Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-11-08
RIGHTS AND NO RIGHTS.
The Difference Between Woman's Right
With and without the Ballot.

The Difference Between woman's Rights
With and without the Ballot.
Mrs. Summers Saturday baking was
finished. The house was in "apple-pie
order" for Sunday, and Mrs. Sumner
herself was seated in her cosy little
parlor, mending-basket at hand, to
fulfill that last great duty of woman
stocking-darning. Miss Strong, tho
little school teacher, who had a room
upstairs, had dropped in, also stocking
in hand, for friendly chat, when a
ring at the door announced the coming
of Mrs. White, Mrs. North and Mrs.
James.
1--WE met on the doorstep, F" explained
Mrs. White. 81 am out this afternoon
collecting for the Ladies Auxiliary So
ciety of Missions / am fortunate in
meeting four members of our church at
once. | hope you will all give me some
thing"
81 don't know" said Mrs. james. ~
must ask Mr.. DANES about it,"
"Mr. James should have heard the
lecture last night" said Mrs. North.
"Perhaps he would realize that his wife
had right to give away fifty cents, if
she chose, without consulting him, had
he been present"
One Of the most noted of our women
lecturers had spoken the night before
upon the rights and wrongs of women,
and the four ladies had listened to the
lecture
at would have made no difference"
said Mrs. james, YEARLY. 81 have
argued and begged and pleaded with
him, but it is all to no purpose. Don't
i give you every thing you needp' he
will ask. Women don't need money.
tits always give He never seems to
think that have earned any thing. |
have borne and reared five children,
have always done the family sewing,
and although we usually have girl in
the kitchen, / have repeatedly done the
housework for months together. If |
had been paid, at very moderate rates,
for the labor have performed in my FAM
lily, should have had far more money
than my clothing and all other expenses
of my living have amounted to. And
yet, when ask for money, my husband
always enquiries what | did with the
last money he gave me-"
Mrs. james paused, out of breath.
81 am glad l am not married." said
Miss Strong. "At all events my money
is my own, and l can do as | please
with it, But this miserable injustice
that is shown to lis women comes home
to me in another way. | am obliged to
earn my own living, and | have fitted
myself, at great expense for teaching.
1t is my business, my life work. II do
say it, excel in it. Yet am paid only
about two-thirds as much as man is
paid for doing the same work, simply
because | am woman. once fol-
lowed, in a school, Il man teacher who
even misspelled his pupils names upon
the register, he was so ignorant Yet
he was paid forty dollars per month,
while | only had twenty-five. He was
a man with vote, you see, and l was
only a woman"
''But you don't mean that you would
really like to vote?" said Mrs. White.
Eyes, do; just that" returned Miss
Strong. "And was so glad to hear
and to have others hear, that lecture
last night. / am sure good seed was
sown, and some of our people were SCI
to thinking"
"Well, must say 1t seemed very
dreadful and unwomanly to me for ;
lady to get up and talk in that way be
fore all those people, though gran
she was very sweet-manne,ed, and die
not look at oil like one of those strong
minded women, and they do say she il
very devoted wife and mother But
somehow, l don't like it. Anyway,
shan't bother myself about it. l hav'
all the rights | want"
fortunate womanm said Mrs. James
"What makes you go about collecting
for missionsan
"Why, what aquestion, Mrs. Jamesi
exclaimed Mrs. White. "How could ]
a Christian woman, be content to 81
down and enjoy all my religious priv
leges, and never try to help those VIII
are in heather darknesspn
That's just it, returned Mrs. Jane:
."You are a Christian. Your soul
safe. You have church, and a goo
minister. and all the privileges 70
want Why do you bother yourse
about the heathen?'
Mrs. James!" calculated Mrs. Whit,
deeply shocked.
well, it's no worse than to say ths
because you have all the rights yo
want, you won't bother yourself abo1
the women who haven't any right
The principle is the same. Becau:
you have a comfortable home and
kind husband and plenty of money, an
all that. you are willing that nobod
knows how many thousand women
New York City shall work for thir'
| cents a day. and no end of your siste