Connecticut western news., 1900-03-15

the crumbs that were left over from the night before or the crumbs they chew on their way through the street. Here they come, The working girls of the cities. These engaged in bead work. these in flower making. il mil linery, in paper box making, but, most overworked of all and least compensat- ed, the sewing women. Why do they not take the city cars on their way up? They cannot afford the , cents. If, con cluding to deny herself something else, she gets into the car, give her a seat. You want to see how Latimer and Rid ley appeared in the fire. Look at that woman and behold a more horrible martyrdom, a hotter fire, a more ago nizing death. Ask that woman how much she gets for her work, and she will tell you cents for making coarse shirts and finds her own thread.
 Years ago one Sabbath night in the vestibule of our church after service woman fell in convulsions. The doctor said she needed medicine not so much as something to eat. AS she began to revive in her delirium she said gaspingly: Flight cents! Eight cents! I wish I could get 1t done. I am so tired. I wish I could get some sleep, but I must get it done. Eight cents! Eight centsw We found after ward that she was making garments for cents apiece and that she could make but three of them in a day. Hear 1t! Three times eight are 24. Hear it. men and women who have comfortable honest Some of the worst villains of our cities are the employers of these women. They beat them down to the last penny and try to cheat them out of that. The woman must deposit a dollar or two before she gets the gar ments to work on. When the work Is done, 1t is sharply inspected, the most insignificant flaws picked out and the wages refused and sometimes the dol lar deposited not given back. The Women's Protective union reports a case where one of the poor souls, find ing a place where she could get more wages, resolved to change employers and went to get her pay for work done. The employer said. T hear yon are going to leave me?' Yes" she said, "and have come to get what you owe me-" He made no answer. She said. Are you not going to pay mel" Yes" he said; "I will pay you" And | he kicked her down stairs.
 Oh, that Women's Protective union! | The blessings of heaven be on it for | the merciful and divine work it Is do | ing in the defense of toiling woman | hood. What tragedies of suffering are presented to them day by day! A para | graph from their report: "Can you make Mir. Jones pay me? He owes | me for three weeks at S2.50 week, and can't get anything, and my child | is very sick. The speaker, young wo- man lately widowed, burst into flood | of tears as she spoke. She was bidden to come again the next afternoon and | repeat her story to the attorney at his usual weekly hearing of frauds and | impositions. Means were found by which MT. Jones was induced to pay | the $7.50."
 | Another paragraph from their re- | port: "A fortnight had passed, when she modsstly hinted desire to know how much her services were worth. oh, my dear he replied, you are get | ting to be one of the most valuable ] hands in the trade You will always | get the very best price. Ten dollars week you will be able to earn very easily And the girls fingers flew on ] with her work at marvellous rate. turned her head. A few nights later, while crossing the ferry, she over heard the name of her employer in the conversation of girls who stood near: What, John Snipes? Why, be don't pay. Look out for him every time. He'll keep you on trial, as he calls 1t, for weeks, and then he'll let you go and get some other foolv And thus Jane Smith gained her warning against the swindler. But the union held him in the tolls of the law until he paid the worth of each of those days of 'trial'"
 Another paragraph: "Her mortified ton may be imagined when told that one of the two s bills which she had
 just received for her work was coun- terfeit. But her modification was swallowed up with indignation when
 her employer denied having paid her
 the money and insultingly asked her
 to prove 1t. When the Protective un-
 ion had placed this matter in the courts, the judge said, You will pay
 Eleanor the amount of her claim, $5.S3
 and also the costs of the court'''
 How are these evils to be eradicat
 ed? Some say, "Give woman the bal
 lot" What effect such ballot might
 have on other questions I am not here | 4r ,li l@ 4l 70
 feet of female suffrage on women's
 wages? I do not believe that woman
 will ever get justice by woman's bal
 lot Indeed, women oppress women as
 much as men do. Do not women as
 much as men beat down to the lowest
 figure the woman who sews for them , Are not women as sharp as men ou
 washerwomen and milliners and man
 tua makers? If woman asks a dol
 lar for her work, does not her female
 employer ask her if she will not take
 % cents? You say, "Only 10 cents
 difference" But that is sometimes the
 difference between heaven and hell
 Women often have less commlseratlon
 for women than men. If a woman
 steps aside from the path of rectitude
 man may forgive-woman never! Wo
 man will never get justice done her
 from woman's ballot. Neither will she
 get 1t from mans ballot. How then
 God will rise up for her. God has
 more resources than we know of. The
 flaming sword that hung at Eden's
 gate when woman was driven out will
 cleave with its terrible edge her op
 pressors.
 J Resolve to Excel.
 But there is something for women to
 do. Let young people prepare to ex.
 eel in spheres of work, and they will
 be able after awhile to get larger
 wages. Unskilled and incompetent la
 Dor must take what Is given; skilled