Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-09

lar. My forefathers died on Bunker
Hin and at Valley Forge for liberty.
Free l was born. free l shall live. and
free l shall dies II is flint against
steel and Is the inevitable result of
such course OF action. This Is the
spirit with which capital is today fight
ing labor when labor makes absurd and
unjust demands.
But would speak also I'm reference
TO another great afiiiction from which
labor today is suffering. l allude not
to the competition OF American labor
with the foreign hordcs. but to that
unnatural and ever Increasing COM
petition between our American boys
and their American sisters In the la
Dor market Brothers struggle for
bread I'm competition with sisters: ia
theirs compete with their own daugh-
terS. Now, know the few words that
l am going To s; c3k viii not be poou-
lar with some. bat what | have TO say
hope may lie heard patiently and
with profit.
The world. 10y every law OF Justice.
owes every man. woman and child a
living. If they are ready 70 work for
pie to work for living in certain
ways any more than lie Intended colt
six m>H:i.s cd g a. tie work Of Il
well GeyclorcI Grl:i torse. lie never
lnten- ed young boys and girls 10 leave
school icrore tlcir Tine. or wives and
daughters TO labor us farm hands in
the ne,GS. wlUu there are sturdy IL
theirs ami l.ro:tcrS physically able to
bear tl.e bFaut of tlsc wo.!, under the
noontide sun. Yet eve:.r where We sce
strong men. ablcbodied men who want
10 work and yet who are unable to
ipd employment because the work that
they SHOULD do is being done 10y women
who ought TO be 1T home caring for
the household. This copditiol is q mon
ace not only 10 the American labor
market. but to the American home and
family. Both must suffer by the sub
stitution of women and girls for men
md boys in tho factories aud stores OF
our land. The natural place for wo-
man Is the home. II Is there that tie
qualities with which God has endowed
her find their proper exercise. To
be the wife and mother. to make the
house a home by her sweet and retin-
ing influence. to train the children to
be good and wise men and virtuous
women by mothers love and care
these are the services she alone can
render, and if she deserts that duty e
will go undone, and this country will
lose Its moral tone There is no COM
pensation known to man for the lack
OF a mothers beneficent influence on
her children.
The Working Woman.
/ yield TO no man in my admiration
for the girl who, being left fatherlesS
and having no brothers capable of
earning u livelihood for the bereaved
family. goes forth to toll for the sup
port OF her widowed mother and her
fatherless brothers and sisters. Many
noble girl Is doing that aud deserves
10 be honored for her conduct. Many
girl unsougbt I'm marriage. seeing her
father gradually losing by age his
capacity for work. takes up the bur
den of helping to provide for the
family which he Is no longer able to
bear alone. Ali honor 10 her for the
assistance she is rendering. and for
the sympathy and reverence for her
parents which she displays I'm rclicv-
ing them OF care and anxiety. Many n
widow, clinging 10 her children AMI
shrinking from the pain of having
them scattered in the charitable homes
OF relatives or friends, finds employ
ment by which she can support ana
educate them and fit them for their
duty in life. God bless and help all
such and give them the strength they
need for their nrduous lot, They should
have our hearty sympathy and our
cordial help in their self sacrificing
labor.
But the spectacle OF what such WON.
en- are doing has stirred the ambition
OF another class of women. These are
they who voluntarily and by choice
elect TO do n mans work IN the world.
In order that they may escape the
drudgery OF domestic service or the
WEAKNESS OF school teaching or in or
der TO obtain money for extravngant
dress and ornament or for luxuyles
which their fathers cannot provide.
they thrust themselves into business
pursuits, displacinG some man who
was earning n higher salary, and they
help TO depress the market rate OF
wages.
L protest against n system which
makes IL impossible for Il strong. able
bodied man TO find work. forcing him
TO stay at home and live upon his
young daughters earnings when they
themselves should be mt school or help
ing their mothers at home. There are
only two ways To rectify this evil. EN-.
ployers should hire their employees
In two ways. First, when IN applicant
comes for place give the preference
to men who IRE husbands and fathers
and the heads OF families; second. alb
soiutely refuse TO employ any young
girl In 4 store or factory unless TINT
young girl Is fatherlcss, brotherless
ana has others dependent upon her for
support. IL IN high time that some Of
our female clerks who are working I'm
stores for little extra spending money
should 30 back to their homes ana
domestically help TO care for their
mothers and fathers and younger sis
ter and brothers. where they belong.
Labor Problems of Today.
The Affections of the Industrial work
ers or America are very great Indeed.
sometimes think they are about as
badly on in America today AS were the
Israeiities in the Egyptian capital over
three thousand years ago. In Il blunt
way 1 have tried 10 present three or
four of the difficult labor problems
which confront the laboring classes of
America nj the present time. Do not.
however. even for moment suppose
that l CONSIDER these problems and 9th
ers like them impossible Of solution.
The same God who led the children of
Israel out OF their enslavement will vet
lead his American children to free iom
from their industrial troubles. In IS93
from the top OF the great pyramid of
Gizeh' i pad two visions. In the first
vision looked toward the ruins of the |
capital OF Memphis, in the midst of |
which l saw Fharaoh's palace. where
iived the cruel tyrant. Isaw the mighty
river Nile changed literally into river