Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-03-20

comes not much larger than the
amount which 1t is urged should be
made the least that shall be permit
ted as the pay Of the youngest and
most inexpert girl beginning to work
in a store or factory; upon what
principle OF democratic government
are these families to be left in that
condition when the law declares it an
intolerable one? Or take a thing com
ing still closer to the immediate prob.
lem. The girls who are to be partic.
ularly protected against immortality
by the proposed law are the girls who
do not live at home. These girls. in
a great city like Chicago, are in very
large measure girls who have been at.
tracted by the allurement of the me-
tropolis from farms and little towns
and villages. When all the country
girls learn that to come to Chicago
means a sure income of five or six
hundred dollars a year, who shall say
by what an enormous amount the
number of places for them will not be
increased, but, as Mr.. Siegel pointed
out in an interview yesterday, in all
probability greatly diminished. Fin.
ally, to mention on::y one more point,
what about the little stores, whose
name is legion, which afford employ.
ment to thousands of girls, and whose
figures o fincome and outgo are of a
totally different nature from those of
Marshall Field or of Sears, Roebuck
& Co.? Are we to have a minimum
wage law for the big stores and none
for the little ones?
The question of a minimum wage
for women is one that demands con-.
sideration. There is already a strong
body Of sober and competent opin-
ion in favor of such a measure. But
unless we are headed for a career OF
thoughtless and dangerous legislation
on subjects of the most vital import,
we must consider the question with
the utmost care, and act on it not up
on an emotional impulse, but in full
consideration of all it's economic con.
sequences and all its moral bearings.
OF thought of the former there has
thus far been in the Illinois proceed.
ings no indication whatever; and as
to the latter, the committees goings.
on have been of a most pernicjous
character. That insufficient wages
fer girls are in many instances a
cause OF immortality, few will deny;
but the spread Of the notion that
they not only may be a cause, bat are
in point of fact a justification, f3' a
girl embracing a life OF sha lie IS cal
culated to cause an amount Of demon
alization alongside of which that pro.
duced by low wages wcuid be insight
ficant. And the notion is 10 less false
than it is pernicjous. It i'm plies not
only a general want OF character
which is a gross libel IN the vast ma
jorfty of women, but IS contrary to
the obvious facts Of life. 10 choose
a life OF shame IN preference 20 iiv-
ing on six dollars i week means not
only want o virtue. but w,nt of sense.
1t is uncomfortable that many girls
deliberately make such a choice. With
those that do make it, it is a result of
many causes, in character and en-
vironnent, of which the matter of
wages is only one. And life upon So
a week, or $12 a week, is not so de-
lightful as to remove the influence of
these temptations and weaknesses.
To admit that these may be yielded
to without turpitude is to remove a
defense of virtue that has been built
up through ages of effort and aspira-
ton and discipline and self-sacrifce,
and for which no minimu:n-wage law
can supply a substitute.