The Washington herald., 1911-10-02
BY DOROTHY DIX.

ly -wrathy letter in which she lnVelghs
against married women who are wage
earners, and declares that they take the
bread out of the working girls mouth.
She also accuses the woman who has
both a husband and a job of being
pig, who wants more than her share of
the good things of life.
Softly, little sister. The woman who
works outside of her home after she
is married is Oftener to be pitied than
criticised for in ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred it means that her hus-
band is incapable of supporting her,
and that to the burden of wifehood,
and often motherhood, she has to add
that of making a living. Sometimes
the husband is the victum of unfortu-
nate circumstances. He loses his
health, or is thrown out Of work. And
sometimes he is just plain no account
and lazy.
4 Pathetic Figure.
In either case the woman who must go
out and earn the food for her family and
then come home and cook it is as pa
thetic a figure as you can find. 1t is
hard enough for young girl to have to
stand behind a counter, or pound a type
writer all day, but how infinitely worse
for the woman who has been up half of
the night nursing an invalid husband, or
listening for the footsteps of a drunken
one, and perhaps covering away from
his blows. or who has left little sick
child at home and whose heart stands
still with fear every time a strange
footstep draws near. lest it be some one
bringing her the bad news she breads to
hear
The home is the goal OF practically
every WOmen'S desire. Not many mar
ried women leave it willingly to go out
into the world to work, and when one
does become a breadwtnner you will find
that she has almost invariably been
driven to it by stern necessity.
Of course, my correspondents view that
the woman who is married, and who has
ostensibly a husband to support her,
should not compete with unmarried wom-
en- in the labor market is a natural, if
a prejudiCed one AS a matter of fact,
however. il has no standing in justice.
Every one of us has a right to life, lib
erty, and the pursuit of happiness in our
own way, and if the married woman feels
that she can best help herself by work.
ing outside of the home instead of in it,
or that she prefers typewriting to cook
ing, she has a perfect right to do as she
pleases in the matter. Getting married
didn't change her talents and should not
curtail her privilege of using them.
The theory of society is that every man
is able to earn a comfortable living for
himself and his family. This should be
true, but under present economic con-
ditions it is not always the case. There
are plenty of men who do the very best
they can and yet can never keep the
wolf away from the door Should not
the wife of such man have a right to
shoulder her gun and help make war On
the common enemy, poverty?
OIL NJ
and lovabe who are born without any
business faculty, just as most OF us are
born without 4 tenor voice. Many of
these men marry women who have the
talent for getting on that the husbands
lack. Shall such wives sit down and fold
their hands and let their families starve
because, if they go out to work they
will compete with unmarried women?
Would Live Apart.
Again, there are many young couples
who are in love and who could marry
comfortably on the combined earnings of
both, but who must forever remain apart
if the wife gives up her job on her we'd
ding day.
If a wife can help her husband more
by earning money than she can by cook
ing his dinner and washing his Shirts is
there any reason she shouldn't do it?
future prosperity could be assured by his
wife holding on to her job and bringing
in a little necessary money for a year or
two after marriage.
Nor does II seem fair to ask the wo-
man who has spent thousands of dol
lars and years of time fitting herself to
follow some profession or calling, to
give it up just because she marries and
some single woman would like to have
her place.
A great deal of the most valuable
work in the world is done by married
women, because matrimOnY, whether ii
is happy or miserable, broadens a wo-
mans outlook and deepens her sympathy
and comprehension. Also the married
woman who is a wage-earner has settled
down for A life job at whatever she is
doing, as a general thing whereas the
girl worker is looking forward to mat
rimony TO emanCipate her from slavery
TO her yardstick or ledger. And it would
be distinct loss to the world If it were
deprived OF the services of its married
women workers.
The real objection to married women
being wage-eRrners is not that they COM
pete with young girls, but the moral ef-
feet it has on their husbands. There
are some men who are spurred on to
greater efforts by the fact that their
wives are out in the world toiling try
ing to help them by making money, but
unfortunately the majority of husbands
whose wives can support them let them
do ii. The statistics of factory towns
where many women work in the mills
show that the men contribute very little
to the family eXcheQuer They spend
their money on themselves, and leave