The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-19
THE REDUNDANCY OF WOMEN.


Mr.. w. r. Greg has published n short ,o,,
phlet COMPRISING into few pages an argu-
ment upon that great question OF the day What
are we to do with our women? No ono ',1yiIi bo
disposed to deny the importance of the problem
or the urgent need of treating it in a rational
manner, & For inc most part the various agitators
VINO enlarge upon the subject are given to the
sentimental or rhetorical point of view They
wax eloquent upon the evils which result from
the exclusion OF women from the elevating and
hunanlzlng influences of English elections; or
they denounce the frivolous luxury of our upper
classes; or they paint the delicious repose of mind
10 be found within the walls OF a convent; or they
describe happy millennium when ladies will
compete with men for success in the learned
professions. All these modes of attacking the
question may be legitimate--and we have no OBJ
Jecton to the expenditure OF any quantity of
eloquencc, so long rs an audience can be OBJ
tained-but for the most part they have the dis
advantage of leading to no very definite result
We have an uncomfortable suspicion that great
deal of satire will have to be expended before
women cease TO be eXtravagant; and we doubt
whether admitting ladies to general scramble
with the stronger sex will necessarily make them
r either better or happier. The first requisite for
an intelligent discussion is to understand as pre-
cisely as possible, what is the evil to which this
chorus of flamcntatOn is owing, and we may then
form some guess to the working of the pro-
posed remedies. Mr.. Gregs argument has the
merit OF suggesting one cause which, if by no
means adequate to account for the whole
evil, is at least very efficient one so far
as. it goes. He starts from statistics sup
afford a good tangible basis for argument
According to the report of that authority in
1851 there were in Great Britain, out of every
100 women above 20 years of age 81 wives 13
widows, and 30 spinsters. In England and
Wales, the whole number of women between 20
and 40 was a little under 100000; and of these
1,2S4, 600 were unmarried. After making allow
ance for the excess of women above men in
the whole population, and assuming that good
many Of these PAS 900 would marry, Mr.. Greg
calculates that there are at least 10000 un-
married women who would not of themselves
have chosen Il single life. Exact statistics are
not ascertainabe in problems of this delicate
kind; but may safely say that there is a
multitude of women-to be counted by the
hundred thousand-who could not marry if they
would This according to Mr.. Greg, is the
anomaly which ii is our business to cure
Now, as we shall presently remark, we cannot
take this for complete account of the difficulty.
There are many other causes which probably
concur in producing n certain discomfort in the
female mind Political economists and statis-
ticians are apt to assume too easily that all the
evils OF human society are to be explained by
few tables of figures and ingenious sums in the
rule of three. Yet the facts noticed are not the
less important; and it can hardly be doubted,
both that there is a considerable excess of un-
married women and that such an excess is GER
tain to produce some veryserious evils. Women
would in all probability insist upon having souls,
and occasionally meddlng with politics, even
ii spinster after twenty were as great rarity
rs the Nova Scotia giantess. The great social
changes which are daily taking place would
affect the position and sentiments of women
even If the proportion between the numbers of
the sexes were constantly adjusted with mathe-
mat1cal nicely But some OF the greatest exist
ing difficulties are aggravated if not entirely
produced by this simple fact that the supply of
the female sex enormously exceeds the demand;
and if that could be remeded, the remaining
questions might be adjusted with a better pros
peCt of speedy success. Such a very practical
and tangible evil naturally intensifies any dis
satisfaction founded upon other grounds of
complaint.
How, then, is the surplus female population of
these islands to be absorbed? What are we to
do with this army of spinsters, whose enforced
Celibacy is an evil at once to themselves and to
society! The answer, according to Mr.. Greg, is
toerably plain. In the first place, the normal
proportions have been very much disturbed in
England by emigration. Therefore we should
export our surplus of women to places where
there is a surplus of men. This will take off.
say third of our female supernumeraries.
Another third may continue TO be properly en-
ployed as at present, in domestic service. The
task of disposing of the remaining third is more
difficult. The removal of their sisters will
doubtless make their labor more highly priced,
and lead to a considerable improvement in their
general position. But, to secure a thorough
remedy, luxury must be discouraged, and mar
riage rendered more attractive to both sexes.
To prove the advantage of emigration, Mr..
Greg calculates that in the United States and the
English colonies there is a deficiency of women
above twenty amounting to over 100000 There
indeed certain special difficulties in this
beyond those which attend all plans of emigra-
ton. Thus, for example, it is perfectly true
that there is an excess of men in the United
States, but this excess only exists in the more
newly settled States. In Massachusetts, for
example, in 1860 there was an excess eff women
over men of about 10000 in n population of
1900 000 whilst in California, at the same time,
there were only 105,0 900 women to 270, 600 men.
A female emigration to California would
undoubtedly be a great blessing to the country;
but the emigrants must be prepared to en-
counter hardships which are sufficient to deter
the women of the Eastern States. A governess
in San Francisco would probably have good
time of it, and, if SO disposed, would find a very
favorable marriage-market; but it is not every
woman who would be prepared to take up her
abode at the diggings, and to run the risk OF
being scalped and converted into an Indian
squaW. In short, it is obvious that such an emf
grafton though corresponding to q very real
need would require most careful supervision.
The solution of the problem carried out by
Mr.. Brigham Young, and stamped with the
approval of Captain Burton, does not quite
meet the prejudices of European society, or il
would be the most direct remedy for the eX'
listing evils This, however, being out of the
question: so far a Government scheme of emf
grafton is concerned, there must be considerable
doubt as to the possibility of exporting our female
population in anything like the numbers requi
Site to meet Mr. Greg's suggestion. If we coulC
set down half million English women within
very limited period in Canada and Australia i
Is possible that the colonial demand Tor SO de
sirable n commodity would be good deal NOR
than satisfied. The difficulties which obstruc
emigration generally would be ielt WIN lenIol
force in an emigration of so peculiar character
No one can doubt that within certain limits, tn
emigration of women, as was proved on smal
ecole NV Mrs ChishOlm's eXertiOns, is a mos