The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1888-04-12
o -
THE WORKING-WOMEN.
They Are More Contentcd Than the Idio
Daughters of the Rich.

They Are Moro Contentod Than the Idio
Daughters of the Rich.
Surely no able bodied, self-respecting
woman has any complaint to make of the
fact that in the past fifty years there has
been secured to her the right to earn her
living This is rather an occasion for re-
joicing. In this age when the public press
is devoting 80 much attention to opening
fields of labor for women, when from pull
pit and rostrum and workshop and school
room are coming words of help and en-
couragemeft, it is curious to hear one voice
raised in lamentation over the fact that all
this means the setting of women to work.
as If they had not always been working
slaving, in fact-m unrecognized corners
and against fearful odds, as though the So
called curse of labor had not, for women as
well as men, concealed the "fairest boon
Gods love could send;n as though there
were any reason in fact for such state-
ment as the one that women who are out
in the world at work are growing hard and
bitter and losing their womanly delicacy,
etc The writer's experience with several
organizations of working women has been
that among no class of women are there so
few bitter or discontented ones Nothing
80 broadens ones life and mind and char
acter as hearty, wholesome work. 1t is the
greatest of follies to spend SO much time in
commisserating the hard lot of the work.
ing-girl in having to work. Many an idle,
novel-reading, discontented daughter of
wealth is more to be ptied. Pity the con-
ditions under which women have to work,
the inadequate wages, the unreasonable
demands, the cruel oppression and the
many disadvantages which the agitation of
strong minded women have not yet been
sufficient to remove, but offer your SYM
pathy to bright, wide-awake American
business lgirl, because she has to work, and
note her astonishment at your views
And who with the score of examples upon
every side of noble women, supporting
themselves and others, going to and from.
their business daily, and maintaining in
every relation of life dignity and delicaoy
of womanly character that commands the
respect of all. dares maintain that our bust
ness women are losing their delicacy and
refinementY Nor do men lose their chiv-
airy. 1t is the testimony of all who have
tried the experiment, that the best way to
elevate the tone of business establishment
in which there are many employees, is to
employ self-respectng women and let them
work side by side with the men.
An Eastern manager of a mercantile busi-
ness which boasts an offlce in every large
city in the Union, desirous OF introducing
better tone of morality and department
among the employees of his office, tried the
experiment of employing women in several
of the departments The experiment was
decided success, and to-day that office, for
thorough business ability and equipment,
and for the moral and social character of
its employees. is a model among the offices
of that concern, and it's example IL widely
copied Men do not respect women less
for being Independent and self-helpful and
the ohivalry that only regards protected
womanhood as worthy OF consideration is a
poor sort OF article that the world is Just as
we'll off ,vfthnut - got Eroorlgco (faH