The record-union., 1893-05-20
WOMEN IN BUSINESS.

The REcoRD-UNIoN has recently ad-
mitted to its columns letters from two
esteemed ladies, critically assailing this
journal because of the position it occupies
relative to women in business.
In both instances the pleas of the corre-
spondents fairly summed up are: l.
That modern conditions compel women
to engage in business; 2. That for what
ever woman proves competent. in that
she should be allowed freely to compete;
3. That poverty, the infirmity of others,
misfortune, and the like, require women
very often to engage in business pursuits;
4. That many pure, good women are so
engaged and succeed; 5. That many so
engaged still remain good housewives,
and retain all the strength OF the domes-
tic instinct; s. That the drift of women
into business does better their condition
by lessening the struggle for the necessi-
ties OF life; Z. That it enlarges the ca
pacity for domestic arts, since it is not the
business woman who is failure as wife
and mother; s. That the ordinary wage
Garner with a family of daughters cannot
support them to do nothing but cultivate
the graces of femininity; 8. That statistics
prove that the employment of women in
business reduces the sum of poverty and
distress; 10. And finally, that in large
degree vices of men drive women to
work outside of the home. Not one of
these pleas reponds to or traverses the
position taken by the REcoRD-UNIoN.
We are gratifed to learn that the dis
cussion opened by this paper some two
years ago has commanded very wide at
tention, and is now the ground work of
an exceedingly lively and general debate,
into which some of the best thinkers of
the day have been drawn. Prior to our
taking it up. however, it was the theme
of many learned essays, but most of
which failed in practical application, and
shot so high that the masses of the people
never heard of the debate.
Those who have taken issue with the
RECoRD-UNIoN have, without exception.
misunderstood US. We do not wish to
say that they have done so for the want
of intelligence, but we do not hesitate to
say that they have fallen into error be-
cause of the heat and hardnesses of preiu-
dices and preconceived opinions, and be-
cause of the assumption that any and all
criticism adverse to the employment of
women in business is based upon false
estimates of woman's capacity and upon
a desire to prevent her advancement
along social, intellectual, skilled and
artistic lines of human activity.
Once for all, let it be understood that
the position of the RECORD UNION is
taken for woman, not against her; be-
cause we deplore the growth of influences
tending to degrade the sex; because we
foresee that the present drift is surely to
rob vast numbers of women of the posi-
ton they should occupy in society. and
for which all their instincts, ambitions
and hopes best fit them. We are. in
short, thousand fold better friend of
women than those of either sex who hold
that no restraint should be put upon the
unfortunate drift of the time. that is
driving them out of the home, away from
domesticity and often into conditions
that for for the present shall be nameless.
The RECoRD-UNIoN has steadily re-
Trained in all this debate from entering
upon the phase of the question thus
indicated; it will not take it up unless
driven TO do so in the interest of women,
and after all appeals to reason have been
rejected, and as csvaierly treated as by
the two correspondents whose conmuni-
cations we have printed. When it comes
to that, we will be able to make show
ing that will sppall the bravest. Let US
hope that the good sense OF the fathers
and mothers Of the generation will rise
superior to present error, and that the
tendency now so baleful will be checked,
and the young women OF the age be