Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-11-20
the SrhuGGLk EGR IIEk.
Two Hundred Thousand Women Grclut HuNu
In the MIL OF Competition

Two Hundred Thousand " omen GrCaut DOW
III the MIL OF Competition
Erom the Sew York Tribune
The revelations now beiug made i,y Mrs.
He'en Campbell concerning tho suNerlugs
and wrongs endured by the woIh.ugw. men
v' %ew York must appeal 60 the Vuo..r CON.
scIence, and should move II to revolt against
the conditions passive aclme-ycuco in
Nlich makes such misery possible, That
TWO tundred thousand women should be
forced to seek their livelihood under such
stress Of competition that daily submission
t' the udSest chicanery Is their only aleTua'
1--WE with starvation and shame Is = tact Aich
Christian community Can uu.y lGuore ~
frankly renouncing the rel Ejou~ tuiu which
it UroieSses. These two hundred th1ustdi
women are not concerned in any uteUe'tua.
Nf spiritual movements Their condition
pr~r.udes participation In any suol gEltS-
l1n. They are absorbed n sheer
struggle for life; struggle ia wL.,a u.Iud
greed and public thought.eSsucss arc Vittot
against the precGrious fund vt physical
strength they can bring tn their iucessant
lul- The political economist who do not
recognize sympathy, humanity, ~e.tabucEA-
tou, As factors in social progress, drop the
subject vi hen they havePointgu uut lue normal
effects OF surplus population upon the latuT
ularEe ets, and have demonstrated the Culucl-
dent power of commercial rivalry IN main.
Llutng the low prices which mutu starvation
wages But when political economy has had
is say the problem is vet uuSulytI. l. there
d" authority under obligations 60 undertake
the solution?
1t the community il to SIT wgh folded
bands while these two hundred thousand
women wear out their lives lfl urrs.esS and
cea-e!.ss labor, ii must be because the con
Cluslon has been reached, openly or LSCItly,
that there Is no remedy for the evil But
that conclusion involves a serious revolution
Ia thought II ia in eiie.. declaration Of
belief that Christianity HIS no longer any
IuCssage or mission for the world. The ma.
terlaltstlc doctrines which modern eCOnC-
uIsts 1each justify the attitude OF ludlter
euCe 10 human misery. But Christianity has
been supposed to taAe its stand upon higher
ground 10 insist upon the du.y It mutual
help and mutual selt-surTeuiar; t5 l4rulrA.e
a ICiter ethic than proceed lum AdAm
smith, Ricardo or Mill. There WAS a
Imo when the church was the refuge and
protection Of the poor. Has that uu.e gone
by forever This is a pertinent question,
seeing that the church appears ludI~i iDsed 10
iAEe up the problem of the working women.
surely, II tails distinctly within the scope Of
ClristIan duties to undertake this painful
and pLitu! problem. Surely Il Ia" Christian
nhu-Ches refuse to meddle wtu the matter
,- will be idle 10 eGpec. tia, Nammon.
"nr-hlPpIug secuiarlty VIII overcome The
difficulty.
An occasional sermon on tho question IT, OF
little use. The case is one tor organized
action. Women are not tree from Te-pousI-
glIity IN the premises. The bargain counters
heaped with articles made by bali star we'd or
cheated women are thrungei daily by crowds
ui matTOus aud girls who can well Afford to
pay more for all they purchase who a-sur-
ealy cannot afford, II they knew it, 10 con-
tribute over so little to the maintenance OF
the misery out OF which these attractive lar
gaius proceed. But as Hood sang, Evil Is
wrought by the want Of thought more than
by want OF heart and II IS here that the
power oil the churches could and should be
eNertet in the interest Ui the sufferers.
Women can organize TO Put down the killing
competition which lS grinding the weak est
and most helpless of their sister, into the
earth. Somewhat at least OF tins hIdeOus,
geryasiye agony of toll they can relieve II
they will. The abuses which grow out of
competition can be put an end 10 by such
work as the Womon's Protective ASSOCIATION
Is doing. But this is work which should be
done by the churches. An opportunity is
offered them to show a skep1CA world that
evangelical economy is something III ore than
an abstraction, something more closely re.
lated to human life than the weekly deliver
aEces OF the pulpit The time j. ripe for
-urh a demonstration. The science Of wealth
has no remedies Tor the sufeTIuEs Of poverty.
Let il not 10 said that the churches too recOil
ia impOtent dismay before question which
the Founder Of their faith assuIcdly did not
deem uuaL5weraUls.