Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-16

aIh SO ureo- Wish could get some
sleep. but ! must get II done. Eight
centSi Eight centsv' We found after
ward that she was making garments
FOR cents apiece and that she couII
make but three OF them in n day. Hear
1t! Three times eight are "a Hear II
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 20 the
last penny and try to cheat them out
or that The woman must deposit n
dollar or two before she gets the gar
ments 10 work on. When the work Is
done. II 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 n
case where one OF the poor souls, find
ing place where She could get more
wages, resolved to change employers
and went to get her pay for work
done. The employer said. 81 hear you
are going TO leave mer "Yes." she
said. "and have come to get what you
owe me-" He made no answer. She
said, Are you not going to pay me?'
YES" he said; Iwill pay YOU" Aud
he kicked her down stairs.
Oh, that Women's Protective unionl
The blessings of heaven be on II for
the merciful and divine work Il is do
Ing In the defense of toiling woman
hood. What tragedies of suffering are
presented 20 them day by dayl A para
graph from their report: Can you
make Mr.. Jones pay me? He owes
me for three weeks at $3.50 a week,
and can't get anything, and my child
is very sick. The speaker, a young wo-
man lately widowed, burst into food
of tears as she spoke. She was hidden
to come again the next afternoon and
repeat her story to the attorney ut his
usual weekly hearing of frauds and
impositions. Means were found by
which Mr.. Jones was induced to pay
the $3.50"
Another paragraph from their re-
port "A fortnight had passed. when
she modsstly limited 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
n week you will be able to earn very
easily And the girls fingers few on
with her work at n marvellous rate.
The picture of $40 week had almost
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, he don't
pay. Look out for him every time.
He'll keep you on trial, as he calls IL,
Tor weeks, and then he'll let you 20
and get some other foolr 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 mortifica-
ton may be imagined when told that
one of the two So 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
10 prove Il. When the Protective un-
ion had placed this matter in the
courts, the judge said, You will pay
Eleanor the amount OF her claim. So. SO.
and also the costs of the court"
How are these evils TO be eradicat-
cdr Some say, "Give woman the bal |
lot" What effect such ballot might
have on other questions am not here
TO discuss, but what would be the Of |
feet OF female suffrage on women's
wages? ] do not believe that woman
will ever get Justice by woman's bal !
lot Indeed, women Cypress women as |
much rs 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 on |
washerwomen and mllllners and man. |
tua makers? II woman asks dol. |
lar for her work, does not her female |
employer ask her IL she will not take |
30 cents? You say, "Only 10 cents |
difference" But that is sometimes the |
difference between heaven and hell. |
Women often have less commiseration |
for women than men. IL 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 IL from mans ballot. How then?
God viii rise up for her. God has
more resources than We know OF. The
flaming sword that hung ut Eden's
gate when woman was driven out will
cleave with its terrible edge her op-
pressors.