The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
INTEREST IN THE LABOR 0UBsTIoN
~ TIg RELATION TO WOMEN.


m, Right Of Women to work when They
\ A., Not OBLIGED to Do so-The Question
-, w,rAinx to Get Extra MONEY for
I,,u,,ss-A Consideration OF the Subject.
h.ur Ia flied Just now with discussions OF
Aha labor question In its relation TO women.
Tno club women all over the country are
,.,sr..tipg themselves In the matter Mrs.
p.hscc, D. Lowe, President Of the General
p.d.rst,on OF Women's Clubs. said 10 q recent
.Sdr,ss On THE Industrial Problem In It's
p.lnt,on to Women and Children:
"Compl.x as ID ia, the Industrial problem
LII. rho interest Of the world: yet women
a.. n.ysr been considered part or parcel OF
!, and the world is still wondering why women
h..,,r themselves In the furtherance OF such
,..u.. IL ts Incumbent upon us to learn to
understand labor questions. for. whether We
,noy I, or not we are ourselves In the fight
MANY persons sincerely believe that women
.hould not work. aud that by so doing they be-
.oms the rivals and superseders OF men In the
,.usrs legitimate field. But this 10 a super
eo,.I view From the perfect woman OF Solo
non's limo the human female has been
yorker and has been recognized as such"
Nrs Lowe went on to show how spinning.
waving, tailoring. laundrywork. picking and
preserying, and multitude OF Industries re-
sarded from time immemorial as especially
,,m,ntuc have been taken largely out OF wo-
mems hands. She continued:
scientific discovery has lifted women's work
MI, Of the home and placed 1t In the shop or
hctory Is IL not plan that. Instead OF women
u.urping the field OF man. II Ia man who has
,.tsn possession OF tn. work Of women
Much xush and sentiment Is afioat on the
.ubi.ct Of women leaving the home: but how
dosich sentimentalists propose to meet the de-
mauds OF the great army OF women who have
no homss7 And what about those who arc
Taft with no means OF support In the homer
What will become Of them II they are not al
lowed to work without being looked upon as
mans rivai2 The matrimonial market Is full
to overhowing with marrianeable women. and
70, there are untold numbers outside OF this
MAS who must work for living. unless they
will ohligtngiy starve aud get out OF the way
DO not think that l am urging man to yield
one lot or title to woman because she is
woman. Ijustice DO allowed to prevail there
will be an evolution Of courtesy and chivalry
into An open handed fairness which will give
to the woman the same chance to feed her de-
pendent babies and aged helpless parents that
IL accorded to the labo-ng man.
Men are not TO blame to-day for the position
ofuomen In or out OF the industrial field. IL
has been the Inevitable evolution OF natural
processes Social conditions are such that she
must work for the living. which she cannot do
without The question Is merely how and
under what circumstances she shall work
"A great matter must soon be permanently
aijusted-th- matter OF better wages for
women doing intelligent and satisfactory work.
orsan' Ia;ion will largely bring about this de-
side:atum And this is what the club women
Of the neteenth century looking Into the
promised land OF the twentieth century. are
working most anxiously to accomplish. Or
gan zi;ion Is the ono great lesson that the
work ng woman has yet TO learn. Cooperation
O, the sexes is the lesson for both men
and women to learn. and to out into active
daily practice. The wags-earning women can
advance only By COOPERATION with the, laborinR
man She niu-t travel the same road tn u has
brought the man up. and only through organ
iZatIou AMI coypetatiln with man can her con-
ditiou De- Dattered and her wages reg llated-
II "a much TO the benefit OF the man as OF
the woman.
The employer ha. used her. in her morgan
lied coni ton. a. lever TO force down the
wages OF the mao When she becomes a part
Q! the organised labor anton. she will. through
the MAJ. reach taat adjustment which now
seems i'm possible
Everybody will admit. at least In theory. that
women may work without blame when theJ
must do Il to earn living. But many person
thos- married women who work for wages
from choice. not from compulslon. As ex-sen-
arr ndr pend-nce. They desire more pleasure
and recreation. fner rainient. travel society
and be complains that each woman who sue.
ceeds dlspiaces some man with his living 70
earn. The question. therefore. resolves itseli
into this: Have women right to earn money
when they are not compelied?
No doubt It Is generally unwise for mother
work outside her home whom she dpes not
need 10 10 40. The care OF house and fam lily
h"ls he4e yon o
usual energy who can carry on household
ard profession at the same time. lust az here
And there you hn man OF UNUSUAL energy
who eau run two businesses at once, and make
asuccrs. Of both. hut these are exceptions
Asa matter Of tact, the vast majority OF mar
red women do no, undertake any work outside
Of their homes, and most OF those who do
Eys Hp Dnesf tSs BY
!ie reasons for paying women less than men is
that ~ the time a woman becomes sklfpl
On. generally marries ana abandons her work.
But the question whether married woman
shall or shall not engage In outside work is a
between herself and the government. II is
Doubtless best for the community that the av-
and should give hi, full attention to it; but the
Undertaking TWO, or three or halt a dozen. Il be
ehoos@s. There ts no reason why IL should be
more meddesome in the case OF women
-. woman has. and should have. the legal
and 'esrUus: but has she the moral riRhtp To
answer THIS We mus, broaden the question and
money h HSsr Pr roe mel M, right 70 =, work i9r
N, ingalls, would answer Yes 4 they are
men; no. Il they are women" But no such
double standard ~ ethics can be maintained
famous clergyman was once told by u young
sooner that the religion he preached might be
very good Tor old women. bur II would not
20 Tor men. The minister answered. sir
either the religion thar preach IS true or /,
rot true IL its true II 10 good for every
6oIy' y i, is not true. Il is neither
goo1 Tor old women or for anybody else.
IL iaw OF right and wrong II valid at all. IL Il
Valld az around, When young man inhsrits
rom his father fortune sufficient to supper,
himself and fam ~ liz II wicked Tor him TO &c
mo business and try to make more. thus dis.
Wdclhg some man who has his living to earn
luis not wrong Tor a millionaire's son, why
shoull II b" wrong for his daughterf When
ne average man has accumu ated enough fol-
nmsc. ald family 10 live upon ia he undel
am'rhl obligation 10 retire from business and
sea-" romIetlng with men who have not YET
accumuat"d completeness? Mr.. ingalls, would
s.y mat every man. married or single, has
perfect rgh TO stay in business Hs Ions
e a. he chooses. in order 20 earn luxurie'
sther Tor his lnmIly or for himself. He
lN heip IN money beyond the widest
estimate ot his or his famiys possible needs
lthe more money he makes. the more peo
| WrWlII think Of him, so long as no makes Il
! honestly by what possible process oil reason
| Ing can Mr.. ingalls, claim for h mself and al