The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-18
president who appointed polygamists to
federal offices in that state.-s
DIR. SMITH AND HIS CRITICS,

tain recent utteranceS of Rev. s. G..
Smith, of the Peoples church. These re-
marks were made during the course of
two sermons delivered by Dr. Smith on
the relation of women employees to the
problems of Industrial and social life.
Generally stated the contention of DR..
Smith may be said to be that society
would be really better off could all the
women row holding positions in shops,
factories and elsewhere be withdrawn
from their employment.
The criticisms INDUCED in concerning
these two sermons have all been. so far
as the attention of the Glob has
been directed toward them, mar
row and partial They appear to have
sought out the weakest arguments and
those on which the speaker laid least
stress and to have attributed a wholly
disproportiOned degree of Importance to
them. The G l o b e, for instance, does
rot believe that the Rev. Mr.. Smith ever
thought of Directing to women being
compelled to work. Yet there are news
papers which grow wordy, and heated in
their worthless, in assuring their read
ers that it IS much better for woman
to work reasonably hard for wages in
somebody's factory than it Is to work in
her own household without any money
compensation This lire of argument
simply offers the illustration upon which
81, olr t11rn
those writers who affect the greatest
wisdom and familiarity with all phases
of certain social questions really know
nothing at all about their subject, and
through the inverted telescope of their
own ignorance and preconceived views.
Would society be any verse off we're
women all excluded from the factories
and other places Of general employment
under the present industrial system, and
their places taken by men? That is the
question which these critics of the pas
tor Of the Peoples church might address
themselves to, if they seek discussion
rather than denunciation and criticism.
Society, including women, would in such
state Of affairs doubtless be all the bet
ter and happier. But there is as little
hope of seeing any such condition prevail
as there is of men taking to aerial fight
through natural agencies alone. We have
brought the present conditions on our
selves, and we must endure them, and
make the most Of them.
SO far as concerns her ability to supply
herself with what pass for personal
wants in the present state Of society
woman as a rule is infinitely better off
than she could possibly be unemployed or
confined to the occupations. of her own
home. But IS she happier? Does she full
fill the part in the economy of nature
which she is designed to fulfill as salts
factorily to herself and to society under
the new conditions? Would the world be
better or worse off II her care were left
to her father and mother, to her brother,
her husband or her son, or, where she
shares none Of these relationships, If she
could be furnished with her means of sub
sistence in some other and even more
laborious way? These are all questions
which Dr. Smiths critics have avoided,
wiHfully, we believe, because they are
exceedingly troublesome ones, and be-
cause modern industrialism, for which
most of DR.. Smiths critics hold brief,
snaps its fingers at ali such mere alb
stractions.
Neither this Tor the next generation
will see any substantial change for the
better in the conditions attaching to
women's lives-those of them who are
forced to make their living in factories,
who think they are or who choose to fol-
low such callings. We have "emancl-
pated" women. They have their freedom:
and they are making use Of it. The
divorce court seems to testify that they
are making even worse use Of it than
the use Of working in factories, worse for
themselves as we'll as for society But
the public policy which found expression
for the first time in cur statute books
some thirty-fiVe to forty-flve years ago,
when woman was given the right to own
property Independently of her husband,
| has borne it's legitimate fruit in more
directions than one. Among other things
it now renders it possible for woman to
buy and sell real estate without the
slightest regard to her husband, While
he must have her unite before he can
give any title to what he has purchased
from the fruits of his toll. It has enabled
woman to have her cake and eat it; and
it has brought its burdens as we'll as its
advantages to her. One of her burdens
our industrial society has settled secure
ly en- her shoulders. Nor does she bear it
alone. Man shares it with her. His
share of it often takes the shape Of les
sened opportunities of employment and
reduced compensation as the result of her
competition.
Whether good or bad for woman or for
man the employment of the former in in
dustrial callings is going to continue;
and like wise men we are called on
to make the best OF it.
A CRIME AGAINST THE CHILDREN.
Take 225 boys from the Sums pack
them into a ramshacIlfe building divided