Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-10

Toof 0>f;a yt1uf<< ~ feeu psse
Sss ere.
fNsw York Tcieenp.l
That woman hes many wrongs, and
Il BY srsdi,ion, legislation. and cas-
tom deprived Of many privileges where
by her selfdevelopment might be en-
hsKced " inccnuossrtibls, but IN the
great con,es, respecting the important
hsues Of tie coming political era, ~ Is
better 20 give justice fell scope and nos
make the worse appear the better cause
afssr The fashion OF special pleading OF
the lawyers. People hear daily rom
she rostrum terrible phillippics against
capital rs especially applied TO the OPP
preston Of poor working girls, and the
advocates OF wonan's rights are always
found ana, ed against the capitalist.
Investigation has revealed some rather
startling staiistics--fscts that are no.
AZ all cscditablc 20 the better-ied
,,stsrs OF hamanity---a condition OF
,hnes ,hs, has been ignored BY those
wo,s.r. vi o have il in their power TO
control these evils to great extent.
The vain pomp existing IN large city
i. ,llmirc. as can be well understood
by every sensible person, but 1t Is
rather oifiieult to believe that women
And vrls---scores upon scores OF them
are daily working at starvation prices
in order to supply themselves with a
little more fncry than they can abora
10 buy out Of their limited Means
though sufficient TO dress them NICE
~. These vain women and g'rls,
possessing good homes, actually
SEEK work to the disadvantage OF the
moor in more ways than one, since they
fiequently offer to take work LOT less
money than the regular employees re-
ce;,e even when the needy laborer IS
setting "s.arystion pay. This sort
Of compe,i,ion is actually wicked and
deserves the strongest censure. The
wages paid these rivals oil poor EN-
pDoyes are often so low that only the
poo,est food and clothing could be
bought were they dependent on the
money earned for their support put
such misery the " better fed" sisters
never know. The pay they receive Is
low. to be sure, yet not so very nara
earned. since they can well afford 10
work fast or slow. early or late, just as
thew please, rs every cent is laid out
for finery, not much extra, yet more
thsn they could afford to spend did
.hey not earn it to satisfy their foolish
The majority Of these women have
moderate allowances from their hus-
hands and fathers for clothes. and II
more finery is wanted they will get it
honestly, Of course. Bnt alas how
injurious is this opposition to the poor
women who are dependent on their
labor for their humble livelihood. Capt.
tslists are not slow in finding out that
they are not wholly dependent on their
poor employees. They can have their
work "put out" and well done, too, no
matter how niggardly the pay may be.
Manufacturers give out work 10 nun
dreds who leave security Tor the
goods, sending the servant girl Tor
the bundle. No name nor address is
eiyen in such cases. These "better
fsdn workers never demur at the low
nav received. They are well satisfied
10 earn a few dollars for extra finery,
and the capitalist is contented with the
bargain and the immense profit realized.
There are scores Of refined girls work
ing in factories, in shops, aud in stores
who have more than comfortable homes.
They are not obliged to seek employ
ment. These girls leave the ward
schools when fifteen, sixteen, or often
eighteen years old. They should at
once learn all kinds of homework and
how to manage household but no,
all house duties are distastefal to
them. They are anxious to dress
better than their fathers can afford to
have them and to wear finery. These
pirls seek some sort Of genteel employ
ment. They live at home, pay no
board, but dress themselves, and can
we'll afford to accept cheeriully, and
even gladly, So a week for standing
behind q counter all day, or working in
. factory with the needy poor, toiling
for scarcely money enough to keep the
soul in the body, and if the weary
half-starved girls complain Of low wage:
and threaten to leave, their employers
are not scared in the least. They know
that in no less than twenty-four hour
scores Of girls and women can be hireC
at the same low wages.