The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-04-13
WIVES As WAGE FARMERS.
A Lady Correspondent Replies to The
Sentinel'S Editorial.
EVERY QUEFION has Two IDES.

Il Hold That a woman's Place is
Wherever Circumstances Beyond
Her Control Have Situated Her."
Says Our Correspondent-Wh
Women Become "Wage-Earners."
To the Editor of The Sentinel
A few years ago when the Legista-
ture of Connecticut was discussing a
woman's suffrage bill, a member arose
and denounced the bill and added: 81
don't propose to make man out of
my wife" Mr.. Cleveland, another
member, replied: ''The gentleman
doesn't propose to make man out of
his wife. 1t would be a blessing for
the country if his wife could make a
man out of him." The shot was so
well deserved that the House went
wild over it, and for long time bust
ness was suspended.
Now apropos of the editorial which
appeared in Tuesdays SENTINEL,
namely, "Wives as Wage Earners," |
kindly ask the good editor to accord
me bit of space to reply to the same
which l shall do in all friendliness of
spirit, land from a Southern stand
point, and my own observation,
but which standpoint, however, be-
lieve is held by many thousands OF
women throughout our Southland:
Nearly every question has two sides
and in order that the public should
be unbiased in its opinion of any ans
werable question, should not both
sides be discussed? But relative TO
"wiveS az wage earnerS.
The distressed condition of our
country has driven thousands of no
BILE, honest, intelligent women to seek
trades and professions, even those
which were thought to require the
superior brain of man, and the emolu-
ments of which were supposed to be
his peculiar spOils. Want and misery
have invaded the homes of thousands
in this land of the free and brave, and
in nine cases out of every ten the
women who have been forced out to
earn her support and oftentimes that
CT a whole family have done SO, not
because of 1.-THE passion for trade and
the desire for the accumulatiop~Of
wealth" which may o. not be in
80 6iSnt IN = IB6t because they are
- 20 the necessity of seeking hon
est and legitimate work, Oftentimes
to prevent starvation and disgrace.
Sometimes there are many a lOatfng
Eequenter of grog-shops IN the
shape of a husband who has wife
and family at the point of starvation,
and the wife is compelled to brave the
ridicule of the world and fight the
battle Of life. Noble woman, l call
her.
Many of these women are rlntelll-
gent and lovely and have seen far bet
ter days, and it is an additional gem
in the crown of noble woman that she
has the energy and the courageous
heart to press forward in this world
and thereby provide for comfortable
stout and healthy men cOwardly sub
NIT to the pressure and turn lOafer,
= mendicant and vagabOnd.
Again. All over this Christian land.
where we are taught from the pulpit
Sabbath after Sabbath weet..charity
and brotherly love, there are thou.
sands Of brave, honest, intelligent,
Woodworking men 'toiling from sun
rise until had almost said sunset
yea, often till late hours at night tC
earn the Wherewithal to barely clothe
and feed their families, and in hun.
dredS of cases the wives and small
children are forced out from home tC
find work, Otter distaSteful, that they
may supplement- the wages of the i'll
paid fathers and husbands. HuS
bands, wives, is this not true ? In the
good old days that are gone by, il
used to be that character and ability
were the qualities that won, but now
it seems to be money and good fellow
ship.
But al.English speaking countrie:
are beginning to be deeply aroused tC
the Importance of this subject of i'll
paid wages, and other nations are not
far behind. When an idea springs W
all over the world at once there is lit
tie hope of it's being suppressed. The
truth will be heard, and after opposi
ton enough to test it's genuineness
becomes acknowledged and respected
In every community there art
minds in all stages IF advancement
There are what we call people of aver
age intelligence; there are those who
are many years behind the thought:
of the unexpectedly asleep to thu
issues Of the present, and there are
those who see far into the future
These different classes of people SCI
things so differently that the end O
the discussion is not yet.
Now, / hold that woman's place il
wherever circumstances beyond he
control have situated her.
The idea of a woman's earning he
own living in mems work is one tina
many good men dislike to entertain,
know. Why, should she wish to tax,
that aggressive and unwomanly posi-
tion? They think only of those t.
whom good home furnishes ampl
comfort, occupation and affection
The thousands and thousands o
women who have no such homes sup
piled to them can bitterly answer TIL
question.
The rule is, that the women VIII,
pursue the hard path of public Ca
reer, which deprive them of Quie
domestic life are women who hav
been driven into it, by stern neces
sity. I'll guarantee that if ever
Southern woman, both married AM
single, who have been forced out int.
the world to earn livelihood, wer
today accorded their choice between
public career and a happy home,wher
preciated by kind friends, there woul
be few women before the public today
The result of my observation has bee
and iS-and, if one would take tn
pains to investigate such cases-tha
it is not the plaudits of the world, no
the desire for the accumulation O
wealth, or even 1.-THE growing spirit Q
discomfort with her condition to rebt
against established customs etc,
that woman is filling public places
but she is simply doing what she
compelled to do to keep the wolf fror
the door. And too. some of the mos
excellent housewives that know, an
my acquaintance among them extend
over wide range of space-from tn
Atlantic to the Pacific, from the col
waters of the St. Lawrence of tn
north to the warm gulf stream of Mel
leo on the south-are superior wome
who are wage-earnerS and sweet ;cOuI
sellers of good men. A brave, true
e. L. L.