The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-01-21
on EQUALITY FOR WOMEN.

iltth Herald, following winch IS an
enlascuatcd statement from the presl-
dent of the American Federation Of
Labor in which he calls public atten-
ton to the danger that turks in a
proposed Constitutional amendment,
which, if ratified, would serve to re-.
peal every law on state or federal
statute books relating to the protec-
ton Of women in industry, and which
does not give the same protection to
male workers.
The proposed amendment to the fed
eral constitution, which is demanded
by the Woman's party is as follows:
No political, religious or civil
disabilities or inequalities on &C.
count OF sex or on account Of mar
riage unless applying alike to both
sexes, shall exist under the United
States or territory subject to their
jurisdiction.
II is held by it's proponents that
tie amendment is designed to estab'
fish the principle CT equality OF legal
and civil rights for women. Mr.. Com
pers contends such blanket amend
ment would repeal every woman s
hours of labor and minimum wage
act in America.
There may be and there are good
reasons why women should be placed
ON an equality with men with re-
lation to their civil and legal rights,
but so long as the courts hold to the
ipviolability Of that provision of the
federal constitution regarding the
impairment CT the obligation Of con-
tract in it's Application to and pro-
hibition Of legislation limiting the
hours Of labor Of men, the working
women of America will never consent
to the proposition advanced by their
high brow sisters which would repeal
the bencficcnt laws that now protect
them at their work.
The courts held for years that state
laws designed to limit the number
of hours woman should be required
to work in a day were in violation
OF the federal constitution in that
they ''impaired the obligation Of con-
tract They said that if woman
agreed with her employer to work -
hours day or 81 hours that was her
right and the state had nothing to
say about it, nor could it prevent her
from 50 working.
However, in the course Of time it
developed that woman's relation to
industry was different from that of
man s. She was but temporary work
er between the time in her youth when
she attempted to ''gct off the family
back until she married, years that
are the formative period of her physi-
cal development. Man recognizes the
Biblical edict that he must cat by the
"swcat Of his brow.'' His toll in
e. industry begins in early youth and u.s.
ually ends at the grave.
With the development of social
thought and the recognition Of social
obligations it was found that Of the
several million women employed in
American industrial establishments, at
ages ranging from IA to 25 years, the
health Of most of them had become
impaired through long hours Of con.
filming toll, to such an extent that in
general cases it affected their off.
/, spring. Careful study brought out the
fact that the children of large mum.
e. bcr Of women who had spent their
maidenhood as factory workers were
! mentally and physically below nor.
ma.
Such a revelation moved the states
to enact laws to "protect and con
serve the health and strength Of WON
en- employed at industrial occupations
and in mercantile establishments by
+ limiting their hours of labor,' and
the courts promptly sustained sucl
laws.
The proposed amendment would re-
H peal such legislation and leave moth
4 ing in its place. 1t is for that rea
son Mr.. Gompers voices public warn
ing Of hidden danger in such a wide
X open amendment as is proposed, :
il danger to which his attention wa'
called by leading women in the trade
union movement.
y The Duluth Herald does Mr.. Com
III pers an injustice when it prints sucl
s; headline over his statement a.
sFa Il Gompcrs Opposes Equality TO
s3 Women when such is not the fact
N lie has stood all his life for equa
n TIGHTS for woman. No man in Amer
%l'r,s ;hss done more to raise the statu