The Washington herald., 1914-12-06

protective legislation conceded women on
account OF their physical nature and
their destiny to become mothers: and
second. freedom from political duties
that will not only interfere with their
natural duties as wives and mothers
but that have been proved to lessen,
rather than increase their power to ad-
vance their own interests through direct
economic and social action.
Every labor leader knows that many
strikes have been broken by the employ
ment of women to take mems places;
moreover. that the labor of both men
and women has often been cheapened be-
cause girls and women who are not driven
by necessity have gone into industry and
worked for small wages just to get what
is called pin money"
Now the sUffragists contend that
women should enter industry more than
ever: feminists believe that the wife
should go out and work for wages part
OF the time and the husband stay home
part of the time.
The census shows S075,772 feminine
workers in the United States are gain
fully occupied" that is, receiving re-
muneration for any effort of hand or
brain that they sell Less than half
this number. or 3.974.s57 feminine workers
over ten years of age. are employed in
industry. the professions and transporta-
ton. The remainder, less those who
work for wages in agriculture, who are
included in the above 1900, 600, are en-
ployed as domestics in homes, or are
gainfully occupied on what the census
calls the home farm" This means that
now, 20,346961 women are engaged in the
home against 3,974, ,957 who are employed
in industry in its broadest sense But
there are 3O.o91,5 ,5S4 male workers in the
United States.
Now IL women can reduce mems wages
when the proportion in industry is 10
30 or one-tenth, what would happen II
the 2O346, ,961 women in the home all got
tired of keeping house" and asked for
Jobs alongside their husbands, fathers
and brothers? Haven't these women
plenty to do in making homes and hap
piness for the ninety-six men out of
every 100 who are working for homes
and happiness and not for a boarding
house childless companionship with the
''freewoman" who lessons their wages?
womnn's Direct Power.
And economically. the women Of
America absolutely dictate the labor con-
ditions of our country. AS purchasers
and consumers, the women Of America
can say without the aid of the ballot or
any legislature, that goods made IN
America shall displace those made in
Germany" or England, France or italy,
in our homes. And the advertisers, the
manufacturers, and the publishers know
that 90 per cent of all the products sold
in the United States. are ultimately sold
to a woman for use in the home. Our
railroads, our industries. our agriculture.
and our art all serve, but to make or
bring commodities into our homes for
consumption. II women could be gotten
to unite on social or economic action for
a single year their direct power could
do more to solve the high cost OF liv-
ing,'' white slavery" and other exist
ing evils than all the political and legis-
lative action could accomplish in a CEN
tury.
What Antis stand For.
This is what the anti-suffragists stand
for, constructive, united, direct economic
and social action as women as opposed
to political, futile, factionaI party action
az imitators Of men. Women are neither
trained nor fitted by nature for competi-
ton with men in politics to secure gen.