The herald., 1897-06-18
EVOLUTION IN woMEN's WORK

| MAJ Ming ~ AAiO2C 0lAACulI 4OI Ileu 10 lluC
employment.
In 1860 in this country there were
10,O00,000 workers Of both sexes, and
100000 only were women. In 1890 there
were 22,o0o.o0O people engaged in gainful
pursuits, and 100000 were women.
While the male increase was less than
100 per cent, that of women was 700.
In 1860 women were mainly confined
to work in the factories of New Eug-
land. The 500, 900 did not include wives
and daughters engaged in home house
hold work, nor do the 100000 include
| them.
The increase of women workers has
been not only in factories, and in MAX
| ing clothes, binding shoes and other
work Of a similar character, but they
have become typewriters, stenographers,
telegraph operators, teachers, account
ants, bookkeepers, clerks in stores and
cashiers, nearly all of which work, or
its equivalent in 1860 was done by men,
| The greatest percentage of increase
VI WOlll WoihSlS 10 III tllc SOQlil. IoO
fore the war the southern women were
not accustomed even to performing
household work, but after the war they
herOically grappled with the poverty
section, and have done their full share
in restoring prosperity, and the women
Of the entire nation have bravely re-
lieved themselves in large measure of
the dependence which social ideas and
customs formerly imposed on them.
There have been some very great ad-
vantages to women growing out of the
enlargement of their fields Of labor. Pre-
viously they felt it almost necessity
to marry in order to obtain support, ani
on account of their dependence they
more often than they otherwise would
consented to wed with men who were
not worthy Of them. Since they have
become Independent through their abili-
ty to provide for themselves, they give
more thought to the characters of men.
and marry with more judgment than
when they felt coerced by their necessi-
ties. When civilization was less ad-
vanced women were regarded and
treated either as dolls or mere
drudges,, and their development in intel
ligence was discouraged. They were
trained to please the fancy or be the
servants of their husbands. Civilization
has progressed so far that wives have
now become equals and companions OF
their husbands. Women have now be-
come more generally co-workers in the
cause of human progress in every form
1t is more fully realized than hithero
that the highest human happiness is as
sured by equality of the sexes, socially
and in the possession of property rights.
and the trend of public snteiment indi-
Gates that equality may soon be extend
ed to policical affairs.
Some have expressed the fear that the
advancement of women will have a de-
teriorating influence on men. They poin;
to France as an illustration, where it
is claimed the women are superior to
Tie uleI, especially III eueTSy, INDUSTRY,
shrewdness and thrift, and in the econ
omies of life; that men will become de-
pendent as women have been, If moth
ers and wives are relied on to support
the family. If there is danger in this
it is the fault of the men.
Because women are at work it is not
a reason why men should be idle. There
is no need of collision or great danger
that one will supplant the other, because
physical constitutions demark the
boundary between the fields of labor to
which the two sexes are respectively
adapted.
Let the advancement of women go on.
and one just step is to give them the
same pay as men receive when they
perform the same work. We believe
that the advancement Of American
mothers, wives and daughters will not
destroy or seriously injure American
men. If such should be a result, the men
not the women, will be responsible for il,