The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-05-30

carriers of this country.
This article is only written to touch
a phase Of that subject, and that
phase embraces the interest Of all
working girls in America, and, I sup
pose, their number runs into the mil
lions. In the absence Of the statistics
on that subject. / cannot say their pre-
else number, but there are millions of
them in the factories and stores and
offices, and, in fact, in nearly all cal
ings, we find the working girls.
I believe that the stability of our gov
eminent and pe~rpetuity of our insti-
tutions viii be tested at this pointmore
fercely than any other, for thousands
of these girls hardly obtain enough to
subsist by the honest tolls of their
hands.
Heartless merchants, heartless wom-
en-, heartless corporations frequently
grind these girls to the dust. The
manufacturers of clothing, the society
women, frequently, and those for
whom the girls toll, have already put
them between the upper and neither
most millstones.
A boy or man, with the brawny mus
Gle and brawny frame, can stand the
kicks and rebuffs and ~hardships of life,
but frequently the frail, pale girl goes
down under the strain.
/ honor the working girls of our
land, and God forbid hat one word in
this article should reflect upon their
noble characters, but the old adage,
Hunger knows no law" either human
or divine, may cover the question we
are discussing in some instances.
A working girl must have clothes
to wear, food to eat, and comfort by
night, and a pillow upon which to rest
herhead. Aboveallt things her character
must be protected. There is a point
with some where resistance seems to
be impossible, and they are engulfed by
a tide of circumstances, that carries
them out into the sea, where they drift
on in perdition and ruin.
These girls are laboring daily in the
cities, in many instances their wages
will not pay their board, where their
characters are protected. In many in
stances the laboring girl, who has not
the fostering care of a father or moth
er over her at night, should be provided
a home in every city, presided over by
a governess, and the girl boarded at
a minimum sum. It should be the duty
of this aatron to be a mother to the
girl or girls, throw around them the
yerJ3Ibest of influences, shield their
charasrs and protect their lives.
Some es already have the working
girls honf4 neatly and elegantly pro-
vided for their wants, and shielding
their characters.
Philanthropy and b~enevolence can
find no place where dollars can be so
wisely used, and ~benevolence so amply
rewarded, as in this direction.
We r hurrying along, every man
for himself, with the understanding
that everybody else must look out for
himself. This might do as between
man and man, but our noble, sweet
girls, whose characters form the pill
lars on which rest the perpetuity of
our civilization itself, cannot be consid-
cred as having a place in a fallacy like
this. There is enough for all to have
b competency. There is character
enough in the manhood of America to
protect and provide for womanhood,
if it only could be made to muster and
materiaIize.
There are movements on foot in
many cities, hearts and hands are
ready now. Let those who are able to
furnish the meal consider what this
work would be for humanity, and join
hands and hearts which are now ready,
and thereby furnish the means to pro-
vide for the honest, laborious girls,
whose lives are a blessing to the world,
and whose characters are as priceless
as jewels.
The hard worked and hard working
girls only ask that we give them in re-
turn for their faithful labor adequate
reward in the way of salaries and fees.
We cannot do less for them than they
demand without hurrying on a state Of
things which we will deplore. Our
resolutions and purposes along the
lines Of betterment for humanity can
count nothing unless they materialize
along practical lines, which give the
helping hand and the fostering care.
We may run our normal schools and
business colleges and teach both boys
and girls how to work, but until wages
r better and sympathies are broader
between rich and poor we cannot turn
aside from the contemplation of q sub
ject like this, without mourning the
d~ispleasure of God and an aching con-
science by and by.
Ihavepreached to thousands Of these
working girls over this country, and a
thousand times my heart has been
touched and drawn out toward them,
and with all my heart / commend their
Ease and cause to the consideration OF
the benevolent man, who ought to
think and who ought to give. We are
too prone to think along selfish lines
Caring not that it is true, that mans
inhumanity to man makes countless
thousands mourn"
The working girl has come to stay;
she is an integral part Of our society.
The working girl has her place; there
Is no stunning Of This fact, and, above
almost any other class, / ask for her
confederation care and protection.
a working girls home, large enough
and nice enough, which she makes her