Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-06
auFe.

A subject which Just now II e%lici,ing a good
deal OF discussion y tho present and prospective
condition OF American women. Statistics show
that In the older states there H. q prcpondcrancc
OF women la the sexes: which unfortunate state
OF things for he women) will he largely In
creased by tho var. II will not only increase
the disparity Ia the number. bat Il creates an.
other evil which reaches a long way into tho ia
tufe. Those who 20 TO battle and who get
killed are our heulthiest specimens; the phyel
cally week stay At home, aud TO them Is given
the task Of reproduction. The result OF all this
Is that not only will there be large additions to
the already large number Of women Who can
never marry. but succeeding generations promise
% be puny weskllngs-ene,c descendants OF ds
eased aud decrepit sires. Frcnchmen Who tuc
c,eied the long wars Of tho last century were
stun,ed In body aud dwaricd In mind: In their
condition We can. a. IN mirror, see the mon Of
tho next few generations In this country.
II n not pleasant 90 contemplate a future
whose salient social characteristic are husband
less women and sick children. Lucky tho elders
Who. ripcned by the eune and frosts OF time. will
be gathered 10 the q%uietness of tho grave yard
efo the era OF cclibato women aud OF iniants
g~Qualling and lrottlng under inherited aches; the
sofolulous. handy legged. thin, voiced progeny 20
whom. IN time. will DO committed tho interests OF
this great republic. Tho philantrophist gs,cs
Into the future aud mournfllly contompla,es ls
revelations: and he cannot tell whether no gricycs
more over Tho sufetings of coming childhood or
Of those OF tho ome who are compelled 20
read lies weary. devious path alone.
foreseoing these events, Il 10 tho part OF wis
dom TO prepare for them, and TO ondeavor. rs Tar
~ possible, to ameliotate tho condition OF the
women and the children OF the succeeding gcner
atlons, To be aure ~posterity has never done any.
thing Tor Us. but II will be only the NOR. mag
uaQlmOua fUf ua tn do nOmefbiuH lnf DoafefitN
Moreover, itis IN some sort q duty, a feparation
that we owe % our fuceesaofs. 10 attempt To-
smooth their lives, Tor II IL va Who are killing
of the Otherwise parents Of the husbands OF Oh,
old maids Of The nert century, and II IL also We
who are entailing siekl, constitutions upon flu
ture children by sacrificing 10 the mllCeh Of war
tho best young men Of the present age.
The case IL extremely difficult, aud 30 I. the
task Of devislng it, remedy. There ID no way
Ia which We eau prevent supersbundant old maid
ism In tho future unless We reverse q practice
followed by the hmafous. They drowned all
the male children at birth, Il would therefore
DO no moro than equitable retaliation on the
part Of the men 20 drown all the female children
Besides being q rcprisal for an injury p~racticed
by women agalns, mon, 10 would bo n %gratihca
ton 10 the old maids Of future years-for doubt
less there N not = woman, judging by tho ser ~
We know IL. who will 1.-Two In the future but had
WNNNN NttN'f wv NNVNHfA w iUiNUIN NUtn tNlNt III
lonely. ~ mps,hs,ie, ~vincgsry -plns,eihpod But,
while II might be considered only fair revenge,
aud While II would doubtless be q gratihcatlon
20 the old maids of the coming generation 10
drown all or nearly all femalc children now,
such a consummation would be prevented by
the ineonycnlsat character Of the moral inatltu
tons, and, We may add. The absurd pfeJndices OF
he people OF the present sge. We must ,herc
Tore. however reluctantly. abandon tho idea
suggested b., tho AmaIonian practice, aud con
hns our inquiIie To = limit which an ovctscru.
pulous state OF society will ALLOW. We eanno,
prevent old maidism, but We can perhaps soften
IN advance, the a%sperities Of Ia uuloyed and lone
condition.
Most parents of daughters educate them with
= sipgle object la view Ito gain a husbsnd-a
somebody who will take upon himself the task
Of liquidating their board aud millinery bills
This must be stopped Young ladies' should not
be taught that the chief end Of man Il 90 sup
port q woman. or the chief end Of young women
TO catch a husband. This may be In the cate
chism Of matrimony. but IL Il not In tie cate
cheties Of actual lite Let every father begin
10 educate hs daughter precisely as II her future
support depended upon her own e~xertions Thus
educated. .he will be none the less prepared for
3 husband. in case one offers, but in case she be
doomed % the list OF celioates, she will fnd her
conditions much moro durable. Such 4 course
viii save many 4 daughter from starvation and
many another from walks that lead straight 90
the Internal regions
Let our neat generation OF girls De something
beside husband traps; let them learn something
that sill be Of use 10 themselves. Let them be
dress makers. miliiners. clerks. printers, shoe
makers, t~ailors, musicians, painters-apything
rather than follow the aimless, useless existence
10 which IL ID devoted a majority OF the present
generation Chicago Times.