The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-04-15
Society vs.Occupation.

friend remarked the other day, that
ssthe occupation of the man or woman deter
mined their position in the world, irrespec.
tive of their personal merit or intelligence:
This is unfortunately only too true. The
laws of society are iron-clad and dominate
the world with ruthless disregard of even
the slightest demands of equity. No matter
what may be the personal character or ster-
ling worth of the man; the purity or RICH.
teousnese of the woman, and the honesty OF
purpose and virtue of the child. Society
relegates them TO the background and debars
them from the exercise of what belongs to
them, should either the man, woman or
child, pursue an occupation that the tenets OF
every iocality's s'four hundred pronounce
| in any degree meniai.
This is not right. 1t is prostitution OF
| the frs, intention of God when he created
man. alik in body and mind. The simple
| fact that YOU or I have been educated to a
profession, or by some providential move OF
! fortune are elevated above the struggling
| masses. insofar as money is concerned, is
| not sufficient to warrant an assumption on
| our part that we are in any degree petter
than our neighbor, who possessing all the
attributes of perfect man or woman, has not
been able to rise above the crust of the
world and soar in the empyrean heights OF
| Society's atmosphere.
The position of the worker is rendered
more difficult by the sneers or unkind re
| marks of they in the upper walks of life.
| Money means position, and were the veriest
bepgar that ever asked aims from the pas
ser by by any untoward or unlocked for
stroke of fortune, be endowed with superb
bundance of worldly goods, he would find as
many sycophants at his heels as ever fol
lowed the footsteps of his brothers in pros
perity.
Virtue, honesty, integrity, manliness, and
purity of mind and soul, are all made SUD
servient to the insauate Moloch OF human
creed. and the honest man toiling for daily
sustcnance, is like wave on the heavinf
sea of life tossed hither and thither b,
every wind, no identity recognition SAVE
when demanded by force of circumstance
If girl tired of witnessing the daily grint
of her parents houshold and rising above
the teachings of her society, which admon
ishes the keeping up of appearances even
the mother stays up at night and does he
own washing, and accepts position in dc
, partment of trade she at once loses caste
II man discard the white collar and cla'
in overalls, rolls cotton or fires an engine ant
quits sponging on the world, society look
askance and cuts him dead. One of thcs
DAYS the world will recognize the fact tina
beneath the Crime of honest toll, the hear
beats and the brain works In as great
; frame and with as pure intention as eve
: dominated the actions of set of curled an
scented darlings, who fooishly imagine the
are too good to breathe the same air wit
= honest industry.
All other things alike, why should ii
occupation determine the station?-1lorga
o City Advocate.
d The foregoing brings to mind a
u incident that happened during tn
e writer's steamboat days: A wido
II and her young daughter took pa
g sage at Pattersonville with the ii
e tention of boarding a steamboat ;
New Orleans for St. Louis. ST
J. was a poor and respectable womal
n whom a cruel fate had robbed I
n some small means she once pc
II sessed. Could she but reach )
G Louis, she was assured of hon
|, on a farm not far from the city, b
1t while those to whom she was goIr
:" could give her home they we
re not able ID provide the means