The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-17
WOMAN TRADE UNloNlST.
SHE is REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE
HER FULL SHARE OF THE FL
NANCES.


Refers to Her as "Female"-Wo-
men Say They Could Avoid Many
of the Present Difficulties if They
Were Allowed to Do SO-They
Have one Organization of Their
own, which Is Much Opposed
Worlxinnvomen Scorn the Aristo-
cratic Charity Lenders-Trade
Union Men Respect Their women
Members. but They Want TO Boss"
Things Themselves.
The English women trade unionist Is
a factor in the English industrial prob
lem which seems to have attracted
very little attention. The man, 10
certain extent has carried her battles
into his own arena and fought for her
when he was fighting for himself put
she has had almost no voice in the
government of the trade union where
her name was enrolled. She has. how
ever. borne equally with the man all
of the financial burdens, and suffered
as much as he in the labor strikes. She
has. in fact, shared equally in all the
things which have counted for disad-
vantage or discredit without any Of
the honor and glory in the victories
of any chance to avert the defeats.
In considering the question of trade
unionism the average person outside
takes almost no account Of the woman
in the organization: in planning the
campaigns from within the average
trade union man gives her no special
consideration. He says that the rights
of the female in the labor struggle have
been the rights of the male; that he
has won for her every concession she
now possesses. Many Of them will wax
eloquent on the spirit of medieval
chivalry in the breast of the British
workman of to-day who wants to right
al.the wrongs of woman, carry all her
burdens and receive his reward only in
her approval.
As an American woman I shall take
care to express the British trade union
woman's ideas only as have heard her
express them herself, not only to me.
but also to the man, although timidly
perhaps. and as I have heard them ex-
pressed by those trade union men who
are most in contact with the women
and understand them best.
In the first place. the so-called chiv-
the woman did not rank as a female"
in all calcul atoms: if she was not tech
nically called female" in everything
written and said on the subject by the
men of The organization. While the
word feminine" means all that is
loveliest and sweetest in the woman
character. the word female" means
nothing more than difference in sex.
1t is applied as often and as properly
80. ~, ~ 4 a
carries with 1t no sentiment.
The knights of the Fairy
Queen did not succor 'fe-
males" in distress. the warriors of
the Waverly novels did not risk life
and limb in tournaments to receive a
mark Of favor from a "femsla's' hand
Women of they spoke and
thought as females" were not the
ones for whom they lived or fought or
died.
The English workman does not say
he has fallen in love with female -
He calls her a woman, because she
means to him then all that the word
Implies. He calculates with the woman
in trade unionisln as a female" be-
cause she means that to him in this
connection. When he is honest he
confesses that he has lifted her thus
far with himself, because this was to
his own interest. but that he has not
wanted her to " uddle" in the govern
ment OF the ors snization, and that he
has repealed her attempts to do so.
There are many trade union women
who are still content to remain nonen-
titles in the organization, but there are
many others, led by women of ability
who intend to remain nonentities no
longer. They declare that they have
wrongs to right which the men have
not considered. They s7y that in many
cases where the n demanded the
same wages for the men it simply
meant starvation for them, as few en-
plcyers of manual labor consider wo-
men as good as men at the same price
Moreover, there are those who insist
that much of the evil in trade unionism
to-day would have been avoided if the
women had had a voice in the manage
ment of affairs
There is definite organization
or trade union women apart
from the great societies of the
men. 1t was fourded in
1874 by woman printer. Miss Emma -,
smith, afterwards Mrs. Patterson, and
1t was modelled after the friendly So
cieties" of the United States for wo-
men OF the working classes. Miss
Smith managed to get to America to
study this movement. 1t was several
years before the women became bold
enough to make an open avowal of
their principles under the name Of the
Trade Union League" They met a
storm Of disapproval from the leaders
OF English charity which has not been
greatly modified.
Under these circumstances it is Gu.
rious that the league is more largely
Influenced by a member of the aristoc-
racy than by any other woman. Lady
Dixie is their practical head; she
knows the details of each woman's
work; she is constantly consulted or
every plan; she is the chief advocate
of the league at the trade union con.
crosses. One sees very soon that she
works among them as an American
woman in her position would do: that
she uses none of the ideas controlling
English charity leaders who patronize
while they attempt to help. and spend
their time making props for the tree
which would grow strong by itself il
only started we'll The English work
ing women are like the English work
Ding men in haranguing bitterly against
the privileged" class and in scornine
the fine ladies and gentlemen who
drive in state up TO their cottages and
send in baskets by the footman YET
the highest born lady in England
could come and go among them as
Lady Dixie has done for years IN the
same spirit OF genuine friendliness and
never receive a discourtesy
The league numbers to-day about
$4,000 women, who must belong also &c
a regular trade union. They have SC
far done most OF their work through
their alliance with the men. This 1.
partly due TO their own tmidity, bul
largely because they have met wifi