Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-12-18
DldaCtic DR.. Dix.


slurring the good women Of our great
country. He declared that there has
been, for several years past, steady
decline OF womanhood from its old
ideas, manifested by copying the ways
and invading the spheres OF men.
The learned doctor" has not, how
ever, brought to the analysis OF this
subject all his learning or talent, or he
could not have arrived at the cOnclu.
sion that a decline in womanhood,
from the modesty and purity of the
cold ideals" has been shown by what
he calls invading the sphere of man."
No people are better able to form an
opinion on this subject than those who
have had an opportunity to base a
judgment upon experience with and
observation of results. For four years
the women of Washington Territory
we're endowed with equal political priv
ileges with man. They were good
true women, fully up to the reverend
gentleman's old ideals, and did not
differ materially in mental and ply.
steal strength from the women of any
other portion of our wide-spreading
commonwealth. What was the result?
Everything that was claimed for the
concession was realized, and all objec.
tions of doubters were met and van
pushed by the irresistible logic OF sue
ceeding events. No pure, honest and
intelligent man or woman, after the
test, disputed these facts: The women
made intelligent and considerate vot-
ere, fair and impartial jurors, and scru-
pulously honest and thoroughly capa-
BILE officers in the limited fields to
which an unreasonable prejudice still
limited their official duties. 1t was
only the vicious, fretting under whole.
some restraint, and the professional
Office. seekers, who could not see their
chances for salaried position less.
ened without arousing their selfish
natures, who really objected to woman's
i" invasion of mans sphere" at the
close of the practical experience afford
ed them. The privilege was wrested
from the woman at q time when still
better results were in view, by the de-
mand OF the liquor dealers organize.
ton, which obtained q lay.figure in q
Mrs. Bloomer, who carried the law up
to the Supreme Court for the express
purpose of having it declared uncon.
stitutional, on bare technicality that
the title did not properly express the
intent of the law, although it had
passed muster before our best legal
minds for several years. The better
classes of people in Wyoming speak
in just as positive nature, of the
splendid results Of their experience
with impartial suffrage and kindred
political rights for even a more ex.
tended period.
dr." Dix, when confronted by q
World reporter with the question,
"Wherein have American, women de-
Perforated from old ideals of woman.
hood" asked "Would it have been
possible, fifty or even twenty years
ago, to have q wedding of the parties
the same day of their divorce decree!"
and in it, like old Adam, blames the
woman only for the one or more cases
in which such an anomaly has hap
pened. Why, reverend sir, fifty years
ago. from one to half dozen divorces
were granted at each annual session OF
the Territorial Legislature, of Wash.
ington, and on necessarily erparte show.
ing. Were the woman responsible
for it, Are the women to-day wholly
responsible for hasty marriage after q
decree, when tho oft.repeated truism
is 80 apparent that at takes two to
make bargain" Then, again, if our
grandmothers were such sanity ideals
of perfection, did they merit burning
- witches or OF ducking for being
scolds?
The right to earn . livelihood by
honest labor belongA to every human
being. To restrict that right il bar
barism. To protect it by lawful enact
ments based upon the right to life
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness, i,
the duty of every true citizen. and Il
deny it is sometimes to force to des
peration which leads to the grave OF
dishoner.
The writer, on an Eastern trip {
score of years ago, visited one of thu
sweat-shops At New Haven, owned BY
. man, to whom he had . letter of in
PRODUCTION. Its owner explained al
the details OF the branch of business il
which he was engsged-making shirt
for the Wholesale dealers. Hundred
of women supported families by slav
ing fourteen hours Q day, Bonded ovel
. sewing machine, at piece.work which
Melted them from so to 60 cents . day
If the tired nerves Jagged, the pay Wal
less; if the work failed to pass tn.
watchful eye of the overseer, the pay
was docked and the unfortunate oper
ator charged with the cost of the
material of the garment. "Strikei'
She had no time to strike for better
wages, for Starvation stared at the very
Threshold Of organization. "Sick.
ness of self or family?" Yes, thai
could not be resisted, and when il
came Desperation accompanied the
alternative, resulting in unutterable