The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-23
WOMAS,s IDEA.
Let women worR-PIn Money and
Husbands Pockets, &c.

l
tracts from it: .-.
Who is it that buys all the sugar
pIums that support our great coniec-
| tionery shops-not such as have res
taurants and "bars" attached, but the
simpler establishments where only cam
dies and confectIOns and crysialized
sweetmeats are to be found2
| Why, women and children, of course.
Men occasionally may be seen goingin
or coming out of them, but men are
rarely seen eating candies. The pack
| age they purchase is nearly always
bought TO take home to wife or chill
dreu, or present to some lady friend.
| This fact illustrates humiliating
truth. Women have been fed on con-
fectionery until they haYe acquired a
distate for more solid food. In other
words the have been petted and sweet
ened into compliance with the wishes
and authority of men, until they have
lost individuality and self-respect, and
dread nothing so mnch as the loss of
their accustomed indulgence.
The first thing that young man does
when he proposes to girl is to assure
her he is willing to work for and sup
port her TO the extent of his means and
ability to tho end of his natural life.
This assurance the girl receives in
perfect good faith, admiring his disin-
| terestedness, and more than grateful,
as is the manner of women, for his ex-
ceeding kindness in selecting her,
when, no doubt, he might have had the
choice of many prettier and richer
girls.
The idea that prudence had anything
to do with the matter on his part never
enters her mind. She would indig-
nGntly repel the intlmatlon that he had
been confirmed in his resolution Of
asking her 90 be his vile by the thought
| that she would not require TOO much OF
him, and could give him all he wanted
in the way OF household services at
less COST than he could get it in any
other way.
In asking her to be his wife, he pro-
poses TO support her, and even in the
| church service magnihcently offers to
| endow her with all his worldly goods
goods that he does not possess, and
never will, unless she assists him by
her industry, thrift, and management.
| What does "endow" mean, then, and
why Is the word used at all?
The truth is, that 1t generally means
that the wife receives from her hus-
band whatever he has a mind TO give
her, not as her right, but as his gift, he
retaining all the control over his own
property, and very often assuming 1t
over hers, If she happens TO possess any
in her own right.
that many women pay for their immu-
nifty from household drudgery, for their
exemption from absolutely mental EN-
ployment, for their privilege of living
in u house with few more rooms, for
their costly wardrobes, for their rich
jewels; but one thing is certain that all
would be given, and more, very often,
for the womanhood lost, for the sense
of perfect, absolute freedom.
For n paper of promised sugar plums,
which they may or may not get, wO-
men barter in marriage their most sa-
cred right, their right over their own
persons, and the control of their own
actions.
a great deal is said aOOut woman's
| will, but in married life there is butone
will, and that one is the one OF the man.
Men sometimes make 4 merit of yield
ing when they do not care one way or
the other, but If they do, all the power
on earth could not turn them.
1t may be that there is necessity eX-
listing in the nature OF things for this
intlexibility, this determination on the
part of men. Undoubtedly there are
ends to be gained and obstacles to over
come, which only strength and per-
sistence could accomplish; but it must
| be remembered that will power is Just
rs often exercised IN small things as in
large, that the habit of control is diff
cult to lay aside. that great occasions
don't always arise, but little ones do
constantly, when the assertion OF an
son or argument; proves source of
much annoyance, often of permanent
misery.
Looking at the subject from this
point of Yiew-what do women gain for
the loss of all that they unhesitatIngIy
give to men? Nothing, except tho
name of wife. The board and clothes,
with greater freedom and much less
labor and suffering, could be Obtained
by hiring out 10 any other person.
This is not set forth rs the highest or
best view OF married life, but simply
as the hard, practical side of the ques-
ton. It Is time that women under
stood for what they exchange them
solves, and barter their daughters. 1t Is
time that they set themselves seriously
TO work, 10 consider whether II would
not be better TO educate and train them
as independent human beings, with a
purpose In life OF their own, and
knowledge, at least, of what they have
to EXPECT Independents In any position
in life.
1t il notthat men are any worse than
women would be under the same cir.
cumstGncesi it is simply that the DEEPEN
dent position is necessarily the subor-
dinate one, and that this dependence,
in the case of women, Is increased in an
infinite degree by the sufferinEs and re-
sponsibilities of maternity.
The better women are treated, the
more reason there is to fear for them,
and for the future OF the sex. II seems
uugrateful to rebel against the hand
that feeds you, no matter how willing a
slave you may be in return, and as
there Is no recognition of the labor that
women perform, no acknowledged
right to compensation, 10 a share in the
income, or 10 anything but so much as
gift from the husband, they must
grow moro and more dependent as they
grow older, and less able TO emRucipRte
themselves from the necessities of their
position. f r-. IN.
Is this well is it best to rest under
this state of things2 to eat the bread OF
dependence, and have the credit OF eat
ing that of charity2 Shall we forever
perform full share of the work of the
world, and relinquish little to its re.
wards? Shall we forever sell our
birthright for pound OF confection-
ary2
The root OF the evil lies in the stupid
idea that women have, that II is a deg
radiation to work for money. Work
they cannot escape, be they rich or
poor. They must work, more or less,
for themselves, for their friends, for
their husbands. for their children, for
their homes, or for charities, and the
most Of them do IL early and late, with
out thought of unWillingness, and
with real ardor and earnestness, unless
1t Gomez in the tangible shape OF learn
ing their own living" and then 1t i'm
mediately becomes q hardship.
The cure for the evil rests with wo-
men themselves. Let them find vo-
cation before, and independent OF, mar
rage. Let them be taught the infamy
of holding their own persons as their