Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-06-21

Win tlt udllOud4
ment: for long while women clerks in
Washington got nine hundred dollars
for doing that for which men received
eighteen hundred.
To thousands of young women in our
cities to-day there is only this alterna-
tive: starvation or dishonor. Many OF
the largest mercantile establishments
of our cities are accessory to these
denominations: and from their large es-
adjustments there are scores of souls
being pitched off into death; and their
| employers know it!
Is there God? viii there be iudg-
ment? tell you, if God rises up to re-
dress wOman's wrongs, many of our
large establishments will be swallowed
up quicker than South American
earthquake ever took down a city. God
will catch these oppressors between the
two millstones of his wrath, and grind
them to powder.
hear from all this land the wall of
womanhood. Man has nothing TO an
swer to that wall but batteries. He
says she is an angel. She is not. She
knows she is not She is a human
being, who gets hungry when she has
no food, and cold when she has no fire.
Give her no more batteries. Give her
justice!
There are about fifty thousand sew
ing girls in New York and Brooklyn.
Across the darkness of this night
hear their death groan. 1t is not such
a cry as comes from those who are sud
denly hurled out of life but slow.
grinding, horrible wasting away.
Gather them before you and look into
their faces, pinehed, CHASTITY, hunger
struck. Look at their fingers, needle.
pricked, and blood-tippedl See that
premature stoop in the shoulders. Hear
that dry, hacking, merciless cough.
At large meeting of these women,
held in a hall in Philadelphia, grand
speeches were delivered. but needle
woman took the stand. threw aside her
faded shawl. and with her shriveled
arm, hurled very thunderbolt of elo
quence. speaking out the horrors OIL
her own experience.
Stand at the corner of street in
New York in the very early morning
as the women go to their work. Many
of them had no breakfast except the
crumbs that were left over from the
night before or crust they chew on
on the way through the street. Here
they come the working girls of the
city! These engaged in bead work,
these in flower making. in millinery,
enamelling. cigar making. book bind
ing, labelling, feather picking. prin'
coloring, paper box making. but most
overworked of all and least compen
stated, the sewing women. Why dc |
they not take the city cars on their way
up? They cannot afford the five cents
If, concluding to deny yourself some
thing else, she gets into the car, give
her seat. You want to see how Lat |
inner and Ridley appeared in the fire |
look at that woman and behold more |
horrible martyrdom a hotter, more
agonizing death!
One sabbath night, in the vestibule
of my church, after service, woman
fell in commissions The doctor said
she needed medicine not so much as
something to eat. As she began TO re
vive, in her delirium. she said, gasp !
ingly: Eight cents Eight cents
Eight cents! | wish could get it done
am so tired | wish could get some
sleep, but | must get IL done Eight
cents Eight cents" We found after.
wards that she was making garments
at eight cents apiece, and that she
could make but three of them in day.
Hear it, Three times eight are twenty
four! Hear it, men and women who
have comfortable homes!
Some of the worst villains of the city
are the employers of these women.
They beat them down to the last penny,
and try TO cheat them out of that. The
woman must deposit a dollar or two
before she gets the garments to work
On. When the work is done it is sharp
ly inspected, the most insignificant
flaws picked out, and the wages refused.
and sometimes the dollar deposited not
given back. The Womens Protective
union reports case where one of these
poor souls, finding place where she
could get more wages, resolved TO
change employers, and went to get her
pay for work done. The employer saws
II hear you are gong to leave me?r
''Yes," she said, land / have come to
get what you owe me-" He made nc
answer. She said: Are you not going
to pay me?" yes" he said, 81 will pay
you" and he kicked her down the
stairs.
How are these evils to be eradicated;
What have you to answer, you who
sell coats. and have shoes made. and
contract for the southern and western
markets. What help is there. what
Danacea, what redemption? Some say
Give women the ballot What effect
such ballot might have on other ques
ions | am not here to discuss; but
what would be the effect of female
suffrage upon woman's wages. do
lot believe that woman will ever get
Justice by woman's ballot.
Indeed, women Cypress women as
much as men do. Do not women. as
much as men. beat down to the lowest !