- Collection:
- Land of (Unequal) Opportunity: Documenting the Civil Rights Struggle in Arkansas
- Title:
- House of Representatives Debate Equal Pay for Female Teachers
- Publisher:
- Fayetteville, Ark. : University of Arkansas Libraries
- Date of Original:
- 1873
- Subject:
- African Americans--Arkansas
Civil rights--Arkansas
Race discrimination--Arkansas
Segregation--Arkansas - Location:
- United States, Arkansas, 34.75037, -92.50044
- Medium:
- documents (object genre)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- A transcript of a debate held in the Arkansas House of Representatives regarding a proposed bill to pay female teachers, regardless of color, the same amount of money as their male counterparts.
Women -- Equal Pay -- Education -- Little Rock -- Pulaski
Mr. CHAPELINE. Are you in favor of taxing the property of women? Mr. McVEIGH. I am in favor of the state collecting its revenue off the property of the state. Mr. SARBER. The revenue law is not under discussion. Mr. THOMASON. Are you aware of any law preventing trustees from paying ladies as much as gentleman? Mr. McVEIGH. No; but against school boards who make such discriminations. Mr. CATE. Are you in the habit of indorsing Mr. Chapeline’s bills? Mr. McVEIGH. I consider that question impertinent, and not worthy of answer. Mr. FURBUSH thought this was one of the most magnanimous bills ever introduced into the house. He was decidedly in favor of the bill. He referred to the neat and tidy lady teachers, who received lower wages than great big, overgrown, strapping Yankees, with feet as long as the moral law. Mr. J. M. Murphy. Are you sweet on school ma’ams? Mr. FURBUSH. I was nothing but a boy when I went to a lady teacher, and consequently could not have been very sweet on the teacher. Mr. ERWIN though no one was disposed to be more magnanimous to the fair sex than he was, but he thought the law allowed no discrimination at present. He thought ladies could not control boys. He said when he was a boy he was an untamable hyena; nobody could control him. Mr. CHAPELINE. We know you are a hyena now. Are you in favor of exempting the property of widows from taxation? Mr. ERWIN. Yes, and everybody else. Experience has taught me ladies cannot teach boys. He thought the best persuader was a three-year-old hickory. His boys never did anything for him for love. He had heard it discussed in debating societies which would make men go farthest, love or fear, and it was decided fear; but since he came here he found out that money would make a man go the farthest. He said boys could not be made learn unless they were well whipped. He said the thieves followed railroads, and now when $50,000 or $60,000 was stolen it was called business. Mr. KENT. What an eloquent effort! He said the better feelings of men were instilled into them by their contact with women. He said he would support the bill just as it was. Mr. SARBER. Is the gentleman from Prairie (Erwin) opposed to this bill? Mr. ERWIN. Yes. The bill was read a third time and passed—ayes 55, noes 15. Source: Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries - Metadata URL:
- http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/1287
- IIIF manifest:
- https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:1287/manifest.json
- Additional Rights Information:
- Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
- Original Collection:
- Arkansas Gazette, April 6, 1873
- Contributing Institution:
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
- Rights:
-
