The courier., 1901-07-06
Woman's Economic Independence.

Womans Economic Independence.
This is the latest slogan Of reform:
THE Wholesale prostitution Of woman.
hood by making it necessary for any
woman to find some man to support her
must be stopped" Sounds we'll, doesn't
it! But il isn't exactly true statement
OF conditions. The aim Of marriage is
to reach state in which the woman
supplements and supports the man in
her own way and according to the laws
OF her nature. No man can have any,
thing much, il he be married, il his wife
does not help him get it. She may con.
tribute as much to the family resources
by her sympathies and her kindness as
he does by his hustling. Economic in
dependence for women is all right so
far as it goes, but it doesn't go far. A
man does not support woman half as
much as good woman supports him.
A woman's contribution to the family in
thought, in solace, in the services in
which she is expert, has value and il
is recognized. She is paid for her work
in any well.arranged home. She has a
fair share OF every good thing that
comes to the union Wives are not
slaves simply because they do not han
die all the money. They are relieved of
the worry OF handling it, and they spend
the greater part OF all family spends.
The average wife Of any halfway de-
cent husband gets more, as things 90
than she would get il she
were placed by her husband on salary.
The wife ION an allowance" has, usually,
q hard time Of it. The allowance tends
to the minimum. The wife who goes
ahead and makes bills and leaves them
TO be met by her husband will get more
things and meet with less grumbling
than the woman on regular ealary. The
economic independence Of woman is
delusion. A man must be able ID sup
port woman because, as nature and
show, the thoroughly we'll.
strong woman in marriage is a rarity.
Her earning capacity is smaller than
mans and great part of the time il is
ail-f We mean by earning capacity.
ability to do hard work. On the other
hand, in another sense, an i'll or invalid
wife may be worth more to a mans sue
less than all the physical potentiality of
an Amazon. Who shall measure affec-
ion and sympathy and even the value
If sweet woman's physical helpfuIness
ls an inspiration to her husband. in
mere dollars and cents? No woman is
merely an sppendage to a man in the
married state. She has value-for we
ire not considering the valueless sort OF
olks. And figuring out all the expense
u the home the woman has her full
hare, when she does not voluntarily
ilvert 1t tn her children or when she
ioes not deny herself to help her hus.
)aId into position wherein he NAV
1--WE her greater share Of the value Of
heir partnership. Women drudge. of
course; 80 do men. Each drudpes for
9th. Put wives on salaries and the
alaries -ill be small. Moreover. sal
Iries will drive love out of their work
which to be good. in the home must be
owing work. The wife undoubtedly
hould have her own money, but sbe
loeen't work for money. Marriage isn't
wholly business, as reformers think
love is its greatest factor and the low
ng and beloved woman, in ninety nine
ases out OF one hundred, is not a de-
,endent. Her share Of the money made
o the partnership will average up fairly
sell with that OF the man.-The Mirror