Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-03
WOMEN PAID HALF FOR WORK
PAY FULL PRICES FOR FOOD

LOS ANGELES. Aug. N.-[Editor
Herald: Homo" goes back to the
time the race was young and quotes
Mosaic law as authority for mans
right to legislate for woman, because
| it gave the husband the right to rule
in the home. Can he tell us about the
voting booths OF those days also?
Mosaic law said: "An eye for an eye,
q tooth for a tooth, a life for life.''
The sermon on the mount gave us the
golden rule for the new dispensation,
which says: Whatsoever ye would that
others should do to you, do yet even Sc
to them"
How would that rule do as a guide
for mans treatment OF his helpmate
that has borne her share of the bur
den of the race through the ages. II
might fortify Homo" for 'the refec-
tion cast upon American manhood to
say we cannot legislate equally foi
both sexes"
The woman is not troubled about
mans right to be the head of the
home. She only questions his right to
settle her status for time and eternity,
not only in the home but as factor in
civilization.
Governments owe their just powers
to the consent of the governed" If
women are governed equally with men
when have they voted consent?
been given in that way? Then what of
the three millions of wage earning
women of this country who have no
means of support but their own brave
hands. Have they consented?
What of the two millions of children
in mines, mills and factories, as the
writer was at the age of 10 years, grind
ing out profits for greedy men, in spite
of the fact that the Mosaic law said:
''Ye shall not affiict any widow or
fatherless child"
Everywhere women are Disseminated
against as to wages. In the govern
ment departments in Washington
women doing exactly the same work
as men get only two-thirds as much
pay, and this is simply because they
belong to disfranchised class. A sem
ator recently appealed to on this sub
ject replied: Madam, If we gave as
good pay to women as to men all the
women would be driven out Of the de-
partments. The voters of the country
are males, and because of the demand
for places by men we are able to re-
tain women only on the plea of
economy, because we can get them
cheaper"
Is it justice to these weary workers
who, because disfranchised and gener-
ally helpless, must choose between
starvation and poor pay? And yet men
like Homo" say, I'VE, as men, meet
you equally in the business world"
when they know the dice are loaded In
their favor.
The New York Tribune once defined
woman as "a creature who receives
half pay for all she does and pays full
price for all she needs" Yet Herbert
Spencer says: Equality knows no sex
and the law OF equal freedom manifest
ly applies to the whole race, female as
we'll as male" What of that immortal
phrase OF Lincoln's, Government of
the people, for the people, by the peo-
ple." Women surely are the people
equally with men. If they are, where
Is your boasted American government
by the people with woman q disfran-
chised class? No class can safely be
permitted to make laws for another.
Women equally with men have the In
herited experience of the race. They
may not at first be wiser for them
selves than man can be for them. The
chivalry of American man is proverbial.
but because he can carry woman instead
of letting her learn to walk Is no reason
why we should develop a race of
cripples. Woman must walk, work,
think and vote for herself If she isl
ever to receive justice from all men or
be an intelligent factor In national life.
If "Homo" really wants to learn OF
laws that are in derogation Of the
rights Of women, and children as well.
he can acquaint himself with numerous
ones by looking up tine status of woman
in the various states.
Homo" is talking theory. The
writer's facts We're learned by bitter
experience in woman's struggle for ex-
istence. MARION MAH4ANs