' : > * " '
13be Conservative *
highest mission of mankind is to innko
the world happy.
If wo would Imvo a return of pros
perity in this country , wo must overcome -
como the habit of viewing existing
conditions through the smoked glasses
prepared by politicians ; wo must
abandon the conventional ideas that
charge the public mind ; we must
"hearken to reason , silence passion and
turn away from delusive remedies. "
Wo must put partisanism aside and
address ourselves to the task as patriotic
citizens of a common country who desire
naught but equal and exact justice to
all. Political considerations are to be
dismissed and party "expediency" must
not bo permitted to intrude. Our course
must be determined solely by considera
tions of right and justice.
Self-preservation being the first law
of nature , the American laborer is justi
fied in demanding compensation for his
toil sufficient in amount to provide for
him , at least , the common necessaries.
It is not only his right , but it is his
duty to protest against the unbearable
conditions imposed upon him , and no
one shall justly question his patriotism
because he interposes a defense against
an invasion of his rights.
The wage-earners of the United States
have a voting strength of thirteen
millions. All power under this govern
ment lies subservient to their concerted
demand.
Why longer bear the burdens that
others should justly share ?
No violence is counseled.
Patience , yet a while longer.
The law is the weapon of a free people
ple the ballot makes the law.
The laboring masses of this country
united- working along the same lines
with a single , determined purpose , auc
the approval of conscience have it
absolutely within their power to assume
mastery of the situation and to righl
every wrong that afflicts them.
Organization is essential thorough
union of forces , a fixed purpose , pure
principles , direful management , reason
able and just demands , and methods
that will bear the light.
Rise to your full stature , men !
Awaken to the fact that your own
safety depends upon the security of your
fellowman.
Abandon the doctrine of force am
violence.
Organize in your respective com
munities. Anticipate the crisis , and
forestall its fury.
Let twatchword be "Home and
country all political considerations
aside 1"
iThe American Equal .Wage Union
submits its principles to the considerate
4 judgment of the country , and earnestly
f appeals to the sincere and the law
abiding of all classes to enlist under its
standard. ' *
RIOHAKD K , KATHRENS , President
GEO. S. BATTELL , Vice President.
AUTHUK S. LYMAN , Secretary.
ROHEKT S. OWEN , Treasurer.
ALBEKT H. LANPHKAU.
SIDNEY SSIITII.
GKOUOE E. STEVENS. '
JAMES O. REIQEU.
THEODORE GOWDY.
Supreme Council , American Equal Wage
Union.
WOMEN AS WAGE HA.KNERS.
Some of the Kvlls of a Grave Problem
Pointed Out.
The American Equal Wage union ,
with headquarters in Kansas Oity , early
in November issued an address to the
wage-workers of the United States. It
was an earnest paper and widespread
comment and controversy have followed
its appearance. One of the principal
objects of the union is to call public at
tention to the economic evils growing
out of the practice of employing women
and children at reduced pay to do the
work of men. The following letter ,
written by the founder of the new move
ment , is a reply to an argument waged
against the theories of the union :
December 9 , 1899. To the Star : I
have read with sorrow an editorial , re
cently printed in one of the great East
ern dailies , titled : ' 'Women Displacing
Men" not because of any of its state
ments of fact , but because of its unfor
tunate conclusion. The editorial closes
with this precise declaration :
"So long as women do not attempt
that hard , manual labor for which men
are physically adapted , but stick to oc
cupations for which they are as wol
fitted as men ore , if not better , there
will bo nothing harmful in a steady in
crease in the number of females in gain
ful occupations. "
At first sight , such argument may
seem to settle and dispose of this great
problem , but it only tends to aggravate
and to render more difficult the solution
There is a dangerous fallacy in that ar
gnment and I beg the privilege to poin
it out and to add some views and ob
servatious touching this question as it
presents itself to mo. The problem o
woman's industrial condition and its re
latiou to the home and the perpetuity o
i'reo institutions is too serious to be thus
superficially viewed and dismissed
Beggars cannot be choosers. All who
labor naturally follow the line of leas
resistance the easiest and the most con
genial commends itself with equal favo
to men and women. But the woman
who is dependent upon her own effor
for support cannot say in what particu
lar field she will devote herself. Neces
sity and opportunity must determine
her place. Neither may she say : " !
will not attempt that hard manual labo
for which men are physically adapted
but I will stick to occupations for whiol
I am well fitted. " That day of hide
peudonco is past. The stern necessity
of earning their own living is forcing
vomen out of their sphere in life and
crowding thorn into every channel in
vhich men labor. Like the men who
are displaced and pressed into new and
uncongenial fields , so , too , the wage-
vomau is required , by stress of ciroum -
stances , to submit to the changed oondi-
Ion and to take what she can get. Al
ready nearly 050,000 are toiling in the
manufacturing fields ; JJ.OOO . aroreported
by the census department as "iron and
steel workers , " 2,700 "wire workers , " i
170,000 feeding looms and guiding everlasting -
lasting threads over countless spindles ,
42,000 are making shoos , 75,000 mill op
eratives , seventeen are making boilers ,
9,000 are running printing presses , 10,500
are making wall paper , over 100 are
blacksmiths , 200 are butchers , 200 are
carpenters , 500 are carriage and wagon
makers , fifty are laying brick. In Penn
sylvania 8,500 women work in the an
thracite coal mines picking slag , and
Now Jersey has presented the spactaolo
of women digging in gas trenches. Besides -
sides these , nearly 4 million women are
engaged in extra domestic work in which
men formerly found congenial and prof
itable employment.
The Kfl'ect on Soulety.
Time was when every man uncovered
his head in the presence of a woman.
The word woman had a significance
which it does not boar today. Its sim
ple mention in that good , past day
aroused in the mind and heart of men
a feeling of pride and love and respect.
It stood for purity and virtue ; for gen
tleness and devotion ; for sweetheart
and wife ; for sister , home and mother.
Oar fathers can remember "our age of
chivalry , " when men and women were
normxl and recognized their obligations
to each other , and before the "now wo
man" shed her doubtful lustef upon the
world. Than , every man looked upon a
woman as a being little less than an
angel , but today a woman is regarded as'
a little more than another sort of man
and she is considered quite able to
take care of herself. There is a natural
yearning in the heart of every true wo
man to become , some day , the mistress
of a homo. That is her native field
the occupation for which she is best
fitted. She is not a bread-winner , but a
race builder. The homo is the school in
which mothers are tutored , not the store
house or the factory. Domestic arts , a
sympathetic nature , mildness of man
ner and gentleness of speech are not ac
quired behind counters or in business
offices. To the maiden just budding
into womanhood , business is harsh , un-
refining , demoralizing. It presents no
thing essential to the full mental or
physical development of a mother , but
rather reduces the womanly charm , begets -
gets an offensive masculinity , and often
unfits her for the later assumption of
those maternal duties to which nature
