Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-10-30
EDUCATION OF WOMEN,

The Newark Erening Journal says that
the more actual and glaring wrongs Of that
much suffering ''other Sex" Is the veto that
custom has placed upon liberal education,
such as it is to bcObtained only in tho uni.
versitics and colleges of the country. Thoro
seems to be prevailing sccpticism in the
minds Of the majority Of men respecting
the propriety and necessity OF highly edu.
eating women but there arc, on the other
hand, those who lament the fact that thj
mothers, wives and daughters Of this ago
do not possess those intellectual attainmonts
which distinguished the ladies Of the period
preceding the Eizabcthian age, when Lord
Bacon s mother translated sermons on FREQ
will into Crock, and his aunt wrote original
verses in Latin hexameters At that time
the Latin and Crock languages were tho
only languages that possessed much Of lit.
crature, and Latin was to Europe at that
day what French is to this. The vast stores
Of English, French and German literature
now accessible had not then boon developed
But it is not impossible for woman to DO
an excellent housekeeper and an equally ex.
cellent scholar. Why has she not as good
right as her brother to read Plato Or Virgil
as good right as her husband to make
her life happier one by drawing upon tho
resources Of literature Of every kind p
There is no os ible claim which one person
who wears coat and pantaloons may have
upon the privileges accorded to the student
ut our universities, which another ono in
petticoats and bonnet has not also upon such
institutions Of learning, or some other es.
pecially designed for her wants aud require.
ments. The State gives her the same rights
at the district school AMI the academy .,
are accorded to her brother. By what rule
of equity or consistency does it exclude her
from such advantages at certain point, and
dismiss her to the household? +? Opinions
may differ as to the intrinsic value Of lib
eral education but surely there can be bu.
little room for doubling that if the S,ats
deems it best to provide such for boys w..tbin
its borders, it ought not to deny it to it's
girls. A higher education for woman
raises the standard in the family she rears.
Bythis means she becomes an important and
powerful agent in diffusing a liberal cd,;ca.
lion among the masses, and will thus in time
elevate the whole mental structure, and will
help to place at the command Of the many
what is now only within the grasp Of the
Few. The policy which would deny woman
The right to liberal education is ono of those
relics Of barbarism which deserves the con-
lemnation Of all thinking persons. And
We are glad to observe disposition in the
'eformatory spirit Of the time to do away
With it.
The West. which often before has been
he pioneer in the march of social progress
has taken the initiatory step towards for
Tarding the liberal educational interests in
'egard to women. Mr.. Childs, of the Mich.
gan State Senate, has done himself credit
BY presenting to that body bill to establish
an institution Of learning to be called the
Michigan Female College. The government
of the school is to be vested in the Board
If Regents of the University. They arc
to receive proposals for the do.
,ation Of suitable lands with building, or
With tho means Of erecting buildings at
lansing. The site shal! not contain less
han twenty acres, and the buildings, or
heir equivalent in money, shall amount in
aluc toffty thousand dollars The college
5 to furnish the young women of that State
With the means of acquiring thorough
nowledge Of The various bronches of liter
turc science and art. The admission fee 10
he regular college course shall not exceed
IN dollars Those from that State who dc.
ire to pursue a moro general course of study
re to be admitted free and the daughter
t any soldier who died in the United States
'rvicc during the rebellion, shall pay no fee
hatever. No charge for tuition will be
lade to the young women OF that State
he fees Tor others are to be regulated by
lie Regents. The. Regents have the pow.r.
elect and remove the officers Of tho col.
&c, determine their salaries, and have the
lme general management which they now
gercise over the University ; and in pro.
ding the course Of instruction, prescribing
,e books and authorities, and conferriug
lie diplomas.
How long will it be before Pennsylvania
I'd her sister States shall follow the exam.
Ia SO worthily set the whole country by
ichigan?
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