Mr. CONNESS. I speak of the advances made heretofore, and I understand him to say that they were upon the ground that the committee were convinced that the ladies were in many cases unable to meet their just demands. Congress yielded when the extreme necessities of these employees were Presented, and that is urged now as a reason why we can go no further. If it were proposed in this body that a day's labor in any. the Depts when performed by a man should consist of 7 hours and a day's labor performed by a woman should consist of ten hours, I apprehend that it would not receive a Senator's vote; and yet you calmly advocate just as much disparity as that would be. While you admit that the value of the services of the female are equal to those of the male, you propose to give her less compensation. not understand the justice of such a proceeding. It is only a little while since we had speeches made here upon a motion to extend the franchise to women, and it was argued at length that we could not deny equal rights to the female sex. Mr. President, we have a proposition before us now more practical in its character than that. It does not even reach the position whether we shall pay the female the value of her labor equally with that of the male, for that is not proposed. I am ready to vote it. I know no reason why a woman performing as much and as valuable service as a man should not receive its rightful compensation; but that point is not involved in the amendment. The question is simply whether the female clerks shall have 20%. added to their sal aries, which are now $300 a year less than the lowest class of male clerks have. I cannot refuse to vote it. I know that the Senfrom Ohio is careful in regard to the public expenditures, and I honor him for that; but there is such a thing as exercising care in a wrong direction, and there is sometimes such a thing as being unjust in the exercise of care, and I hope that we shall not do the injustice of refusing to vote this 20%. to the class of persons in the public employment who are in every respect entitled to equal compensation, and especially entitled to our consideration and care.