St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-27

SAAO Win lilO SCeA WOIh
elsewhere or go without. The conse-
quences are truly disastrous. The man
thus reduced is compelled to send his
children out as bread winners instead
of allowing them to attend school,
and the girls, after they are through
with school, to remain at home with
mother and learn the art (for it is an
arD of housekeeping. In this way the
labor market is further glutted, wages
further reduced, and we may well ask
ourselves where will this thing end? :
IDLENESS AND CRIME.
For years the national conference of
corrections and charities has been seek
ing the cause of the remarkable and
continuous increase of crime. | be-
lieve that I can see one most produc-
tive cause. The proportion of men to
women among criminals is about 90 to
l. Why is this? Is it not reasonable to
conclude that very many of these
young men would have much preferred
to work for an honest living If they
could have procured work at a rea-
sonable wage? Unable to get re-
munerative work, they are forced into
crime. But If women would confine
themselves to the legitimate sphere of
woman, even here in st. Paul alone,
there is little doubt that not only
would there be more vacant places
than there are now men out of em-
ployment, but the average of salaries
would be at once increased.
1t is marvellous how wages have
fallen within few years. A single In
stance, which concerns large, hard
working and intelligent class of men,
is but one of hundreds. Ten years ago
a young railroad clerk in the general
offices in this city, who had had two
or three years experience, would re-
ceive at least $50 month. Now the
same clerk is fortunate to be hired
at $50 a month. This is merely one-half
of the former salary. The cost of liv-
ing is much less, certainly, but 1T has
by no means declined one-half. The
real reason for the decreased wage lies
in the absence of demand for the SER
vices of young men.
There are, I am Convinced, many
young men who would gladly have
homes of their own, but their wages
are so small that they feel that they
cannot afford it: under the present
condition of the labor world they can
scarcely make enough for themselves,
to say nothing of supporting a family,
and I do not doubt but that there are
many who are thus driven into lives
of crime. because they cannot make
a living in an honest way.
EXTRAVAGANT GIRLS.
There are other young men who
stay single because so many of the
young women of the day are reared
to such extravagant ideas, unwilling to
be the good old-fashioned wives and
mothers. They feel that they must
have servants and nurse girls and
everything that the wealthy are able
to enjoy. Or they have been standing
in stores or working at other occupa-
tions so long that they have distaste
for the duties of home and are unable
to prepare a palatable meal at reason
able expense. Again these young
women have been earning from $50 to
800 per month, many of them, for their
own use; and some of them will not
marry unless they can have like
amount from their husbands to use as
they please. This means an income of
about $125 to $50 per month, and there
are not so very many young men that
are able to earn that, under present
conditions. There are many young
women in this city, for example, who
after spending year or two in study,
are drawing as large, and in some
cases larger salaries than many men
with families to support, and that, too,
though the men are fully as competent.
1t cannot be denied, however, that
the young men themselves are often
largely to blame They have been
drawing a certain salary and have
been in the habit of spending every
cent of it upon themselves; and we
could all doubtless do that if we tried
hard enough. Who is there that could
not spend $1,000 a year on self if
they had it. Then they think that 1t
will cost just twice as much to marry
and support a wife, and so, without
laying any away and trying to save
and look forward to having a happy
home and family around them as they
begin to go down the shady side of life,
they spend all they get and wait for
the time when some kind fate or for
tune shall suddenly double their in
come before they could afford to
mary; and I doubt if even then they
would think it worth while.
PLEA FOR HOME LIFE.
T am pleading this morning with
Paul, for the home life of our nation;
not that do not think the young wom-
en- have not a right to exist, but that
it is the duty of the men, the fathers
and the husbands, to furnish them with
that existence, that they may employ
their time in works of love and benevo-
lence for the uplifting of the human
race, for L must confess to you that l
do not think women in business uplift
themselves or those around them. How
can a modest woman be present in
court of law as an attorney on some
of the shocking divorce cases that
come before US, and still retain that
precious pearl of her existence, wom-
anly modesty?
1t is the solemn duty of this nation to
struggle to restore wages to the men
that shall permit them to live and to
marry and to support their families so
that women may be kept out of busi-
ness life as far as 1t is possible, and be
induced to become home builders and
fulfil the part for which the Lord Gre
ated them. II will, therefore, that
~
dren, (Which indeed is no disgrace as
some seem to think, guide the house,
give none occasion to the adversary to
speak reproachfully"
Women, this is your highest, noblest
mission; the Lord, your creator, made
you as mans help-meet, not as mans
antagonist or competitor in the bust
ness world. 1t is said that Rome fell
for want of homes and families. II is
a great and difficult problem, but feel
it my duty to say: Fathers, keep your
girls out of business all you can; wom-
en-, train yourselves for the home life
that you may make homes for those
you love and those who love you, and
and that you may make those homes
the sweet, restful and attractive places
that they must and ought to be as the
nurseries of the young nation. II is a
duty you owe to your native land as
well as to your God.