The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-03-09
AN APPEAL FOR JUSTICE.
Mrs. J. g. Phelps Stoke. Critirises Care-
less women of Wealth.

The women of wealth who wear da.
monGs. careless where the purchase
money comes from. when the cost
means the misery Of their working sis
ters." received especial mention in an
address by Mrs. J. g. Phelps Stokes,
who wa, Miss Rose Harriet Pastor. be-
fore the Peoples Meeting" at the
Baptist Church of the Epiphany III
New York City.
Mrs. Stokes was one Of n notable list
of speakers, the others being the Rev.
,Dr Z. s. Macarthur, Of Calvary Bap-
fist Church; Mrs. Frederick Nathan,
President of the Consumers League,
the Rev DR.. Madison G. Peters, pastor
OF the Church Of the Epiphany, and
Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch.
working Women's Wrongs" was
the subject. and the miseri6s Of the
women Of the greater cities, whose
lives are spent in the sweatshOps un-
der inhuman masters who drive them
to consumption and early graves, were
discussed. Mrs. Stokes address re-
ceived earnest attention.
Educating the wealthy TO sympa.
thize with the condition Of the work.
ingwomen," giving the workingwOm.
en- the right Of the ballot and having
them form unions" and Legislation
against employers who pay insufficient
wages were some of the remedies
suggested.
The men who amass wealth by pay
ing starving wages, and whose minds
are never disturbed by any thought OF
justice toward their employees, also
came in for criticism.
The Bible utters its anathema
against such men," Rev. Macarthur
said. The cries of the wrOnged toll
ers have entered into the ears OF the
Lord, and the gold and silver. of such
accumulation is cankered. tainted and
hopelessly condemned"
Mrs. Stokes was introduced by Rev.
Peters as young woman whose
name on the lower East side is a
household word for sympathy and hui
manity."
What say know to be true from
my own experience of twelve years in
a factory" Mrs. Stokes said "A great
deal of the discomfort among working
women is due not so much TO any Spe-
cifc wrong. as to the general feeling
of absolute Indifference as to the well
fare evidenced by employers.
People who draw dividends should
know where the dividends come from.
They should know the conditions from
which these earnings spring. What
would Jesus say to the women who
wear diamonds, when the cost is untold
misery and all health on the part OF
their less fortunate sisters? / think
/ could guess. and 50 can yOu.'
Mrs. Stokes was questioned about
this declaration 5y one OF her audience
and she said:
Il do not mean women should not
wear diamonds. | have no objection
to the wearing OF jeweiry by women
who work for the money which buys
them.
Happiness is impossible for the
working girl who sees herself handi-
capped in the struggle toward strong
or, noblcr womanhood; who cries out,
or is terribly silent, when she finds
herself held Gown. ignorant, weak and
helpless, in the pitiful struggle for
bread and by the intensity of bruta!
disregard and industrial competition
over which she has not the slightest
control.
"All possible Joy is generally cX-
cludcd from the Workshop Mrs.
stokes continued. "by the rigid rules
against talk and intercourse among the
workers. Under such conditions. life
becomes mere monotOnous GrUdgery,
and work becomes absolutely hateful
Mrs. Stokes declared tLat "one-third
Of all workngwomcu between the ages
of twenty and r0rty-tve die annually OF
consumption, because of the conditions
under which they are employed