The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-01-06
Girl Makes Best Wife
Says British Dele
gate to Trade
Union Convention for
Reason sf1e Marries Be-
cause She Wants to Not
Because She Has to.

|
in the world.''
Macarthur, president Of the Women 3
Trade Union League of Great Britain.
Miss Macarthur was the guest of the Wo-
men s Trade Union League Of New York
last week, while on her way home from
attendance at the biennial convention Of
| the Chicago Women's. Trade Union
League.
Miss Macarthur is a remarkable wom-
an. Not yet thirty, she has been interest
ed in trade unionism among women for
more than ten years, and has practically
built up the English organization of
which she is president, and which now
numbers fully, 100000 women. 1t is
very big and definite force in England la
Dor movements.
And in defiance Of all the doleful mas
culine representation that girls and wom-
en- who work outside the home are thereby
untitled for the natural feminine func-
tions of wifehood and motherhood, Miss
Macarthur reiterates, cit is the work.
ing women who make the best wives-and
the best mothers, too, she adds compos.
edly.
Woman is in the industrial struggle
and she is in it to stay until she wins
what she is fighting for-her right to
food, shelter and a home. We cannot be
defeated. We are at ono with the great
purpose OF life.
1t is the working woman every time
who, first OF all, starts out with wise
marriage. She marries for love and for
friendship and for respect-not just for
the sake of q man-ANY man who will
bestow the Light Of his countcnance .l,pon
her.
The working woman is delivered from
the two great errors that women have
been making since the institution Of mar
riage was founded. One of these is mar
rying for home. The other is marrying
for an emotion. It would be hard to say
which one of these mistakes has caused
the more unhappiness.
In the past, if q woman did not have
sufficient income to provide for her,
aside from her own exertions it was up
to her to marry provider. What is this
but decently legalized prostitution. Re-
member Mr.. Bernard Shaw's brutally di.
rected epigram, The only way any woman
can get along is to be good to, some man
who'll be good to her. Before the day
OF the working woman far too many girls
thought and lived that gospel.
1.-The women of the past have been
helpless, If unconscious, parasites. Fin
ancial parasites emotional parasites
but always fsponges' of one sort or an
other.
When she marries she chooses a man
who can be both her sweetheart and her
chum. It is SO absolutely hopeless to
think OF being happy unless ones hus-
band is both. He must love passionate1v,
intensely, uEwaveringly. But-he must
undsaand keenly, finely
The working woman has the oppor-
tunlty to make such choice wisely, as
"ell as the power. It is not merely that
she IS no longer forced to be beggar maid
TO the first King Cophetua handy-poor
and starving for life interests, if not for
money But in the natural comradeship
she finds with workers through her own
position as worker she learns to know
men in the chum relation-not mat IN tho
Sunday-nlght- best-suit- hair senti
NS'oeCO IcldCIOu.
Then, after the marriage, all her
training in her work makes her so mncb
better fitted to become a wife. That ia ,
OF course, if she has been working sen.
sloiy, according to trade union rules. She
has acquired the habit of industry, of pre-
cislon, of speed, of trustworthiness. IF
she has held position of any RESPONSE
b1i1ty she has learned initiative. Every.
one OF these qualities she is going to find
constant use for in the management of
her household.
she has supported herself for some
Tune She has learned the value of money
she knows better than to run up LONG
olns on short income She very often
may have boarded herself as wen as
bought her own clothes during her days
OF service in the Industrial world-then
she Knows how to market economically.
AND IN every domestic crisis she must in
evltaoiy show the effects of what work
always teaehes-the perfect accomplish
ment of one thing,