Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-05-28
OLvapiA. wssHs>.rO~ vSW
sLllpIl. TgIDW IyE\l,C. xu q. 1876.
tnromplsining Labor .

savs The provsrb. II is constant
recurrence II tssks, which. however
congeniai as . psstime. or IN accord
~,h the Thrifty. persevering na'u,.
~ womHnhood ~ manifested IN the
social relation, must 81 times APPEAL
the stoutsst heart with the niagul'
tude Of . responsibility that never
ends. The term 10 applied. Of
course, TO the ninety sni.uine who
supsrintsnd the details Of household
labor, those who by their own brain
aud their own hands direct tb. du
ties which eliminate in q cheerful
home, and not the remaining sister
who 10 enabled by circumstances to
shift responsibility upon others. and
who. when thus freed, generally de-
votes herself TO the frivolitiss Of an
unnatural and exotic lie.
In previousissue OF the STANDARD.
ws drew a striking contrast bstween
woman, a. q wage Garner. and her
brother man. We demonstrated. by
statistica, that while the condition Of
labor ~ . whole. was such AZ to JUS
tiiy the most strenuous sxertions Tor
better pay. that the class from whom
the least complaint had come. the
hundreds Of thousands Of women
employed in factories and shops,
have patiently endured for ages
grievances, which would have led to
revolt had they been placed upon
the broader shoulders Of the stsi ncr
ssx. Her wages have been lower
for the same work. and her hours
fewer in the same line Of duty.
Jousnsymsn tailors who can 81,
cross-leeged. for instance. have had
exact hours aud fair compensation,
while the seamstrsss could not limit
her time. from the inadequacy OF the
pay for her labor. Tho one has
worked ten hours and for fair wages
while the other has Iaborea from
fourteen 10 eighteen hours out OF the
twsnty.four and was glad TO receive
about one-half tho compensation.
The same conditions and ratio apply
10 every other industrial pursuit 10
which both sexes engage. II is right
here that reform IL necessary. The
grievances OF the colonists which led
10 the declaration that all men arr
created FREQ and equal" scarcely
parallel ths hasdships endured b,
tho working women Of today. ans
In this age OF boastcd chivalry.
There 10. however. still snothe
aide to the subiect-tho wifs's side
whnh Il sptly portrayed by an arti
Gle In late issue OF tho Chicag,
Ncrs. II should set honest mon /,
thinking. aud. IL they are not Al
bound up in tho arrogance Of lordl.
do@inion o. TO DO unjust, lead then
In the effort TO better the condition
OF labor, 10 consider the claims o
patient, suffering, accomplishing
women. We quote the article entire
There 10 class Of people In thi
country who get up ct o O'Clock il
the morning and who never get bacl
TO bed until 10 or II o'clock at night
who work without ceasing the Who'll
Of that tims, and receive no othe
smolument than food and PLANES
clothing; they understand somtthinI
Of every branch Of economy and Ia
Dor, from finance to cooking; thougl
harssssd by hundred responsible
ties. though driven and worried
though rsproached and looked dow
upon. they never revolt. and the
can not organize for their own pro
lection. Not even sickness release
them from their posts. No sacrific
isdssmed too great for them TO make
and no incompstsncy in any brsnc
Of their work 10 excused. No essay
o. books or poems are written i
tribute 70 their stsadfsstness. The
die In the harness and are supplante
~ quickly - may b.
These are the housekeeping wive
Of ~ labosing mon. II 10 they VIII
get tbsir husbands breakfast at
O'Clock In the morning, get the chi
drsn OF 10 school. do tho washing
ironing, baking. sewing, scrubbine
sweeping and marketing. caring d
The while for the babies and doin
the msnding after the husband lie
snoring. They do 90 to bed. bu
hardly sleep. for nursing childre
often draw their life from them a
the night long.
What leisure or enjoyment 70
them? What chance for improve
mont or uplifting? And what d
they think Of the eight-hour move
mont? They think il means thu
the calico they now buy for 5 cent
will cost 8 cents by and by: that tn
coal will soon be 81 and Is a ton
and that the pittancss out of whicl
they now buy these will lie less be
fore long. Is it u pleasure to then
that their husbands will have tw,
hours more leisure? II the mel
stay At homo during that time, tn,
chances are the wives will be re
nYnanhA1 r.. =