The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-02-21

physical exhaustion even in strong men.
Nor must it be forgotten that while
men complain that women are invad-
ing their employ ments in various di-
rections, they were the first to trench
upon those of women, and still in their
thousands fill employments which
would be more suitable for the weaker
sex. For all kinds of labor requiring
extreme patience or delicacy of manip-
ulation women are most eminently fit
ted, Just as men are for others demand
ing greater physical strength. The
field, therefore, is wide enough for both,
and it i'll becomes either sex to oppose
the exertions or cn' n'crprise of the other,
or to resort to selfish system of boy
cotting.
So far we have only dealt with the
returns up to 1871. In a future paper,
however, we will endeavor to consider
the period between that time and the
present, and to show how multifarious
are the occupations and business quail.
ifications of our sex, how they increase,
and how meanly they are remunerated
in contrast with those of men even
when women do similar work, equal
both in skill and quantity.
If we are correct, it must follow that
all the assertions as to home being wo-
mans proper sphere are so many idle
speculations, and the mems claim 20
the worlds work ridiculous rhodom-
ontade. For it is many chances to
one that the garments we wear were
woven by women, that the bedding
which warns us was their handiwork,
that the watch we consult was made
by their deft fingers, and that the food
which nourishes US was largely grown
by them, was prepared by them for the
market, and almost exclusively cooked
by them when it entered our homes.
They most probably upholstered the
chairs and couches on which we sit,
lacquered the iron bedsteads on which
we lie, and bad a finger in producing
almost every article of luxury or ne
cessity. Butter, cheese, jam, tea, cof-
fee, and thousand other every day
articles of consumption, are mainly
their work. Common things, as pins
and nails, and made-up garments, are
cheap because women are cheap, be-
cause their labor can be purchased at
starvation prices. And when we hear
of women making troopers coats for
fourpen ,e-half penny and a policeman's
suit for fifteen-pence, to include their
employers profits, we are shocked at
the callous effrontory which would ex-
clude them from amy profitable labor
or deny them those political rights
which might improve their sad posi-
tion. The grisly horror of the whole
thing makes one feel with the poor
seamstress in Hoods "Song of the
Shirt"
"Oh, God! that bread should be so dear,
And flesh and blood so cheap"
So long as women are shut out from
the highest occupations, the lowest
must remain overcrowded and com
paratively badly paid. What is re-
quired in the interests of all alike is
free field for all, irrespective of sex.
Let the capable woman take preced-
ence of the incapable man. 1t is fic-
tion to suppose that women generally
are supported by men. This is true
only Of few. Neither do they wish
to be so supported. All they ask is,
Freedom without favor. And their
SibiuS pdIioH liOL gaining ahIi uhJuSo
restraints will be of equal advantage
to both s,xos. Morality, too, will be
promoted by it. As the judge said to
button-hole worker the other day,
You need not tell me that you bought
the nice clothes yoL are wearing out of
your earnings, because that would be
impossible" But even poor button
hole worker must earn something. She
dare not initiate our first mother, and
"Necessity has no law" The conse-
quence is that she is compelled to sell
her body in order to clothe it, because
all she earns by hard work will scarce
ly provide the most meagre food and
lodging. And thus this niquitous
state OF things not only impoverishes
the women workers and their offspring,
but degrades and ruins body and soul
together.