Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-10-15

American working girl 10 u white slate
and offers 40 sell hHrsFlt 90 the high
ena bidder into u slavery Ut NIL @la'ds
the most d~epbprable. The "u'SnFst Ut
the that have reached
onF exchange table since the pnhitea
ton Of the misguided girls letter. IF"
usetty good cyidenee Of the feeling
Ut the people generally ol this sao
IeeL
N 10 work fOr ones living b. 10 he
n slave, there are comparatively IT,"
in this country who are free trona
thraIdom. Veuy often we heal The
protest oil American wome against
the conditions that prevent them from
becoming tree from engaging In oc'
eauattons MI men do. from earning
their W independent iIvings. We
hear the protest that marriage honld
n q be the only end and aim OF won
an.
Yet. here In one Of these IDdei'end
ent ONE aud there are some 9th
err In her CLAWS. who. finding 1t mic
esssry 10 work. find the working life
a slavery and Is willing To barter all
thai womankind holds most sacred
for fine cloihas and IN easy time,
The spirit IL the same that makes
men rob banks and steal from their
employers. But NINETY nin" out OF ev'
ery hundred men aud women would
rather work all their days with little
help OF bettering their condition than
to become dishonest oil barter theus
self Prospect for gold, s
We have never had much sympathy
with the woman who rallied at mar
riage and its limitations and burdens
and urged that women should
In the world shoulder To shoulder
with the men. II this idea were gen
eral there might. perhaps. be nor
Elizabeth Magies than there are at
present. The sphere where wornan
can do the mowt 10 elevat" and MAKE
better this old world. and tn" sphere
In which she IN herself the %happl""t
and can make her refined Influence
most felt, Is In the home.
But the American man. be he mil,
i,onaire or laborer, who does not find
II necessary 10 work, IL so slight Il
factor 40 not Ia he worth taking int"
consideration. And II happens very
often that women are compelled I"
become wage earncrs.
All honor Ia the woman who must
work for her living II. In her con
tact with the worries aud troubles OF
the workaday world. she cannot re-
main quite as tender. quite as fine ii"
.the woman of the home. she grows
stronger, more seifreliant. more
forcefui, and she no more often walks
In forbidden paths than the onla
who has all the protection that the
home can offer.
Woman has demonstrated her ahil.
ity. when she must, to keep pace with
man, to make al much money as he
makes, TO conduct business as sue
ttS5tuAtA, I" no ~
menta for work done as the man,
Elizabeth Magic Is a Stenographer
She Is, doubtless. as we'll paid for her
work as men who do u corresponding
amount of work. Thousands OF met
are engaged In this kind Of work and
have just as much reason Ia think
they are slaves AS has the Magic girl
They are not thinking VI dishonesty
or crime In order to better their posi-
,inn. The stenographcr, man or wom
an. can make a comfortable. indcpend
emf living, enjoy all the comforts and
best things Of life and miss none o
the essentials. Why thea Is the wom
an worker a white slave"
This girl imaglnes that only wea1tl
can bring happiness. She would no
be willing 10 marry a poor man anC
work AZ millions OF women work II
the home, She would not be williu.
10 work even as Mrs. Roosevelt ant
Mrs. Cleveland and Mrs. Fairbank;
work 10 train and care for a family o
children. Her ambition IN only to be
long 10 the idlcr class. which, wheth
or rich or poor. Is a curse to any pee
pie,
To man 0r woman earnest, work o
some Mind Is essential to the RICH
forming of character and to the deyeI
opment n the best that IN In them
Service in the home. in the school, j.
the stor" in the factory. in the office
Is not slavery. but the Idle poor O
the Idle rich, they are the only slave
that this country is dlseractd Wit
today.