Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-14
ALaborMan sView
BY T. CHAs. PRICE. OF NEWARK
Editor Union Labor Bulletin.

Consciousness of the elements which
contribute toward complete democ-
racy seemingly demands that all
forces share equally in the work, the
aspirations and the accomplishments
of a government of, for and by the
people. We question the propriety Of
one-half legislating for another hair
while denying the latter half oppor
tunity of participation. It is not 50
long that male suffrage has been conI-
plete that it can reasonably deny the
justice of the claims of the opposite
sex for consideration.
Woman's dependence upon herself
has won and will win for her just
recognition eventually. That supreme
confidence and abiding faith which has
characterized her in the home as a
mother, in the school as a teacher OF
in the factory as a worker, must de-
velop her control of her future destiny
in the State.
Undoubtedly there are many rea-
sons why women desire suffrage
equal with men, and likewise as many
reasons why mon desire that suffrage
| be granted to them. The purity of
| the electorate may be better safe
| guarded, or wiser selection of rep
resentatives guaranteed. A wider
and a more cogent reason finds ex-
! preston, however, in the plea of the
| laboring class for the extension Of
the franchise to women. This plea is
not based upon sentiment, nor the
| premise that woman, being the
weaker creature is entitled to pri-
mary consideration or protection, but
| upon the hard, cold fact that woman
| is rapidly becoming mans industrial
| equal, and as such is assuming a
| place of considerable importance il
the affairs of the nation. 80
! No one Will deny that woman has
! always occupied a place of simpor-
lance in the industrial world, for
upon her depended the spinning Of
the yarn and the weaving of the
cloth in the days before machinery
for the purpose had been invented
J She, too, had her share of the agri-
| cultural labor to perform Condi-
lions have so changed within the last
| century, however, that industry Is
now almost wholly of machines an.i
machinery. What was formerly made
in the home is. to a large extent, now
made in the factory or mill, Home
occupations employing individuals
have been transferred to workshops
F. GIlDlON11R cOllatl1NR uililc, anu liz
individual has become lost In the
shuttle. Where the individual for
merly performed the several opera
| tons required to complete the whole,
now sub divisions of the work leave
but minute detail or a single opera
ton to the individual to perform. In
this manner the incentive to skill OF
invention is partially II not wholly
destroyed, and the worker becomes
mere automaton, a piece OF the ma-
chinery, as it were.
BY the process of subdivision OF
single operations what was formerly
considered a task equal only to A
man has been so lightened that tn
work is now performed by women, OF
even by girls, and gradually the men
have been displaced. This Is par
ticularly true of what we are or have
been pleased to call trades. 1t Is
again evident in mercantile pursuits
| The professions are not even ire.
from invasion. Subdivision of labor
may be carried even further, crowd,
ing other fields until the burdens o.
the worlds labor have been REDUCED
TO the minimum. In this reducing
process women will share largest II
the returns. Instead of supplying
one third of the workers they will be
in a position to supply over one-half
= For many years an effort to bring
about organization of women workers
: has been made. For one reason O.
another the effort has been but par
tally effective. Some have becon
identified with the trade union move
ment. There they have realized thell
own lack of power except as they
further identified themselves with thS
, mems organizations. Correction Of
, evils might be demanded, only to bt
met with a sneer. Employers have
given the least consideration to then
women employees until they hays
! found their interests linked with those
of the male employees. The men con
stitute the voting class. and votes
spell prestige to the ordinary cin-
ployer. And as long as the men MAN.
tain their trade union they possess 2
power to correct evils a power which
works as strongly through political
! channels as 1t does through economic
channels.
: With the increasing number OF
J women workers comes threat TO
! the trade union of its declining
strength. With the organization OF
the women workers into trade unions,
however, would come new source Oh
strength on the economic field, but so
long as the women are denied the
ballot their strength on the economic
field would be modified. or even null
fed, To make effective the economic
demands of the women workers they
must have a place in the political
makeup of the country.
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