The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30

| do not object to replying to few of the
statements he has made. He says women
are competing in the labor market with
men.
ut isimy opinion women would like to
work at home, to do their cutting and
weaving and spinning in their own houses,
as they did a couple of generations ago,
but machinery has driven them out into
factories to do the very work which they
could formerly do hy their own hearth
stones. No one found fault with the
women of by-gone times who did spinning
changed, but the work is the same.
Away back forty years ago, when / put
resolution in teachers convention that
women teachers should be paid as much as
men, was opposed on the ground that
women would not marry if they could earn
as much as men. / said at the time, That's
a poor compliment TO men'-but it is DR..
Fftch's argument He thinks the worst
thing for society is for women to earn so
much that they are not compelled to marry,
and assumes that women wouldn't marry
unless they find it impossible to support
themselves
"In fact. his belief seems to be that women
will only marry to win their daily bread, "
remarked Rev. Anna Shaw. tAs for the
effect of their competition on mems wages,
even DR.. Fitch must own that in every
branch of trade and business men are bet
tea paid now than they were forty years
ago, before women went out into the
world to work. Wages may have been
higher in California, but that was merely
temporary and the result OF peculiar con-
ditions. For the world at large, all labor
is better paid now than it was forty years
ago. DR.. Fitch seems to forget too, that
II the girls OF large family go out to
work their money helps the general fund
and the fathers burden is less heavy"
When Miss Shaw was asked what she
thought of DIR. Fitchs declaration that she
was wrong in her statistics, she intimated
gently that she believed it was the war
like doctor who was wrong.
1.-The new census report is not out yet.
but the compendium for 1890 has been pub
lished, and that shows for Massachusetts
that in towns of $500 inhabitants and more
the number OF males was s7o,S77 and OF
females L. 33, 377, giving surplus of 81, 800
females. 1t is a well-known fact that in
the small towns and villages the proper
ton Of women is even greater. The men
come West or to the large cites and the
women often remain at home. DR.. Fitch
must have been thinking of the whole of
the United States. When counting the
West there may be q small preponderance
of men. How about the rest of the world,
though? If every woman had to marry in
the British Isles they would have to prac-
tice polygamy."
Miss Anthony and Miss Shaw had not
much to say about DR.. Fitch's statement
that they were putting money in the bank
by their California tour. but their friends.
who know that Miss Shaw has given up
valuable lecturing engagements to come
West, have resented the remark. Miss
Shaw, when asked about this last night,
said: 81 am lecturer, that is my profess
sion, but at the time DIR. Fitch said we
were making such profits, had not re-
ceiyed single cent for lecturing or preach
ing in California, neither had Miss An
thony"
II suppose DR.. Fitch would charge fee
for setting a fractured limb said Miss
Anthony. at would be as unreasonable
to say that a preacher must never earn
salary, as to say a lecturer must always
speak gratis. However, it was not till we
went into Southern California that we re-
ceiyed cent for speaking here, and dur
ing the southern tour we always equally
shared the proceeds of the lectures with
the Woman's Suffrage clubs of the towns
where we spoke"
II am sorry there has been any discus
sion about us, said Miss Shaw. AZ never
contemplated speaking on the Fourth in
deed, the arrangements were made while
was away, and it was our intention to have
gone home to-day. However, l am not
sorry came to California. We enioyed
the congress, and we have enjoyed the
cCuptrv ~