The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-08-19
wonan'e Rights and the Dra1es

womAn's Rights and the DRAFT.
| The woman's rights movement seems
likely to receive strong impetus from the
draft, at least so far as compelling women
to take up the cudgc!s and labos in their
| own behalf Is concerned. The country
! newspapers gre full Of highly lauded cases
| has taken to the rake and to the plough,
while he gives his energies to the cause of
his country. Such acts are very praise
worthy ard deserve the highest cu!ogy that
can be bestowed upon them; but it seems
to Us that the amount Of self sacrifice need
ed, and the effect of such subversion Of
nature, Is scarcely understood, even by the
widest panegyyists OF those devoted wo.
men.
Out door labor robs q woman at once Of
her youth and Of her beauty: exercise she
should have, and plenty of it; but her Ia
bor SHOULD be confined to the house-if she
wishes to preserve any part Of that delcacy
and refinement which is one Of her creates,
charms 1t ls noble in these women to set
aside all personal considerations and devote
their personal efforts 10 that which is Of
the greatest practical Importance; but 1t is
to be hoped that thoy will no! be compelled
to do 50 for very long time, and that the
facts will stand, not rs precadents, but
among the instances of womanly courage
and heroisn, Of which there have been
many shining examples during the war.
Shallow, so.called reforners, speak Of
such occurrences as indications of pro-
gress, of the time being near at hand when
women will assume their rights, by occu-
pying place in the field aad in the work
shop beside men. Such reasoning is ab-
surd, and betrays the ignorance and want
of any extended observation or experience
OF those who indulge in it.
1t is well known by persons who have
had the best opportunities for judging. tia:
out door work units women for their duties
at home. The laboriug women Of Europe,
who till the ground and raise the crops,
become coarse, and brutal almost as men
whose labor they perform. Their homes.
If the wretched dcns in which they live can
be called such, are utterly neglected, aud
neither husband nor children are objects
Of any of the small yet grateful ministra-
tons which lend charm and grace to the
cottage as we'll as the palace.
We believe in women putting their
shoulders to the main wheel whencvc, there
is an absolute necessity, but not otherwise.
Talk as theorisers may about what woman
can. and ought to do, the plain truth stares
most woman straight in the face-that their
business lies at home. The retinements Of
social life, the attention to thousand wants
on the part Of men, depend upon the pre-
sence and care of women, and the neglect
of any of these things, re acts with more
or less violence and evil upon the welfare
Of the wlole family. Women. themselves,
often imagine that their lives are of little
worth, and in their great desire to be use..
ful, leave undone the very thing which it is
of the most importance they should do
Let them rest content with the certainty
that their depa, tment Of home is of mors
importance to the well-bing Ct the
world than the issue Of half the state quar-
rels that only originate IN the binding am-
hilton of corrupt and wicked men.--Vrs.
Croly, in Sunday Times.