The Washington times., 1894-07-08
SHE is A FRIEND TO her SEX
Miss Grace Dodge's Labors in Behalf
Of Norkingwomen.
SHE HAS SECURED JUSTICE
Young, Handsome, and Wealthy, She is
Fighter for Right-srrong and steadfast
in Aim-suspected and Ridicpled at First,
She Accomplished Important Reforms.

New YORK. July To-day Is essentially
the day of the doninancy of woman. In all
those pursuits that we're formerly closed to
her she is now holding her own with what
was once known as the sterner sex. In med
icine, in education. in business life, and even
in law and politics she Is proving her ability
to hold her own, If not little more than her
own.
Among all the strong women Of TODAY there
are few who, in quiet way, are doing more
to help women to succeed in practical life
than Miss Grace VI. Dodge, daugtt ,r of Viii
liam Z. Dodge. the eminent banker and phil
anthropist of New York, the woman whom
| Abram s. Hewitt, white mayor, appointed as
| q member Ui the board OF education on the
| ground oi general fitness, and who, while a
member OF the board that governs the public
| SCI ,is OF the city. became tho terror OF those
political lea > WHO believed that teachers
should be appointed just as laborers on the
streets or in the public parks were, through
political influence aud without regard to fit
| ness or ability.
II was Miss Dodge. too. who originated the
idea of forming clubs for young working
women. and brought about the formation oi a
national league OF such clubs. 1t was she.
| too, who originated the annual ball and fes-
| tival o. New York working girls in Madison
| Square Garden. rom which men are excluded
save AS spectators-an enterprise tina. crented
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
| helping working girls to help themselves
morally. mentally. and financially. When she
| first entered upon this work it was set down
| that Miss Dodge was merely another rich
woman with a faa-that Of patronizing the
working girl. Even the working girls them
selves took this view of the matter, and as there
/ Is no per on more resentful than the New
York working girl, whether she be in the shop,
the factory, or the dry goods palace, Miss
! Dodge met with not a few difficulties in win
ming 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 first, and
I the members OF them were lukewarm.
After the appointment OF Miss Dodge to be
member of the New York board of eduea-
ton the mayor who appoint her gave her
woman colleague IN the person OF Mrs John
S. Agnew. a much older woman than Miss
Dodge, but thoroughly in sympathy with her
and her views. The two took up the cudSels
for the women teachers and fought their bat
ties in and out OF season. The daily press
reported the fight at iIrst because OF its nov
eltv. and finally because the women were
right. The women teachers came to look
upon Miss Dodge as their champion. and
other working women read of her work and
learned TO trust her. So In time her clubs
FOR working girls found that. stately though
Miss Dodge was. she was as kini-hearted as
any woman can be. that her interest in them
was real: that she treated them as equals;
that she was not inclined to look upon them
Z t...frr AfNia 0f urff- t-S. h.tK,.,
women with feelings, aspirations. and am
bitions OF n higher order, but cramped by
their environments.
Having thus weighed the matter. thev put
their full trust in this wealthy and beautiful
society woman. v b jse ambition seems TO be
to help her mind 10 rise above the conditions
that surrounded ana dwarfed them. 1t took
time and patience to do all this, but this
young woman had means, she had pluck
and the ability TO persevere in the face of
difficulties, She was criticised and even
ridiculei. She went straight ahead and was
not TO be swerved from the line she had
drawn.
question whether Miss Dodge is credited.
as she should be. with much that has been
done for worsing W. m n generally in tine
past half dozen years. There was a time. and
it 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
There were factory laws that were meant to
protect women and girls and that were ig-
nored. There were inspectors whose duty
it was to inspect shops aud stores and facto-
ries and to see that laws on the statute books
were executed. These inspectors drew their
salaries and did little else. The men had
labor organizations. the women We're without
protection, and so the thing went. Employees
of female labor could be tyrannicai and worse,
and there was none 10 saw them nay
The saleswOmen in great dry goods stores
are NOT the slaves OF iloor-w;lSers. the women
~ shops aui factories are not driven BY bru-
tai iorcnen. nor are they herd.d together in
foul factories or workrooms with no sanitary
improvements and without sufficient light
and air. The old system of fnIng the girls
sometimes half their wages or more has been
wiped out. and other reforms have been set
ON foot In the bringing of these things about
Miss Dodge has played leading part, and
has fairly won her position in the affections
of those women OF New York and the country
generally. for the league OF clubs OF these
working girls is now n national affair.
These conditions no longer obtain in New
York, and 10 Miss Dodge. in a very large de-
gree the credit is due. From the very first.
through The clubs that she had organized.
through laying brutal and painful iacts before
state and city officials. through the Dress an d
through all possible mediums. Niss Dodge
and some oiher strong women who joined
forces with her fought for reforms and, what
is morn. obtained them. The wonder OF it
was Miss Dodge accomplished SO much with
so little Nose or n 20. The Q was no;hing SEN
satlonal about her methods. She was calm,
quiet and resoute. not seeking notoriety, but
never shrinking from public notice when any
fight Tor 2 principle was on. There are still
wrongs under which working women suffer
and there always will be. but they are much
less than they were and they are all the time
growin:, less The mere fact that the men
who employ female labor in New York know
that there IS one woman of brains of high
social standing and of independent means
who stands rea ly ut all times to champion
any woman who is wronSed by her employer
has had the ef e to secure for the woman
better treatment on general principles.
Miss Dodge lives in fashionable part of
Madison avenue, and charming nome she
has. She is democratic in the extreme
Very stately and very h ndsomed she Is as seen
in her reception room looking out on the
quiet old street that bears the name of the
favorite President of the United States. Tall,
well proportioned and graceful. with a strong
intellectual face and head that is manike
Of the expression may be used). dressed
quietly. but with perfect taste. Such she ap-
pears at the first g.ance. When she speaks |
one is impressed by the fact that she knows
what she is talking about, that she is in no
way given TO visions or sentiment. Plain, |
practical and bus ilass-l.ke she is. No fad |
dist or theoris. IS she, but woman of clear |
cat strong opinions. who calls u shade |
spade ald not al implement OF agriculture
Working girls or women in search OF advice |
come and 70 to and from her house. |
and none go away hopeless. Young girls |
who seek employment, others who |
have to complain OF tyrannical or
dishonest employers. yet Others who seek ad-
vice in divers forms-all of these this strong |
and seif-rellant woman sees and deals with |
as the Ease may demand. Sa enough some
OF the eases are. but no woman seeks in vain |
for friend who applies to Miss Dodge. She |