The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-06
Women and the Civil Service.


To the Editor OF the Indianapolis J0urnal
A few days ago the Journal republished
special from the New York Press, concern
ing Office seeking women, which contained
some statements which, to say the least.
aresuggestive. "There, probably, never were
somany women seeking office. There
is one unusual and noticeable feature about
their ambition however. They never aim
high. Most ofthem apply for places
through the Civil-service Commission. and
then ambition is a first-class clerkshlp,
Which pays 81 ,OO0a year. AT the CIVIL
service headquarters it is said that in some
OF the States a majority of the applicants
for office who are certified and are eligible,
are women. tits safe to predict that
the number of women now employed In the
departments will steadily decrease. as men
are always preferred. Public Printer
places than all of the other officials COM
bined. lie says they cause him more trOu'
bic than all the men, as they are persist
ent, and In most instances deserving. Inc
last statement is specially worthy of notice.
instances deserving" Yet we are cOOlly
told that men, by implication less deserv-
ing, are preferred before them. And the
only complaint made against wom-
en- officials iss that they want
and require more attention than men," q
complaint probably exaggerated, and
which sensible treatment on the part of
their possibly too chivalrous superiors
would in q short time do away with.
It. really looks somewhat as if this adj
ministration was following the example of
its immediate predecessor, and, to certain
extent, making war upon women. Yet 1T is
admitted that Republican women figured
more largely and more effectively in the last
m haf
this fact DE forgotten9 Scarcely. Perhaps
it is the aim of the administration to re-
ward its women friends as it did Mrs. Eos
ter-by appointing her husband to office.
Most women will gladly work for the indi-
rect rewards of honor and emOlu-
ments given to their husbands, fathers
or brothers. But, surely, if the
laborer is worthy of his hire he
ought to have something to say
more satisfactory to believe that the adj
nlnistration desires to be in no sense I'M
just-that it is simply laboring honestly
TO further this first great principle-"man
is by nature the bread winner, woman the
hOme-maker." There can be no doubt of
the truth of this principle if society was in
a normal condition. But until the millen-
MUM. women, hosts OF them, Will be- COM
PEELED, whether it is agreeable to them or
otherwise. to occupy the. for them, abb
normal position of bread-winners. Must q
principle be upheld at the risk of women's
actual suffering, perhaps starvation? And
what justice is there III CARRYING out the
half of a principle-in discriminating
against w omen--without also making up
for the harm that would thereby be done
theme What right has any civil
government to refuse deserving and capa-
bic women offices on account of their sex,
unless it also provides by law for their
ample provision. either by those near akin
to them or by a governmental fund for the
purposes
Again, governments are supposed to be
ruled by expediency, or by that which is
for their best good Civil-service regula-
tons have been adopted by our government
that certain offices may be filled by the
most competent. 1t is noticeable that
women are almost invariably willing to
abide by these civil-service regulations.
Yet how imperfect must these regulations
be when they-permit discrimination solely
on account of sex. Let the true theory of
a reformed civil service be carried out, and
that person be given an office who, accord
ing to strictest rules, is best fitted for it..
The best good of the government, and JUS
tice to its individual citizens-wOmen as
well as men-will then, and not till then,
be subserved. NJ. Il. C.
NEW ALBANY, Ind, July 81.