The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-11-13
THE STATUS OF WOMAN.

John Hecker has been 'iDterviewed" b.
Miss Dowson on the woman question, and
although a man and speaking in the pres
ence of a woman, he puts himself on record
in the most emphatic manner as TO the
rights and proper sphere of woman. Oh her
creation ne says;
What ia she made Of? Not even Of the first
particle Of an original element, nor OF anything
like it, Man was made of primitive material,
even though II we're the dust Of the earth. There
can be no exception to the material when uod
was the maker the result shows what "ohuef-
full piece OF mechanism lie could make out Of
dust. But woman has not an original element
in her composition. She was taken out OF man !;
she was made out Of one of his bonSs-hi, RIB.
She was his rib al the first, and it was designed
that she should continue his rib to the last. She
is a rib and nothing else.
This is in perfect harmony with the popu
lar idea of woman's relation to man, however
erroneous it may be in fact. Is she not ev'
erywhere considered rib, choice spare
rib in many cases?
Mr.. Necler mex, upeuhs Of the usual and
proper preliminaries and consequences Of
marriage aud the peculisrtles OF costume,
and contends that not only society, but the
law of our being makes the man the seeker
Of the woman in the business Of matrimony
and the woman the sought.after-a theory to
which Old Miss Anthony is opposed:
Society denies the woman the proproty If not
the right Of choosing her husband. The man
chooses his wife, and if in any case it's supposed
that the woman IN ade tho choice in the nuptia
consent, the world looks upon the man as wo-
man. The man hunts for his wife and the woman
waits at home until she is hunted. She boasts
Of the privilege of choosing between two "i mel
suitors if it should happen that both should want
hcr. But more Of this. The woman is lost for.
ever in her marriage. She goes soul and body,
name and fame person and property, down into
the deep gulf Of that dread contract. che goe'
down never to come up. The law works the rule
OF society, and even the name of the woman dis
appears at her marriage. He Jaeet' eho II
no more. The marriage contract Is at once mel
death burial and epitsph. 1t puts the seal upoi
the seuulchre and she can never rice from At; sh
can nevor he known again. IheTe IL no resui
rection possible by which she may come up troi
the depth Of annihiaton into which the matr
nouiai, the NEST desirable OF al her ahlahce
plunges her. There is one argument on tn
question that never has been applied, and fits
ZION q costume invented for man in which VIC
man would not appear ridiculous. There al
countries in which the dresses Of the women III
not in all respects unlike those of the men, hi
they are such that. when inspected by cyzt
ton, might DO expected to invest anything ci'
than woman.
Mr. Hecker meets that phase of the W
man question which 10 presented by tn
fact that some women are stronger minde
than some men, in the following vlgoro
but ungallant style-ungallant unless stror
minded women who insist on being place
on a perfect level with men, forfeit the
title to gallantry from gentleman and al
entitled to nothing except what is due fro
one gentleman 10 another
But, you may say, there are some stron
minded women who are equal to the men
there srs, and it is q great pity they are II
men l say t.is in fear and trembling in Il
relations OF my own sex. II they what th'
are, as women, there is no philosophy that CT
tell what they would be as men. II they are
be rresentcdas specimens OF womanklnd, hea'
save the world from the advent Of the stron
minded men. have never yet seen strou
minded woman who was not more devil tn
either woman or man. The devil is always re
resented as msle. | hope there will never n
pear real devil Of the other sex. II such
appearance should ever be revealed, there IL
randcmGnium thathas ever yet 6ec4 conceived
that would not be refuge from the scenes
namcless demon would produce.