The record-union., 1891-09-08
THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.

Edward Everett Hale in discussing the
eyer interesting question of ''The Work
of Women" puts forward in the COsmo-
poLita7 some old ideas in new form that
demands attention.
In the first place, where women have
been part of the general working force,
the chivalric and deferential among men,
he declares, has declined. The RECORD
UNION asserted this as a fact some two
years ago, when the present debate was
inaugurated. Mr.. Hale, from his reading
of history, finds the same conclusion jus
tilted.
One syllOgism he formulates, is this:
fyou add to ''a,' the working force of
men in State the factor ''b,' the work
ing force of women in that State, you re-
duce wages below the standard in coun-
tries where men only compete for en-
ployment. This is an argument pre-
sented elaborately, but not so well and
concisely, on several occasions in these
columns, and that it is truth is demon
strable. Mr.. Hale cites as example that
in a factory where women run the spin
ming machinery the rate of spinner's
wages goes down; if women become COM
positors in printing Offices, the average
rate Of fcompositors wages goes down. In
each case, with rate below what it would
be with men only, if extended through
nation, men would emigrate to commu-
mites where the condition did not obtain
and where wages were higher. An un-
due proportion of women would be thus
left, and this is a condition the most un-
fortunate for women of any that can be-
fall them. 1t results, says Mr.. Hale, in
loss ofdeference, it means indifference, if
not contempt. He thinks that it is not
true that it means prostitution, but in a
certain degree it certainly does.
In the instance of female compositors,
Mr.. Hale's example is not the best he
could have chosen, because men have
formed typographical unions and taken
women into them and declared that their
wages shall rate as high as those of male
compositors. But to the reasoning this
must be clear that it is exceptional: that
it is but feeble dam in the midst of an
ever increasing, almost resistless, cur
rent, and that not even organized labor
viii be able to control the conditions and
dictate terms for women in more than
very few cases. For, as a matter of fact,
woman's work is not the equal of mans
in lines for which men are best fitted.
Therefore, capital will not pay equal
wages for unequal service.
OF course the reply made by women
who favor the drift of the sex into bust
ness is that necessity compels the putting
Of girls into occupations belonging by
right of nature to men. But we have
over and again exposed the weakness Of
this plea. tits admitted that if all women
in employment to-day to the displace-
ment of men, were TO be discharged, there
would be in the first period of the revolu-
tion suffering, great suffering, because so
many have become dependent upon the
work of these women. On the other
hand, had women never been permitted
10 enter these uncongenial employments,
can anyone doubt but that their position
would be as good and their condition as
comfortable, even moro so than under the
newer and dangerous SYSTEM
That is to say, men-home- builders
and bread-winners by nature-would
have provided homes and bread for these
women and their dependents; men who
are now rendered unable to do this, be-
cause Of the competition Of women, can
not accept the necessity plea as sufficient.
1t is enough for woman to bear all the
children that come into the world, TO
spend, therefore, a good part of her time
in retiracy; to manage, direct and COM
mand in the home; to educate her chill
dren; TO engage in those gentle wage
earning arts to which by nature her frame
and general capacity are suited; to take mp
these lesser labors in which she does not
come into harsh competition with man:
in which she is not thrown into the hurry
burly of the business world; in which
the bloom of modesty and innocence is
not rubbed Off; in which her labor does
not discourage domesticity, unfit her for
the arts of the housewife, indispose her
for the pleasures and restraints of home,
or tend to discourage matrimony, child
bearing and home-building, and her en-
gagement in which does not lessen the
respect of men for her, or shear them of
the chivalric impulse.
THE declaration of the Chinese that the