether protected or not, un-
less an equal debasement shall
take place. 1t is often said that
the Laws, being made by men, bear
with undue severity upon women.
And this would appear to be the
case, in Europe especially, where,
as in Stockholm, while women
slave, many men choose lighter
employments or sW'agger around
as soldiers or loafers.
It would seem to be quite GER
tain that, for a long time yet,
American workingmen and Amer
can women will need protection
against European laborers Of both
sexes, and that the tariff will not
be removed in this generation.