Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-15

" ~ WSN@AS aD,H, !, 70 no'1 ,,, M.
more than her own.
Among all the strong women OF to-day
there are few who. In Quiet way, are doing
more to help women TO succeed In practi-
cal life than Miss Grace NJ. Dodge, daughter
OF William Il. Dodge, the eminent banker
and philanthropist Of New York, the woman
whom Abram 8. Hewitt. while Mayor, APP
pointed as a member OF the Board OF Edu-
cation en- the ground OF general fitness, and
WHO, while a membAr OF the board that
governs the public schools OF the city, be-
came the terror Of those political leaders
who believed that teachers should be APP
pointed Just as laborers on the streets or In
the public parks WIRE. through political In
fiuence and without regard to ftness or
ability.
1t was Miss Dodge. too, who originated
the Idea OF forming clubs for young work.
ing women. and brought about the forma-
tiou Of a national league OF such clubs
1t was she, too. who originated the annual
ball and festival OF New York working
girls In Madison Square Garden, from
which men are excluded. save as spectators
an enterprise that created any amount
of talk at first. and yet was an immense
success socially and financially. For years
Miss Dodge has devoted her large wealth
and undoubted ability to the work of help
ing working girls to help themselves NOR
ally, mentally and financially. When she
first entered upon this work 1t was set
down that Miss Dodge was merely another
rich woman with fad--that OF paronizing
the working girl. Even the working girls
themselves took this Wow OF the matter.
and as there is no person more resentful
than the New York working girl. whether
she DO in the shop. the factory or the dry
goods palace. Mas Dodge met with not a
few difficulties in winning the confidence
OF those whom she wished to help. Only
rare tact and patience could win, but these
qualities she had. Her working girls clubs
were small and few at frst and the mem
bers OF them were lukewarm.
After the appointment Of Miss Dodge to
be member OF the New York Board Of
Education the Mayor who appointed her
gave her woman colleague In the person
of Mrs. John 5. Agnew a much older
woman than Miss Dodge, but thoroughly in
sympathy with her aud her Views. The
two took up the cudgels for the women
teachers and fought their battles in and out
of season. The daily press reported the
fight at first because Of It's novelty, and
finally because the women were right. The
women teachers came to look upon Miss
Dodge as their champion, and other work
Ing women read OF her work and learned to
trust her. So in time her clubs for work
ing girls or women began to wax stronger
and stronger, The working girls found
that, stately though Miss Dodge was. she
was as kind-heRrted as any woman can DO,
that her interest in them was real. that she
did not patronize them, that she treated
them as equals, that she was not inclined
to look upon them as being objects OF
charity. but as being women with feelings,
aspirations and ambitions OF a higher order.
but cramped by their environments.
Having thus weighed the matter. they
put their full trust In this wealthy and
beautiful society woman. whose ambition
seemed TO be to help her kind to rise above
the conditions that surrounded and dwarfed
them. II took time and patience TO do all
this. but this young woman bad means, she
had pluck and the ability TO persevere In
the face Of difficulties. She was criticised
and even ridiculed She went straight
ahead, and was not to be sweryed from the
line che had drawn.
l question whether Miss Dodge Ia credit
ed. as she should be. with much that has
been done for working women generally IN
the pa. half dozen years. There was
time, and IL was not long ago at that, when
working girls and women In New York
city more than In any city In this country
were treated In a manner that bordered on
tho lnhuman. There were factory laws
that were meant to protect women and girls
and that were ignored. There were In
spectors whose duty It was TO Inspect shops
ana stores and factories and to see that
laws on the statute books were executed.
These inspectors drew their salaries aud did
little else The men had labor organiza-
tons the women were without protection.
ana SO the thing went. Employees OF fe-
male labof could be tyrannical and worse.
and there was none TO say them nay.
These conditions no longer obtain In New
York and 70 Miss Dodge, In q very large
degree. the credit is duo. From the very
first, through the clubs tfat she had organ-
ized, through laying brutal aud painful
facts before State aud city officials. through
tho press and through all possible mediums
Misc Dodge and some other strong women
who ioined forces with her. fought for re-
forms and what is more. obtained them.
The wonder Of II was that Miss Dodge
accomplished 30 much with 20 little noise or
ado. There was nothing sensational about
her methods. She was calm. quiet and res
olute not seeking notoriety, but never
shrinking from public notice when any fight
for a principle was on. There are still
wrongs under which working women suffer
ara there always Will to, but they are much
les than they were and they are all the
time growing less The mere fact that tho
men who employ female labor In New York
know that there Is one woman OF brains Of
hirh tocioI standing and Of Independent
means who stands ready az all times 70
Champion any woman who ~ wrcnKed BIZ
her employer has had the effect 70 secure
for tho women better treatment on general
PRINCIPLES Tie saleswomen In great Try
goods stores are not the slaves Of moor
walkers. the women IN shops and factories
are not driven by brutal foremen, nor arc
they herded together In foul factories or
wnrkrooms With no sanitary improvements
ana without sufficient light and air. The
oid systein o. fisiig the girls scnctimea
haif their wages or more has been wiped out
and o.her reforms have bean set on foot.
IN tho bringing Of these things about Misa
Dodge has played a leading part and has
fairiy wen her position In the Affections
n those women Of New York and the eoun-
try Ee- orally. for the Leari'a NJ clubs Of