Social Science and Woman Suffrage. 85 



But as a general rule, is there not justice in the present an-ange- 

 ment that a man should receive more pay for the same work 

 even, than a woman ? Ought not family wages to be more 

 than the wages of an individual ? And ought not a husband 

 to be charged with the responsibility of earning the family 

 wages ? The working factor of the family ought not to be the 

 wife. The line of labor through which the family living comes, 

 ought not to be prosecuted by the wife. Saying nothing of sen- 

 timent, physiology forbids it. The man who goes forth to work, 

 represents not only his own needs, but those of wife and children 

 behind him. He must receive more wages for his work 

 than an unmarried female who is his competitor, or the possi- 

 bility of maintaining the family relation in society is at an end. 

 It may be asked, why speak of his competition with an un- 

 married female? why not look at the case of a widow with 

 children to support ? The reason is because the case of a 

 widow with a family to care for, is an exception to the rule in 

 the case of families. "We should occasion more misery than we 

 should relieve if we were to equalize wages to meet her diffi- 

 culty. Her case must be met in some other way than by put- 

 ting all the families of the land down upon the footing of com- 

 petition with those who have only the needs of a unit to 

 supply. 



If it be asked, why not give the unmarried of each sex 

 equality of wages ? The answer will be that this in effect will 

 only be to make them both competitors against families at 

 lower rates than those on which families can be supported. 

 And a further answer is because the adumbration of marriage 

 is over them both. If man ought to earn the money from 

 which the support of families comes, it is difficult to see how 

 the general rule can be otherwise than that the wages of man 

 ought to be greater than those of his female competitor. The 

 main work of life for which wages is paid is done or ouglit to 

 be done by married men. If young men unmarried, as against 



young women unmarried, so far as wages are concerned, are 

 G. 



