Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-11-09
stf'ashin9ton Standard
OLYMPIA. WASH.
FCIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 8. 1906.
An Accomplished Girl on Sale.

An Accomplished Girl on Sale.
The advertisement of q beautiful
young girl in . Chicago paper. to
effect her own sale, to the highest
bidder. for cash in hand-the highest
lbut nothing is said about the best
bidder)-protec.ed of course.by man
made laws regulating marriage and
divorce and form Of possession, calls at
teniion a. nothing else can do, TO q sys-
tenn of albeit servitude that far exceeds
all the pathetic horrors Of African
slavery a. outlined by abolition re-
formers half a century ago and SO in
delibly stamped upon the memory by
Mrs. Stoves great novel "tncle
Tom"
The only difference is, that the
slaves in the sweat-shops are white,
and despite our boosted chivalry) the
victims women. Their bondage is no
less absolute, nor their condition less
deplorable. In fact it ia infinitely
worse, for without such guards than
Elizabeth Magee proposes to throw
around her womanhood, the sacrifice
is dishonor and the end lingering
death.
Elizabeth Magee is a stenographer
by occupation, at $40 q week. She
throws conventionality to the winds,
skaters the code OF propriety. and
boldly announces that she will wed
the highest cash bidder, and for life
become the white slave of her pur-
chaser. Then in modest terms she
sets forth her qualifications for enter
tainment of her master. Her language
shows her to be we'll educated, enter
tanning and deep student of philos-
Ophy. She wants to wear fine clothes,
and in return will do her utmost to
promote the comfort and pleasure
of her husband. Among some Of her
qualifications, she claims to be in.
telligent, educated. refined, honest,
just, broad.minded, . student OF
psychology and as possessing unusual
phychic powers; is q member Of no
church, but obeys the laws of God !;
has large grey eyes; splendid teeth; ;
full, passionate lips; is we'll proper
toned, graceful, supple, warm and
generous hearted; kind, gentle and
affectionate. She declares she is q
"cracker-jack" typewriter, (not above
slang, you see) but typewriting is
she uses q word meaning hades. and lie
therefore not free from profanity when
an exceptionally strong word is need
ed.
Elizabeth Magee does not for .
moment, think her position is excep-
tional. Far from it. She knows that
there are many bound, by CALLING
chains from higher life, by the en-.
vironments, the thoughtlessness and
carelessness of the animal man, whose
sel6shness turns his eyes within and
seldom without. There are tens of
thousands-aye, hundreds of thousands
of victims, poor slaves to the mas.
tiers of privilege! Is it, she asks, any
wonder that brothels disgrace every
city, of our land? Not one woman in
a thousand voluntarily sells herself
because she is intuitively had-not one
one in ten thousand!
Why is it that while laboring men
are perfecting the most stringent laws,
and effecting the most thorough or.
ganization, to place wages at the
highest figure, and keep it there, they
seem oblivious Of the fact that women
must labor longer hours and at q pit.
lance barely able to keep body and
soul together? Why is it that if
women seek to enter organized labor
bodies, they are mercilessly excluded?
Why is it for equal capability, women's
wsge-rate is always lower than of her
brother man?
A few years ago, while on q trip
East, the writer Was taken through
the sweat.shop in New Haven, Conn.,,
by its owner. highly respectable and
eminently moral gentleman, who had
over hundred girls and women run
ming sewing machines, working from
twelve to fourteen hours . day and re-.
ceiving from SO to IS cents per day
for their labor. To the question,
"How do they manage to liver" their
master shrugged his shoulders and
declared, "That is q question that
does not appeal to rs for solution.
Trade regulates the price of this pro.
duct (shirts) and if those employed
can't make living ~ the prices
Others are ready to step in and fill
their places" These "white slaves
have to keep step to tho treadmill oil
labor. They have not time to strike,
and driven to desperation-probably
with others dependent upon them-is
it difficult to foresee results?
A slave.driver in one Of the large,
towns in this State, when told by q
girl in the firms employ that be,
weekly pay did not admit of more
than two and sometimes only one
meal . day, to say nothing of room
rent, brutally replied, 1.-THE latter
need cost you nothing, if you're wise.
And this in free, enlightened and
Christian America!
The l. B. o. E., OR CoLoRED ELKs.-
An Elks lodge of colored members i.
to be founded, il is reported, in Port