The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01
THAT SERVANT GIRL
PROBLEM
A..
HOusemOther's
Plea for
Reciprocity
By KATE UPSON CLARK
Author of "How Dexter Paid His Way" Etc.

but certain objections to this course. as to
almost every other, loom up and deter her.
Dainty undergarments appeal strongly to
the taste of the average cultivated wom-
an: but the householder In these days, ex-
cept in the richest families has had TO dis
card every ruffle and everything else
which would require clear-starching and
expert ironing, else give out" her laun-
dry work at almost prohibitive prices.
rs the starched pieces give out. mum ?
Some OF them-for instance, the gentle
mems collars and cuffs"
81 don't go nowheres, mum, where all the
starched pieces isn't given out, mum"
With the expenses of living multiplying
at rapid rate. laundry bills. ice bills milk.
! butter. gas and nearly everything else ris-
ing, and the price of service fairly doubling,
the anguished householder chances from
pole to pole for relief. AS she does so. the
only oasis which she sees in all of the
awful desert, bears the detested name of
China.
China. the spot where vast hordes of
willing people. each with two hands and
two feet and quick and active brain, are
| pining for America and American dollars!
| How attractive is the sound. OF course we
would rather have angels than Chinese
who are said to have some traits which
| differentiate them markedly from those
| other and higher Celestials But even that
patriotic and unselfsh public servant, Mr..
Pierpont Morgan, can hardly buy up a
| transportation line between US and Para
| disc.
CALL FOR CHINESE.
No other thickly populated region, the
| ,boI1 Of 10 10
| CRATE, is in sight. We repeat. let us have
the Chinese brought over hereby thou
sands, or even by millions. We certainly
can Christianize them more easily thus
than by sending missionaries over to them
| to win souls there, at the high price of
$4,000 and a martyr or two apiece We ap-
peal to the great missionary societies to
| join us in our enterprise, 1t is movement
which ought to promote their objects far
faster than any process which they have as
| yet discovered.
Let us suppose, Honored Mr.. President
Roosevelt and Honored Mr.. Secretary Hay,
that your desks were piled with unan-
swered letters; that you had scores of err
rands waiting to be done. that your whole
| territory was crowded with articles to be
moved, and to be mended; that it was all in
4
to pay almost any wages for having this
| work done, and yet could not get anybody.
Suppose that, though you yourself rose up
early and sat UP late and ate the bread Of
| sorrows you could not begin to accomp-
lish it. How long do you suppose you would
bear it? You would say, Something has
| got to be done" You would bring all the
| influence Of your official positions to bear
i
| you would enlist every agency that you
| could find. You would get force of work
ers-and you would not be very long about
it, either.
Now, the work of every one OF our little
households is just as important to us as the
work of your great office is to you and your
constituency. We are exactly in the situa-
| ton which 1 have painted as possible for
you. The cry of the helpless housemothers
of this land is rising in your ears. 1t may
| seem funny, or silly, to you-but it is
neither. The breaking up of countless
homes and various other undesirable social
cataclysms impend, unless something radi-
cal is done, and done soon. We appeal to
the government of this great Nation in
our extremity. If you really do think so
much of 1.-The home you pretend to; if
| what you ana everybody else say about
that citadel of virtue and unit of ma
tional strength" is not mere sentimental
moonshine repeal the laws regarding Chi
| nese immigration. An i'll result two may
| follow-but at least shall have some
| body to help us In our bousework.
Saturn, Jupiter and Mars laugh down
| upon us from the depths of space They
may be bristling with billions of ready
| helpers, who, for a few dollars per month
would undertake the general homework for
| ten in family with all the starched
| pieces thrown in, and the breadmaking to
| boot-but they are as Unavailable for our
| purposes as the angels themselves. No Of
fer OF highest wages" with perpetual in
| cense of deferential manner and sycophan-
tic speech, can bring down these denizens
| of the skies
On the other hand, swift steamships ply
| constantly between us and China. Droves
| of Chinese laborers stand on the shores of
| the Yellow sea, beseeching to be allowed to
| come to us. We stand this side of the
ocean, with hands full of dollars and
hearts full of longing. A million of dis
tracted housewives unite to urge this reci-
| procity measure upon the immediate con-
sideration OF our government.
| RrOOklVn N Y.