Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-10-24
WOMAN AGAINST woMAN.



New York Telegram.
That woman has many wrongs, and il
by tradation, legislation and custom de-
prived Of many priveleges whereby her
self developments might be enhanced Is
incontrovertible. but in the great contest
respecting the important issues of the
coming political era, it is better to give
justice full scope and not make the worse
appear the better cause after the fashion
Of special pleading Of the lawyers. Peo-
pie hear daily from the rostrum terrible
phillippics against capital as especially
spilled to the oppression of the poor
working girls, and the advocates of wo-
mans rights are always found arrayed
against the capitalists.
Investigation has revealed some rath-
er startling statistics-facts that are not
at all creditatle to the "better fed" sis
tels of humanity,a condition Of things
that has been ignored by those women
who have it in their power to control
these evils to great extent. The vain
pomp existing in q large city is allurine,
as can be we'll understood by every SEN
sible person, but it is rather difficult to
believe that women and girls-scores
upon scores of them-aye daily working
at starvation prices in order to- supply
themselves with little more fnary
than they can afford to buy out Of their
limited means, though sufficient to dress
them nicely. These vain woman and
girls, possessing, good homes, actually
seek work to the disadvantage of the
poor in more ways than one, since they
frequently offer to take work for less
money than the regular employees re.
ceive even when the needy laborer Is
getting starvation" pay. This sort of
competition is actually wicked and de-
serves The strongest censure. The
wages paid these rivals of poor employees
are often so low that only the poorest
food and clothing could be bought were
they dependent on the money earned
for their support, but such misery the
"better fed" sisters never know. The pay
they receive is low, to be sure, yet not 30
very hard earned, since they well afford
to work fast or slow, early or late, just as
they please, as every cent is laid out for
tnery, not much extra, yet more than
they could afford to spend did they not
earn it to satisfy their foolish pride.
The majority of these women have
moderate allowances from their hus-
bands and fathers for clothes, and if
more finery is wanted they will get it,
honestly, of course. But alas! how in
furious Is this opposition to the poor wo-
men who are dependent on their labor
for their humble livelihood. Capitalists
are not Glow in finding out that they are
not wholly dependent on their poor en-
ployes. They can Lave their work "put
out" and we'll done, too, no matter how
niggardly the pay may be. Manufacture
ers give out work to hundreds who leave
security for the goods, sending the SER
want girl for the bundle; no name nor
address is given in such cases. These
"better fed" workers never demur at the
low pay received; they are well satisfied
to earn few dollars for extra fineIy and
the capitalist are contented with the bar
gain and the immense profit realized.
There are scores of refined girls working
in factories, in shops and in stores, who
have more than comfortable homes;they
are not obliged to seek employment.
These girls leave the ward schools when
10, Is or often Is years old. They should
at once learn all kinds of housework and
how to manage household; but no, all
house duties are distasteful to them;they
are anxious to dress better than their
fathers can afford to have them and to
wear fnery. These girls seek some sort
of gentee1 employment. They live at
home, pay no board, but dress them
selves, and can we'll afford to accept
cheerfuliy, and even gladly, % a week
for standing behind a counter all day, or
in q factory with the needy
poor, tOiling for scarcely money enough
10 keep the soul in the body, and it the
weary, half starved girls complain of low
wages and threaten to leave, their en-
oloyers are not scared in the least; they
Know that in less than twenty-four
hours scores of girls and women can be
hired at the same low wages.