city are the employers of these
women. They beat them down to the last penny, and try to cheat them
out of that. The woman must deposit a dollar or two before she
gets the garments to work on. When the work is done it is sharply
inspected, the most insignificant flaws picked out, and the wages
refused, and sometimes the dollar deposited not given back. The
Women's Protective Union reports a case where one of these poor souls,
finding a place where she could get more wages, resolved to change
employers, and went to get her pay for work done. The employer says:
"I hear you are going to leave me?"--"Yes," she said, "and I have come
to get what you owe me." He made no answer. She said: "Are you not
going to pay me?"--"Yes," he said, "I will pay you;" and _he kicked
her down the stairs_.

How are these evils to be eradicated? What have you to answer, you
who sell coats, and have shoes made, and contract for the Southern and
Western markets? What help is there, what panacea, what redemption?
Some say: "Give women the ballot." What effect such ballot might have
on other questions I am not here to discuss; but what would be the
effect of female suffrage upon woman's wages? I do not believe that
woman will ever get justice by woman's ballot.

Indeed, women oppress women as much as men do. Do not women, as much
as men, beat down to the lowest figure the woman who sews for them?
Are not women as sharp as men on washerwomen, and milliners, and
mantua-makers? If a woman asks a dollar for her work, does not her
female employer ask her if she will not take ninety cents? You say
"only ten cents difference;" but that is sometimes the difference
between heaven and hell. Women often have less commiseration for women
than men. If a woman steps aside from the path of virtue, man may
forgive,--woman never! Woman will never get justice done her from
woman's ballot.

Neither will she get it from man's ballot. How, then? God will rise
up for her. God has more resources than we know of. The flaming sword
that hung at Eden's gate when woman was driven out will cleave with
its terrible edge her oppressors.

But there is something for our women to do. Let our young people
prepare to excel in spheres of work, and they will be able, after
a while, to get larger wages. If it be shown that a woman can, in a
store, sell more goods in a year than a man, she will soon be able
not only to ask but to _demand_ more wages, and to demand them
successfull