Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-11-18
OUR SATURDAY NIGHT.

tOao Win 50 LuAhy hCiphuh SOOiSeiS9t
Siudergartens, mothers class, Y. M.
Q. AS and fraternal orders, there was
nothing done to help the WORKING girls
OF our city. Imm sdistely there res
pondsd good christian woman with
the thought that there should be n
christian woman's organization, broad.
or thsu the temperance union, that
should interest itself in the working
girls. A good member of the Christian
Temperance U1ion who had not seeu
our article, nor the contribution which
followed from the pen of a woman,
said she did not see why the workins
girls could not come TO their free read-
ing rooms. They were open aud free
and tue working girls were welcJus. &.
1t may be said tnat these remArxs are
superfuOus; that the working girls are
as we'll of AS any,other class Lnat WORK;
that they are mostly in good homes an1
are happy aud cOntenteI, aud need uC
special provision for their betterIneut.
This may be granted. We TILED Il
show that while mucl was being don,
to organize aud OsGter tue mehGal aud
moral opportunities of all other ele
ments of society, nothing OfAhe kIuu
was being done for the girls VINO laoo,
in the shop aud factory, the mill anG
printing Office, or tue Kitchen. r0Os,
girls are ne .rly aS much the victims oi
OF che sweating systsn as auy IN tn
slums Of New YJrk. Everybody is
trylng " get them tue cneAp st aud IL,
place of higher priced III ale help. rne!
are open 10 the ever increasing stream
of competition of their own sex. Eyer,
girl that becJmes successful wage
Garner incites score of the yet uueIu
ployed women to strive 20 get slniIai
employment While they are mostly
considered cheap help, no one evei
thinks Of such thing AS giving them
an opportunity to get au hour off for
the gymnasium or the midday lecture,
or any avenue OF culture whatever.
What We started To discuss was why
rooms Of the w. G. t. u, and why the
churches do not do something for the
working girls. Those organizations as
now understood and conducted are
primarily for the purpose of helping the
institution, the machine as it were. The
church Is intent upon numbers, infiu.
ence, raising the minister's salary, ex-
tending the mission field, etc. It's in-
terest In the individual is confined To
his relation to the future world. For
this reason the Y. M. Q. A. steps in aud
supplies the young men with some of
those earthly necessities, such as night
school, physical training, free batns,
library, lectures aud debates. Toe
kindergarten steps In aud teaches that
the child lie divine type, needing to be
saved for usefulness on this earth and
with Its mothers classes seeking to gu
noble and elevate the duties and re-
spOnsibllites of mutherhooi. Hhe
church and the w. q. II. u. do not
supply these things because they are in
their nature institutional aud organic.
They exist upon the primal nece .sities
Of society,". that 1t must have religious
atoms aud be temperate to exist |
Atlall. They do not attempt to supply |
the further necessities of growing |
and expansive age that is lifting all hu.
manity TO higher levels. Tue churches |
as they are into twenty. Ave |
,ects In this city; are ali 50 ousy de
lending their corporate existance that
hey cannot reacn out to help auy one.
They tax their time aud strength t. |
nset ruuniug expeucss 50 they have |
lot u monsnt or dollar for humanity |
outside their owa circles. E,ch Is IA
Iphere and does not touch the vasier
n 'chinery Of life that is grinding ava,
IN all sides. This Is not said Ia de
rAcIion OF the efficiency of tue church
,ut rather To show why IL dles not a.
q ire t0 help some such cause as the one
n icAei OF try'ag - give some op.
'IrtUnity for culture To the workiug
,irl.
II all amlunts to this: We canuni
clip anyoue by hong handled Cnris,
.nity. II we wish 10 hslpa neigh0ar
+ fellow worker IN lite's battle we can
ot do I on the eud of long pole. W,
innol gI,her our skirts up about us
nd get up onto to something aud ex I
nd our charity at loAg RANGE. Ii the
addition We would alleviate is
0rthy our effort W must come into
Ose contact, grapple hand TO hand
ID come 10 touch elbow to elbow with :
ose We would evate. No pa nj
Ocess or machinery for bettering man- :
nd has been invented, MT e. en- q
urch or temp rance organizations.
divldual example and individual
Drt alone affects individuals, aud :
'rnl problems cannot b. treated IN c
mass az by prescription. Giving o
,harity h a cheap wy to IA ~ a 4
mp toa meal, but u does the tramp a
good aud does not i'm t0ye society. Ia
3 a far beltff charity 10 take A con-