The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-10-22
AN APPEAL TO WEALTHY
WOMEN TO WAKE UP.


WOMEN TO WAKE UP.
Buffalo, N. Y, Oct. 2O.-Following
is a portion of the speech of Miss
Jean M. Gordon, factory inspector
for the parish of Orleans, New Or
leans, before the Woman Suffrage
convention at Buffalo yesterday:
Miss Gordon's appeal was to the
privileged young women Of America
for a democratic spirit of "1oblesse
oblige" to replace the se1f-indu1gence
of now almost useless lives, and the
attitude of Lady BountifuP' charity
with which so many, as she put it,
are now apparently satisfied. pic
ture to yourselves what it would
mean to this country" she said, if
thousands of young women who now
object to work toward, would awak-
en- to the debt they owe to Helpers
of Mankind who have gone before,
leaving the world so much better for
their having been here, and decide
that from out of the fulness which
has descended upon them, they
would give back to the world an equal
value in public service. Think what
it would mean to bring their train
ed minds and great wealth and leis-
ure to the study of the economic
conditions which are represented in
the underpaid services and long
hours of their less fortunate sisters
in the mills and factories throughout
this broad land.
Think what it would mean if from
the protection with which their
wealth and position surrounds them
they took their stand on the great
question of the dual code of morality.
Think what it would mean to the
little children being stunted mental
ly and physically in our mills and
factories, if these thousands Of young
women, many of them enjoying the
wealth made out of these little hui
man souls, if they refused to wear
or buy anything made under any but
decent living conditions.
L Id L "oulu hlSdH IL IlIOy
decided every child should have a
seat in school, that every neighbor-
hood should have a playground and
a public bath.
TOO long the men and women of
leisure and education in America
have left the administration of our
public affairs to fall into the hands
of a class whose conception of the
duties involved in public service is
of the lowest order. I once heard
an address given by Mr.. Wind, of
the Prison Reform Association, in
which he said we left the most i'm
portant positions to be filed by the
lowest kinds of political appointees.
| We regarded all such positions as
superintendent of penitentfaries and
wardens of jails as unworthy for men
of education and social standing,
whereas they should be regarded as
positions which should demand abili-
ties of the highest order, that is if
our ~penitentiaries INT jails are to be
regarded as ~reformatories.
Il have grown to feel the same way
about the positions our women are
filling. Instead OF being regarded as
only fitted for women of ordinary po-
sition and intellect, all positions such
as superintendent of all reformato-
ries, you matrons, and your women
factory inspectors, should be women
of position, education, refinement and
Independent means. Then they are
above the temptation of graft or the
fear of losing the position. Again they
are on a social footing with the man
ufacturers, and no mill or factory
owner likes to meet the factory in
spector at a reception or dinner in
the home of a mutual friend if he is
trying to evade the law. She might
tell on him, you know, before all his
friends.
American women of leisure must
awaken to an appreciation of the