The Washington times., 1914-10-08
The Daily
Editorial
For Women
The Mother Teacher.
By BETH JEFFRIES.

woman working at any but the house.
keeping job fondly console themselves
and use as an argument against giving
women their due, the old remark. 'Ah.
yes, but a woman can't do mans
work" They seem to think that this
one statement disqualities women from
all justice and fairness.
But it is an unfinished statement, the
rest ia woman can't do a mans work
according to mans laws. but she could
do it according to women's laws. ac-
cording to laws which primarily take
into consideration the fact that a
woman Is a woman. In the work or
teaching women are disqualified in New
York as soon as they give definite
proof of their sex. Didn't men know
that thew were women when they en-
ployed the teachers who have since
become mothers? A favorite expression
against women's employment and suf-
frage is that 1t is flying in the face
of nature"
The utterly useless and illogical ac-
ton of the New York board Of educa-
ton In tho following instance would
make II seem that somebody else has
been flying in the face Of nature. when
women have been employed, without
any recognition of the fact that they
are women, and likely at any time to
fulfill the natural requirements of their
sex.
Suspension and charges of neglect OF
| duty have been filed against Mrs.
Sarah Breslaw, a former New York
school teacher, despite the fact that
she filed at the proper time an applica-
| ton for leave of absence for one year.
for the purposes of childbirth ana
lactation.
| She taught in the schools for ten
years, Is a college graduate and has
done postgraduate work during her
vacations.
| Her application was denied and the
charge mentioned brought against her
| The refusal of men to grant any
women a proper respite for the per-
| formance of her natural functions Is
a frank admission of the charge thai
| such men wish to ignore the fact tha'
women are women and must Work
They refuse to admit Of the Preponoert;
| ence of women. They stand up ano
| blandly close their eyes like ostrlcnes
| and say ''it is not so, / cannot see II.
| The first thing for them to admit Il
| that there are women In the woridI.oh
lots and lots of them-many more Una,
! are necessary as wives for the numpe'
OF males. OF course. II they wan
| hsrems. that settles it. They can't ge
| away from that fact-the women arr
here, and unless they ship up away II
job lots to foreign countries they car, can
not diminish the supply. 1t is terrible
| but true. But they couldn't ship the
negro away. and they can't ship certAi
| picked wonderland somehow they DON
| openly say that they want harems.
| All of these women need maintenance
ply II by law. they must neeos work
But being women they stand I'M th'
chances Of fulfilling a natural la"
4 which means leave of absence.
The real trouble came when man CAV
the first Job to woman. Right then ant
there he made his mistake. For he ad
mitted the capacity of woman Tor wori
other than that to which she mad peei
| assigned in the stone age.
So women. whether supported otner
wise or not were given chance 10 p'
earners under direction Of some mai
other than their husbands. Law, there
fore. decreed that money should be palt
her (after while).
But the woman was working accord
inp to man work laws. not accordinf
to laws which took into consideration
her own physical peculiarities W.
women are here in the world, we ar
here in profusion, We have been allowed
to work and we are going to keep OF
doing work. It is a natural law. so Wh!
make us work according to laws WhIci
do not allow for the disposal Of oul
natural functions?
Men should Immediately dispose OF th'
services OF all women everywhere. ant
provide an adequate means for thci
general support. or admit at once o
their sex They have Iun themselves
into a tight place, and they cannot nov
withdraw Some firms and even GOV
ernment offices have sanely provided
for the time which humanity alone de
mands be given in recognition OF ma
lures tax on womanhood.
Systems which still persist in penaliz
ing motherhood. mainly on the ground
that women should not have two mean
of support, herself and her husband
are battling against the inevitable. TIL
question begins to come down to singi.
cases. and not to general laws. Ful
Justice in the case presenting woman
marriage and occupation calls specia
Judgment for each case.
But since when has this country pe
come so socialistic that we begin an
apportion the amount Of income 70
each individual, and say that 1t shall b
| so much and no more?
| 1t can't be done-not yet where. o.
where is the logic of which the mai
| creature makes so strong a boast!