The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-05


the individual woman. to supply them
With useful and beneficial occupation
In order that they may not be I'm dam
ger of becoming parasites upon So
c'ety. In Tennyson's words, II Is all
important that VIC should
Give her the glory os going on, and
stlll to be.
Give her the wages Of going on. and
not to die"
Because OF the swiftncss of the in
dustrial and economic changes now
being effected. producing new condi-
lions more rapidly than people can
Feaojnst themselves to meet them, our
social order has become somewhat out
oil joint The growth within women
OF new conceptions of Justice. truth.
duty. privilege and opportunity, under
conditions which bind and hamper
them at every turn leads to n revolt
against things as they arc which Is
generally misunderstood and at
tributed to more desire to be man
nish and shake of feminine shackles.
But 1t Is not tad--lt is a fight fo,.
life. for fuller. freer. more blessed
because more useful, life.
Tie Right to Contract.
Even were women in considcra h,c
numbers willing to become parasites
society would not permit them to do
So and the question now arises. shall
women nave a voice in deciding the
terms and conditions OF their new
contract for services given and per-
formed. or shall they be forcca IN
shoulder burdens too heavy for ,hcr,
10 oenr' refer to the women who
without Nolition on their part. ma
because or stern necessity, are drawn
INTO me industrial world to seek thoIr
"Mh support. without adequate equ!p
mcht or preparation for efficient ,n,
tkillcd labor. unpreparcd nv hor.I;,,.
ana environment to combat with a.
Propiems of industrial life, millions of
Sis ana women are grinding out their
NcrH ives and stuntinr heart and
nI'hu ana soul. willie they toll inces
santiN Mt the most norve-racking and
oeuili'a'ihg occupations. receiving in
return bare living wage, and often
not that.
To argue that half of these wnre-
earning women are young girl. below
INC Young age, and therefore that tho
paiiot would do them no good, il Tho
most cold-hlooded and selfish of promo
"i'iohs' arc women so indifferent to
me wrongs of young girls that these
conditions Will not he bothered whom
the more humane half of our nation is
possessed of political power Tho
n
IN the laws protecting women and
children which arc now in force in
equal suffrage countries
But at least these women in tho
Industrial world are not parasites:
tncy are giving great deal moro
tnan they receive, and when some Of
them drop OUT and become in fact
parasites the shame is no more theirs
than 1t Is that of the society In which
they live. The lot of the working wo.
man may be hard. but it sometimes
offers more OF satisfaction than that
of the society woman.
Women OF the Leisure Cla.,c,.
Tho very causes which have forced
so many women into competition with
men in commercial life have operated
10 give women OF another class an un-
preredcnted amount of leisure and
Injury. 1t is the idle, bored and rest
less woman who most OF all needs
awakening in order that she may see
things as they are and learn to do
her part To make them better. Sucl,
women cannot plead lack of time as
n valid excuse for Sinking tho obliga.
tons of citizenship. In fact. do not
see how any woman can make this
plea who yet finds time for endless So
cial functions, club membership. hours
of bridge whist an unlimited amount
OF fancy needleworle, and the reading
OF nearly every new novel. Even the
woman who cooks, scws and cleans
Tor her family finds time TO chat with
her neighbors over the fence or at the
door. and could find time to discuss
with her husband political issues and
candidates and to cast vote two or
three times year There Is one class
of women who often prove most use