The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-04

J III 81,
/ " discussion OF which may ne pro-
ductive of so much lasting good as
the adequate and intelligent dis
- cussion OF the home life-ideal and
/ practical
That we Americans are abundantly in
( need of much intelligent direction in
I this matter is the almost universal opin-
/ ion OF the best social philosophers OF our
/ time. The spirit OF commercialism which
/ has come TO be the al-absorhing topic
4 among men cannot but have its effects
I upon the home II would be strange In
I deed II II did not show its influence there.
! m the world Of commerce the possession
I of money gives power. The man of bust
I ness no matter in what line. can make
/ his Influence felt not alone by brains and
i ability; he must have the almighty dollar
l back of him. This prominence of position
/ in the social. political and business world
I which Is given the money man Is pretty
! apt to fix the goal OF ambitious men
1 and women upon the attainment OF wealth
I and emphazise the means of securing 1t.
/ This is particularly true of young men.
! The American boy fits himself by educa-
/ ton for practicahillty. His course of study
1 is so arranged as to enable him to secure
( a large measure of wealth in the short
est time possible by emphasizing those
I faculties which fit him early for BUSH
/ ness.
! OF course this wealth is to be massed
! honestly; that is honestly as the bust
I ness world uses that term And II is very
4 seldom that high ideals which tend TO
| quest ton the honesty of business methods
/ are inculcated
/ one of the first lessons he learns after
| he leaves school, IL he does not learn
| it there, is that money is power That
| 10. the level to honor and distinction-po-
/ litical, social and mercantile.
/ The American girl is given in much less
- rtsxer af 10 nOrar AZ.
/ rectly. but she is not less ambitious in
! directly Her education Is no less prac-
/ teal in its aim though the same goal
( is secured indirectly While her brother
I is striving for a position of eminence in
/ the world OF money, she Is assiduously
4 fitting herself to become the wife of this
/ man of power. Her education emphasizes
those traits which add TO her personal at
/ traction and tend TO make her the more
| agreeable to her companion of wealth.
What power and position he seeks TO
| gain through brains and dollars she ex-
| poets to secure through marriage. We
| rarely see women ut themselves by educa-
| ton and training to take commanding
| places In the affairs OF the world. There
are women who do so At themselves, II
| is true but they are the exception rather
than the rule. They more often seek to
marry a man of position and power.
This bending of the efforts to obtain
| money and through II power. Is. i am
| afraid. being made too paramount for the
| hest interests of the home. In It's fnal
| analysis the home is the mesh In the
network OF civilized society. The homes
may be called the foundation stones upon
which are reared the superstructure OF
| civilization, and anything that shakes the
| foundation magnifies the vibrations of tho
superstructure.
The servant question ia but one phase of
the question OF home organization, and
though perhaps the most neglected phase,
IL is by no means of small Importance.
Step TO the door OF the most fashionable
and weIl-to-do homes of your large city
and your call Is answered by an ignorant
| foreigner or a heather cooie. Walk
| among the parks and every day you meet
the children of your most respected ana
| intelligent citizens in the care of this same
| class OF persons. should. perchance, an
occasional American girl be among them.
| she Is almost invariably from the lower
walks OF life. OF poor parentase and per-
| haps wholly uneducated
That many of the Weather families
| have educated governesses 10 look after
| their children Is true. and due allowance
| should be made for them in reaching con-
ciusions.
| To the observing mind the questions
viii come: What effect do the uneducated
maids have upon the children? Where do
American girls learn their knowledge OF
| housekeeping?
As write there lies before me the daily
Paper printed in a Western city OF 1000
souls It contains the Information from
/ the city free employment bureau that
| more than 100 girls are wanted In this city
alone to perform Homework at wages aver
| aging $40 per month. consulted the chief
/ OF the bureau ana found that there was
| not a single application on the boards for
/ a sirl to work in store or office, and ] was
| further informed that they very rarely
| had calls for girls 10 nh such places. I
/ also learned that the wages OF girls In
stores ranged from 50 aud s. 10 IS per
/ week and rarely exceeded &c. u would
/ seem as II there were some good reason
| Why store work Is so readily taken up at
| small wages when housework which pays
| as large wages. together with board and
/ room. must so begging for girls 20 MI the
| places.
| In order TO properly discuss any aues-
| ton q must BE- discussed in It's relation
/ 10 all It's kindred questions To lay down
! an ideal proposition which assumes to
/ Leneft one class at the expense Of another
/ Is as bad an no discussion at all. When
/ read Mrs, Woods paper on the ideal or
! ganfxRtion of 4 home where the income 10
/ from 81 coo TO S. 500 ger Apnurn, ! could not
I but wish she had also discussed the IDEAL
| organl1Atlon % the home OF servant who
/ "a dependent upon $50 or tia ger month. IL
( Il IL 80 bard 20 organize home where the
I income Is Sl9 3 per MONTH shat Is "a be-
4 come Of the servants home whcre The In
! come is hgt sl2g How much Intellectual
/ enjoyment and culture vii Il provide
| When the cost Of necessary clothing etc
| Is deductcd1
! Il may ~ answered that this has moth
/ ing 20 So with the question % home
/ orEanlxA ti0r, and Il r. true y We are will
ms 10 turn oar future citizens over 20 the
( Gaze ~ servants that afe intellectual seroa
I and then deprive them % al means % be-
1 coming anything else THE poat aAys. Il
Z aua part 90 an that have met and thia
/ Ia particularly tree % tltte children How
4 many af us have spent years ia after nts
/ trying 10 root cut foolish notions that
/ took but a minute 70 plant ia the child
| ish raindF
/ The servant question has nothing 90 40
/ with Ideal home Nfc " We think that one
/ class MAS created 20 minister 20 the wants
! ~ mo other far their "hoara and keen 30
I Ii has no,hing 90 DO Stth the question ~
/ Ne assume that servants sili siNhys h~
/ heweFs 81 weed and drawers q water for
! somebody else. or Il we assume that they
/ wil neNsr have families, of, if fhey do.