The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-10-16
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LII 4 LALCL1 L 4lADs
We commend the reasoning below, to
all those who think they can improve
upon the Divine Plan for the happiness
of the race. The Troy Telegram argues
the case pro con as follows: ''It is the
fashion with many self-styled reformers
to eXpatiate, through the press and upon
the lecture platform, upon the many adj
vantages which an independent career
affords young women in these enlighten-
ed days. If the statement of these en-
thusiastic Missionaries is to be believed,
every added occupation opened to wo-
man is another supplementary avenue to
the heights of female happiness, and to
the best there is in store for the human
race. Independent careers are painted
as cities of refuge wherein women may
find relief from the prosecutions of
matrimony.
''To a certain extent the new order of
things has done much for women, but
like every other stride toward progress
it is accompanied by its cOmcomitant
evil, and the question in this case is
whether the amount of the resultant evil
is not great enough to more than COM
pensate for the good that it encrusts.
For while more and more women are
now enabled to go into more diverse oc-
cupations, and to vie with men for SUI
premacy in the field of wages, it should
not be forgotten that all this has one un-
avoidable result, that of decreasing
wages. A moments reflection will show
anybody that this is true. In all occu-
pations to which women have resOrted
in pursuit of an Independent career there
has been great decrease in wages. The
history of teaching, telegraphy, type
writing, olerking or similar pursuits
illustrates the statement Nor is the de-
crease due to the parsimony of employ
ers, as the shallow-minded often think,
but to the economic law of supply and
demand, and to such an extent has this
evil developed that already working
women's associations reports are full of
complaints of the beggarly wages paid
to women in the cities. And not alone
are women's wages lowered by the in
creasing competition of their own sex,
but those of men are borne down also,
and it is easy to see that if the tendency
is followed out to it's natural sequence
that point would soon be reached where
a mans wages would get to so low a
a point as to forbid linn to marry, or cause
him to emigrate. That point has already
been reached in some departments of in
dustry in England and Scotland. And
so, then successful independent career
has its reverse side. A woman may
make good blacksmith. Yes, but it
means one less opportunity for man to
earn q iring for himself and fdmily The
same may be said of other occupations.
And where the question arises as to
which of the two, man or woman. shall
be deprived of the means of earning a
livelihood the former should have the
preference, since upon him depends the
support of others. If woman crowds
him out the result will be the decrease
in the number of marriages, and the
substitution of system in which women
will ultimately be the chief sufferers.
Thus her greatest success might become
her greatest misfortune.
"When women speak of going into an
independent career, to escape from
marital slavery, they forget that they are
delivering men from a like but more ex-
cessive bondage. If they realized this,
out of pure perverseness, they would be
less eager to escape. Still, it is true, that
if marriage and maternity is slavery to
woman the support of a family is a more
grinding slavery to man.
''They are both creatures of their en-
vironment, and neither can escape from
1t without doing mutual wrong. When
man rebels against this environment, and
begins piracy on the property of others
he makes serious mistake, and general
ly is not long in discovering it. So some
times women become discontinued with
the prospective or actual bonds of mo-
nogamy, start out on their theoretical
notions of their natural rights, but find
that community of wives is a burden of
which their sex sustain the heavier part.
1t does not profit, they find, to in any
way differ from the kindly race of man.
$50, when it is seen that monogamy is
the better system to follow, and that
men are fitted to do every line of work
into which women have crowded, and
that, the pressure of female competition
being removed, they would be able to
make the wages which the tWo sereS
divide betOeen them, it is hard to see the
great gain made by woman's so-called
progress. More women, it is true, can
earn living for themselves, but fewer
men are enabled to support a family. If
the latter have the courage to undertake
the task it means probable increase of
the pauper element. This is calculated
to offset much progress in the eyes of
thinking men,"