The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-26
The "Strike" From a
 Woman's Viewpoint

whether a woman knows anything
 about situation or not she always
 thinks she does. and in consequence usu-
 ally expresses her opinion.
 | A famous bishop of Mississippi once said
 that 'the clever woman never dabbles in
 politics and never meddles with busi-
 ness" But then there are lots of us who are not clever.
 Every woman in the Birmingham dis
 trict is interested in the strike, for it indirectly affects every one of us. Bir-
 mingham is never inert; it pulsates with emotion, with vitality, with human in terests, more than nearly any other town oi it's size in the world. One might para l phrase Gen. Horace Porter's description of ''The Hub Uten Le Soid," Boston is not city, 1t is a state of mind' and say that Birmingham is not a city, 1t is a state of activity
 l A very bright woman, the wife of one of Birmingham's most prominent finan- 1 clers, was in New York shortly after
 some very stirring times here, and she was asked by a Gothamte If she had enjoyed "The Man of The Hour" that fascinating play, which deals with polit- | ical situations, Wall street affairs and
 the vital issues of the day. She replied Well, you know I live in Birming- ham. and I go through just such ex- citing scenes every day, and I must say that do not care especially for it."
 
 There is always a condition to be met here. There is scarcely a time when an apathetic attitude to the in terests of the public can be assumed. | The "strike"-following as it does. and being largely responsible for the sensational retirement of our widely known third term mayor" from the municipal race-is the absorbing theme. Many are forced to join the "Stay-at
 Home club" by the conditions that prevail; many a pleasant summer jaunt has been interrupted by the fact that | things are unsettled; and many an i important journey has been delayed because of interests involved.
 The key note of it all Is sympathy | humanity. Sympathy for the home con ditions, for the provider, the wife, the mother, the child-those things which l get closer to a womans heart than 1 all else in the world. For are not all these implicated? The heads of the great corporations, the striking men" 1 the men who have, as Kipling has said, 1 taken their jobs and have stuck" the | gallant military boys, each and every l one of them has a mother, or a wife. or a sweetheart-some good woman who is deeply concerned, and whose interest Is unswerving and undaunted. The danger, the menace to life, the l discomfort of 1t all is narrowing to woman.
 The home life in every class suffers by these conditions-take the daily life of the men at the mines.
 In the humble home, who but the lov | ing wife and mother has cheered the 1 little shack" with her many devices and thoughtful deeds? Who has kept the flowers blooming in the one little south 1 ern window In tin cans and broken pieces of crockery? What has taught the little children to enjoy the beauties of natureY ] Who is it that assemblies the little
 flock" together at the close of the days S
 work to enjoy the evening meal? AL ways the woman. And to her the outlook | now is deepest despairl Everything is 1 changed. The merry prattle of the chill dren the happy housewifes smile, which
 used to greet the tired husband as he | '.homeward plods his weary way All
 this has turned to the subdued hush- l the furrowed brow-the worried look. 7 And it is the same in the home of the i banker, the merchant, the lawyer, the | butcher, the baker and the canules.ick
 maker. Every avenue is invaded
 The times" have been strenuous enough already-the period of sackcloth
 and ashes which has existed financially
 since last falls panic, the recuperatlon and readjustmept of the buying power ol the people All this has caused untold i discomfort and worry. The strike only
 emphasizes the situation.
 l That was very graceful thing that the | qovernor's wife did when she and her l daughters accompanied the chief execu- ! tive on a trip to the various places where | the strike troubles exist. It showed that
 she. among many of Birminghams nopie
 women, is deeply concerned about the ] conditions. and that good woman Is ! ever ready to lend her influence when- i ever and wherever 1t is needed.
 Humanity Is not a question or geog-
 raphy; it is about the same the wlde
 world over. whether yellow or white; time
 modifes it but little and human better | ment is a pretty theme.
 1 The governors attitude in the matter i has been most just to all parties invoiVed' l he has asserted that mot only must the { rights of the property holders be pro-
 tected and the rights of the men desir-
 ing to work, but the rights of the strik- i ing men as well must be respected 1 At whose door the responsibility of the
  ! been decided. One thing is certain: antag-
 onism invites antagonism; a fostered : grievance Is an anticipated friction-sends out shafts which bound and rebound with
 quickening vibrations. The strike exists
 and that is sufficient. What is more
 directly to the point than anything else is, it's elimination. The women all over l the district want to see the end of the 1 strike. They are anxious for the finale
 so that things may be easier and condi- 1 tions normal once more. Women do not i like to be harrassed and worried. The Don't Worry Doctrine appeals to a
 woman tremendously. Worry is most
 unprofitable condition-it Is a thief that
 steals precious time, and energy from life 1 it makes wrinkles and bad tempers,
 and units one for duty; it makes one old and ugly long before one should be-and
 no woman wants to be that. As long as
 the strike exists worry will exist-and
 we want the strike to come to an end
 In the meantime the thought that no evil is so peremptory but that it has an
 outlet of hope is encouraging.
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