The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-06-22
Our Need
of. Education
By ELIZABETH H. THOMAS. State
Secretary of Wisconsin.

1t is a deaf ear which can not
hear them-tne forward march of
the army of bread-wtnnIng women.
Every fifth woman is in that army
according to the latest census re-
turns now available, live million
women, or over twenty per cent of
all the women of the United States,
are employed in gainful occupations.
And their number is steadily in
creasing.
Now it makes little difference
whether we consider this a step on
ward in Woman's evolution, or wheth
er we look upon it as the breakup
of the American home. Whether
we like this fact or not, it is u fact
and We must meet it as fact.
But what will be the result for in
dustrial conditions in America?
Since it is an economic law that in
every industry wages tend toward
the level of the lowest wages paid;
it is evident that the wage-earning
woman, in every trade she enters,
Will make wages sag and lower the
American standard of living, just in
proportion to the smaller remunera-
ton she receives.
Unfortunately, it is almost every
where true that women get lower
wages than men for the same amount
of work. and that their conditions of
labor are far worse.
The main reason for this is that
women have not been educated
along economic. lines. They do not
know how to protect their interests
nor how to resist oppression and en-
ploitation.
Up to 4 very recent time, all their
activities have been conferred in the
home. Their work has been isolated
and unsocial. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that they have not learned
even the simple lesson that in union
is strength.
But they must learn it. Other
wise thy Will not only drag down
wages, but they Will deteriorate the
race. What feeble. stunted and list
less sons and daughters must be the
offspring of these overworked and
underpaid women wage-slaves,
Solidarity-zthati is the first lesson
the working woman must learn
And not only the solidarity OF the
trade unionv-although that is an i'm
portant step in her march to free
dom.
1t for her to learn that working men
and women must stand together in
the political field, for the protec-
ton of their present interests, and
for their final emancipation
This may sound like an absurdity.
How can women protect their rights
by means of political action, when
they do not even have the ballot!
fortunately, there is one political
party through which women can act
even II they cannot vote, and which
supports equally the rights and in
terests of all the working people,
both men and women.
To this pa1ty-the Socialist. party
-wage-working women must look
for better conditions of work in the
present. To the Socialist Party
they must look for better future
for their real and true cmancipa-
ton which can come only through
economic freedom.
These are the lessons We must
teach the wage-woriing woman.
For if we do not teach her, she
will not only go down, but she will
pull our civilization along with her.
1t is exceedingly unsafe to leave
i'll our industrial army large masses
of persons who do not know how to
protect themselves. What would be
thought of an army which should
take the field with one OF it's wings
composed OF unarmcd and undrillcl
soldiers?
Yet such is the condition of the
working class OF America
Nor is it only the waGc-wnrfinE
woman who needs 20 learn the les
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