Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-18
PROGRESS OF WOMEN
Toward the Goal of Industrial Eman-
cipation.
CARROLL D. WRIGHPO CONCLUSIONS.
The Social and Political Freedom
of Women.
AS A WAGE E Arm Err

The position of women, especially in the
economic world. was the theme of a thought
full address last. evening at All Souls
Church by Mr. Carroll d. Wright, who. in
addition to his duties as tine head of the
important department of labor has been
intrusted by Congress with the task of fin
ishing up the work of the eleventh census.
Mr.. Wright is a recognized authority on
the modern phases of economic develop
ment and by his judcious use of statisti-
cal data his conclusions are received with
confidence The announcement that he was
to talk on 1.-THE Industrial Emancipation of
Women" brought together last evening a
large and Intelligent audience. The proper
treatment of his subject made 1t necessary
for him to consider several questions that
are more or less disputed and the conclu-
sions reached by him were the more valu-
able because they were based on data which
he has recently collected. In regard to the
one question of the wages paid women, he
was able to contradict the generally ac-
cepted idea that women were paid less for
the same kind of work that was done by
men.
At the outset he said that women had
fairly achieved an intellectual and social
equality, which was becoming now more
generally acknowledged. He reviewed the
past when woman was mans slave and
drudge and discussed the causes of this
subsection. He did not accept the theory that
this was due to the alleged intellectual in
feriority of women. Dogmatic theology and
the superstition of religion in the opinion
of the speaker had done much to perpetu-
ate the dominancy which had been acquired
IN eorly times by man over woman. He
referred to the passage in Genesis where II
Is stated that man shall rule over woma n,
which was supplemented by the utterances
OF Paul He believed that this idea was
In opposition to the teachings of Christ and
the results Of modern critical writings have
done much to rob dogmatic theology of this
power.
The Factory System.
He then spoke Of the influence Of the
factory system compared with the domestic,
as giving women wider sphere of action
The Industrial emancipa ton of woman may
be followed by her political emancipation,
or they may come together. The former
he looked upon as the most important
phase in the development OF the sphere
OF women. By industrial emancipation he
understood to be meant the production of
as wage workers, but in professional
| careers. By means of the factory system
woman did not supersede man. but sup
plemented his efforts. In the bringing
together OF large numbers of people in the
factories attention was called to their
ignorance, which existed before however.
but had not gained such wide notice There
flowed from this awakening stimulus
to education and the establishment of
schools.
In the year 1876, Harriet Martineau. the
speaker said. had found that in this coun-
try there were only seven employments
open to woman. Today there is no line of
remunerative employment which Is not
open to her. He spoke of the growing
prominence of women in all branches of
trade, manufactures. agriculture and the
professions There was no question in the
mind of the speaker that this change i'm
proved the intellectual condition OF wo-
men. He believed that their moral condition
had advanced. He asserted that the morals
OF the wage workers are equal to those
under the old domestic system. The min
Cling of the sexes in education and in the
industries, he said, enhanced the respect
for and in consequence they occupied
higher plane.
Wages Paid to Women.
As to the compensation of women in the
lower ranks of the employed, the speaker
referred to the result of the statistics gath
cred in Massachusetts in 1885, which shows
that the popular theory that women are not
paid equal wages with men for the same
work, equally well done, is erroneous Still
1t Is true that women receive small pay,
and, equally with others, he deplored that
fact. He accounted for II in several WAYS
such as she Is a new economic factor; that
her physical endurance and education Is
defective and her equipment for life work
is insufficient, caused by the hone that her
work will soon be interrupted by matri-
mony. The problem of how the relative in
feriority of women could be overcome was
discussed.
He expressed the opinion that the industri-
al development in the future would result
in decrease in the number of marriages
and an Increase in the number of divorces
he thought that 1t would be a happy change
when women are able to support themselves
until they can make a marriage that is
based on companionship I'm the hottest sense
instead of making hasty. ill-assorted unions
TO get support. The morals of the COM
munity would be advanced In this con-
nection he quoted the views of Frederic
Harrison and those OF Mrs. Fassett who
take opposite grounds. He referred also to
the socialfstic theory which sees in the in
dustrial emancipation of women the break
ing up of the family.
In the opinion of the speaker the future
had in store for women the prospect of the
extension of her intellectual opportunities
also of her absolute social equality Ii this
leads to equality in political rights, we must
not quarrel with it. The best result of mod
ern tendencies would be the acknowledg G.
ment that woman is the rightful owner of
herself and Is entitled to recognition. Then
| there viii be a purer, happier condition of
| the social world.
PROUD OF THE NAVY