The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-25

the Obsourity OF generalization TO the plain
matter Of the legal right OF the sex TO fill the
more remunerative and important educational
stations. We do not believe that the Justice
of this claim will be denied, and public opinion
will decide that the fact Of q woman having
won her way to the office, and having success
iully filed it, proves so ncontestably her right
to its possession that she can be dispoesessed
only by legal quibble.
The inalienable right of the sex either to
bloomers or ballots may prudentially be post
poned for the moment by the most fervent
partisan in favor of this apparently trivial
opportunity for industrial Advancement in a
case where the circumstances are so much in
favor of success.
In the first place, popular sentiment gives
the guidance and education OF young children
almost exclusively into the hands OF women,
and frgln this undisputed vantage ground they
have been slowly but surely proving their
eminent fitness for teaching, and their capacity
for assuming the duties of higher grades of
instruction, until a majority of female over
male instructors may be now considered as an
almost certain index of the degree of enlght-
eminent of community, and a glance at the
tables Of statistics will show that general
ignorance and the prejudice in favor OF male
teachers are pretty surely co-existent.
Leaving all other considerations aside, an
exoeFs of female teachers becomes matter of
economic value too important to be overlooked.
It is an indisputabe fact that for a given
amount of money the public can secure better
-,
from men. This is of course one of the special
grounds Of complaint from the advocates of
woman's rights, and we would not now enter
upon the vexed question whether for the same
work woman should be entitled to the same
wages as a man, but restrict ourselves to the
assertion that she can now afford to do the
same work for less salary, and that since the
world began success has ever attended the
individual who has done whatever his hand
has found to do, and defeat has as surely been
the inevitable fate of all those who stickle for
privilege, or even equality, before they have
won it by industry and fitness.
Social prejudice is the real enemy against
which women have now to strive, and as they
have themselves done so much towards the
formation of it, the duty is now specially in
cumbent upon them to earnestly correct the
evil. Although many industrial avocations
have been entered by women the feeling in
favor OF their domesticity is still so deeply
rooted in the heart of the community that we
unoonsciously seek for some cause whenever
we see a woman laboring for her bread. In
stinctively, we presume that she is the suf-
ferer from the misfortunes or neglect of
father, brother, or husband, and that
nothing but the pressure of pow
erty or domestic uuhappiness could
urge her to the step. Here is the very root
of the evil, and although it is manifestly II ne
that woman's first and strongest ties and
! duties are at the freside, it is a cruel pr ju
dice that puts such obstacles in her way; an |
the whole matter will never be established OIL
a just basis until public opinion makes it as
necessary and as honorable for womi u to
support herself or at least to be able to do so
by some remunerative employment, as it now
does for a man. Most fortunately for our COM
munity, the position of a gentleman of leisure
| is universally considered anomalous; public
opinion decides that every man should have
some avowed avooation or object in life, and
this wholesome rule extended to women would
give that persistency and direction to their
energies which are alone wanting to bring their
peculiar talents and powers into direct service
to the world at large.