The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-09-21
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
WHITE SLAVES.
a Class Of Laborers Who Never Strike
Women Workers Who Know No Rest.

WHITE SLAVES.
a Glass Of Laborers Who Never Strike
Women Workers Who Know No Rest.
There is class of people in this
country who get up at five a m, and
seldom get back to bed until ten and
eleven at night; who work without
reading the whole of that time. and re-
ceive no other emolument than food and
the plainest clothing. They under
stand something of every branch OF
economy and labor. from finance to
cooking. Although harrassed by hum
dred responsibilities, driven and wor-
ried, reproached and looked down upon,
they never revolt, and they can not or
ganize for their own protection. Not
even sickness releases them from their
posts No sacrifice is deemed too great
for them to make, and no incompetency
in any branch of their work Is excused.
No books or essays are written in trib-
ute to their steadfastness. They die in
the harness, and are supplanted as
quickly as may be
These are tho housekeeping wives of
laboring men. 1t is they that get their
husbands breakfast at five a. m; get
the children of to school. do the wash
ing. ironing, baking. sewing, scrubbing.
sweeping and marketing. care for the
babies and do the family merding after
the husband lies asleep. They go to
bed. but hardly to sleep. for nursing
children often draw their life from them
I'll night long.
What leisure or enjoyment is there
for them? What chance for improve
ment or uplifting? What do they think
of the eight-hour movement? Itneans
TO them that the calico they now buy
for five cents will cost eight by and by;
that the coal. instead of six. will soon
be seven and eight dollars a ton, and
that the pittances out Of which they
buy these bare recessaries Of life will
be less before long. Is it a pleasure to
them that their husbands will have two
hours more Of leisure? If the men stay
at home during that time, the chances
are that the wives will be reproached
for what is deemed neglect. and that
soma of the children will be whipped.
Will the husbands fetch coal. or polish
the stove. or take the washing from the
line. or go to market? Not for one day
in the 365. Too often they will irritate
their wives with their witticisms. will
make the children unhappy. and then
leave for some place more suited to
their selfshness. It sounds hard, but
it is true, and every woman knows that
It is true. She knows that there will
be two hours less in which to earn
money. and two hours more in which
to spend it. She knows that her bur-
den will be no lighter. and in patient
cynicism she awaits the result Are
these women striking for eight hours?
Have they a union to which they can
appeal against the cruelty Of their task
masters? Are eloquent voices raised in
their behalf? Are there any laws en-
acted for their benefit?
Are there any prominent journals
advocating their cause? What would
their husbands say il these women
turned out en- nsasSc and voted not to
work but certain number of hours per
day, or demanded that more righteous
Of the income be made here
after? They would doubtless say it was
madness
Is the picture overdrawn? Do or do
not these women receive their shares?
Is working fifteen hours per day, cook
ing over hot stove. scrubbing over
exposing the body to every
danger Of our tickle climate, bearing on
an average one child year. and max
ing both ends meet after the rent is
paid and the husbands beer money is
spent, in return for food, shelter and
the plainest clothing-is this a fair
half of the working partnership? Is
this an equal division Of labor with an
equal distribution Of the profits? What
would some of the men who are parad-
ing the streets, voluntarily out of
work. and in their best clothes, do If
they found themselves bound to en-
ployers by a tie that could not be dis
solved, while their work was made a
thousand times more la0Orious and the
hours nearly doubled?-W 0n,an's Jour
nal.