The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-10-15

Labor's Proposition Is to Put
Woman on an Equal
Basis With Man.
Both to Receive Equal Pay for
Similar Services Rendered
to Employer.


lonism toward the true emancipation
of women. The trade unions original
demand that woman be placed upon an
equal footing with man and receive
the same compensation for similar SER
vices, and her equality with man before
the law, has borne excellent fruit. The
trade ulons pointed the way and work.
ed consistently in the direction to
which 1t pointed; then other social
forces took up the matter and worked,
though in q half-hearted way. This
has resulted in great improvement
particularly In her legal status. Until
trade unionism awoke the public con-
science woman had been for centuries
classed with incompetents, with idiots,
with felons, and with habitual drunk
ards, with practically no standing be-.
fore the law and-when compared with
man-with no rights worthy of respect
or consideration. She had no control
over her property; no right to the
money she earned. She could not en-
ter into q contract; neither had she any
power over her own children, for they
could be taken from her by the will of
her husband and turned over to a
guardian. She could not sue or be
sued, and without her husbands con-
sent or condonence she was weak and
helpuess in the courts. That was wo-
mans exact standing in society be
tween fifty and sixty years ago, or 'un-
til trade unionism started its grand
work for her emancipation.
All this has changed and her rapid
advance 10 a. higher legal status has
been remarkable. From the time when
the first law was passed in 1848, by
which New York wife was permitted
to hold property in her own name, until
law Of three years ago in the same
state, which decreed that a married
woman should own the wages she
earned, many legislative enactments
have made her present freedom pos
sible. Great advance is made and the
wonderful progress made by women in
her march toward equality with man
can well be shown In the following
case: In the state of Pennsylvania, in
the year 1s41, a certain Mrs. Morton
received a present Of $25 in gold from
her father. This money she invested
in chickens, raising them for market,
and in calico, out of which she made
quilts. BY this means and the severest
labor for thirty years she accumulated
$500 in gold. OF couse this money be-
longed to her husband. who happened
to be hopeless drunkard, and when
he died it went to his mother. Then
the mother died. Mrs. Morton ais exec
utrix Of her husband had not included
the $500 in her Inventory. The moth
er's executor brought the matter be-
fore the supreme court of Pennsylvan-
la, and as gold was then selling at a
charged with what she possessed at
that valuation, though the $500 which
the law allowed her was to be COM
puted in currency. Interest was also
charged with the entire cost Of the
proceedings placed upon her shoulders.
to the. courts final decision
$1,0S3.36 was exacted from this woman,
and thus did her thrift become crime.
Compare this case with the case Of
Mrs. Walker, who last month in the
same state and before the same court,
by virtue Of her fathers will, became
heiress to nearly $40,000,oo0 and the
enormous wholesale drug business of
Powers & Weightman. This business
she Immediately took over and with It
the position of manager, for there are
now no legal stumbling blocks to pre-
vent it. Quite contrast between the
case of Mrs. Morton and Mrs. Walker,
and this contrast was only made pos
sible through the magnificent attitude
of trade unionism toward women.