The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-28


ing TO the boys of today will go far 10.
ward solving the doubts in the minds OF
those who think our sisters are going TO
send men to ruin by doing their work.
The boys in Ttroop polytechnic univer-
sity and in the many other institutions
OF that character now rising up " pless
this nation will not be looking for easy
Office positions when they grad Ihey
will be ready to do their share OF the
worlds manly work; and when man -
thoroughly equipped for such WORK IN
any depar .ment ne does not usually NUM-
fol- it very long-the work usually seeks
him.
If simplicity and sobriety and economy
in social and domestic life could Jake ,ne
place of all the false ideas that cohtiol
the lives OF so many OF 6s o perv 'gii ttls
ground for this discussion.
Judge M. l.. Graft s paper was III part
as follows:
The more enlightened a nation, the
better its women are treated. Judged
10y this test. our civilization is IN advance
of all others because nowhere In the
world are women treated so well.
In Germany she is hitched to cart by
the side of a dog and often with COW
pulls plough or harrow. In another
great country it is lawful for a husband
TO punish his wife with a stick as large
as his finger; it is only when he whips
her with larger stick that he breaks
But here it has been claimed by some
that woman has too many rights ana
that instead of giving her more some than
she has should be taken from her. Prom
met among these is the right to earn her
living, and if she so chooses, to lead an
independent life. It is urged that by
having been admitted to certain indus
trial pursuits to which man had hitherto
had the exclusive right. woman has par
TALLY DISPLACED him and lowered his
wages; and because she has done this she
should be shut ont and thus give him
free field.
"The advocates OF this doctrine seem TO
lose sight of the fact that every woman
who finds employment and earns living
she thereby relieves some man from sup
porting her. and that on the whole II she
does not earn more than living-and we
have heard that she rarely does-one case
is set off against the other.
Objection is also frequently made to
the daug hters of rich men accepting en-
ployment for the purpose OF earning
spending money without which they
could get along. and obtaining positions
which would otherwise go to men.
1t is hard to understand why this OBJ
lection is urged against the daughters of
we'll to-do men and not against their
sons. If one should depend upon the
bounty OF the father, why not the other?
Then III may be Tioii today and peer to
morrow. Why should not the daughter
be allowed to prepare for tbs viclssltude
of life as we'll as the son?
Moreover, the woman who earns
money spends it and thereby helps to
make market for what men as well as
women produce. All this extra money is
spent for extra things which she would
not otherwise purchase.
The fight made by the rsstrictionists is
akin to the old fight made against labor
saving machinery. The type-settlng ma ,
chine, for instance, displaces men and
drives them to seek other occupations.
And yet it has come to stay.
When a large number OF people, either
men or women, who have hitherto been
idle, enter into industrial pursuits, it
necessarily produces temporary derange-
ment. Though this temporary derange-
ment, like that caused by the introduce
! ton of new machinery. seems an evil to
I the short-sighted, in the end it benefit
| the whole community, for it is a we'll
established fact that the greater the num-
Der of producers in a community in pro-
portion to Its population, the greater IS
| material prosperity.
| If the shop girl cannot live and main
| tain her virtue on the small salary ten
dered her. how long can she live and be
good without any EN- pioyment whatever?
But man always undertakes TO say that
woman shall do and what she shall re-
ceive for it, and what he shall do and
what he shall have for it. and tnat with
, him settles it. She can accep: that or
| die or do worse.
The school of thinkers who object to
women competing with men in the in
| dustiral world argue tnat when permitted
| to do 50 they are are less likely TO marry,
and that thereby Womanhood is de-
/ gradeu.
Wifahood and motherhood. 1t is true,
are the highest estates given to woman ;
and it is equally to mans credit that
! he become a husband and father. But
all women do not marry. Neither do all
men. Women should be as free to lead
| single lives as are men. No opportunity
to earn an honest living that is accorded
to men who do not marry should be de
MED to women who prefer to remain
| single or are unable to marry.
Men should consider that whatever de-
bases woman likewise debases man. and
! that whatever he does to improve her
condition improves his own.
But the trend OF things is in the right
direction. Woman has been praotica lly
| freed from the washtub in California.
Has that made her less faithful as wife or
mother? She has been largely relieved
from the drudgery OF th kitchen by the
lnstrumentality of prepared foods, res
taurants. delicacy stores, bakeries, etc.
Has that taken anything from the sweet
ness of home life.
The statistics which have been read
show that women are fast taking the
places of men in thuse occupations for
which they are adapted by nature, espe-
ciAlly those requiring no capital. They
are today the chief educators OF the
youth of the land. Women are suppressed
ing ZEN as clerks in private and public
offices. They are crowding men closely
for honors in some OF the professions.
They are successful in mercantile life,
particularly IN lines where women are
customers. They are managing some OF
the greatest libraries in the country. BY
process of evolution they will in time
by the same law, there are certain occu-
parions which will always be controlled
and led by men. among which are stone
and brick masonry, mining, railroading,
farming, carpentering, blaoksmithing,
butchering, fishing, manufacturing and
selling lum Der, manufacturing and sell
ing furp iture. manufacturing and selling
all the products of iron and steel, build
ing and sailing ships, etc.
john Stuart Mill says: "If women had
as absolute control as men have OF theil
own persons and their own patiimony OIL
acquisitions. there would be no plea fol
limiting their hours of laboring for them.
selves, IN order that they might have
time to labor or the husband, in what Is
called by the advocates of restriction his
home. For improving the condi.
tion of women, it should be . an
object 20 give them the readiest access tc
Independent industrial employment, in
stead of closing, either entirely or par
italy. that which is already open to
them"
The formal reading ended, President
Enoch Knight formally let down the bars