Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-03-22
Gull Hamilton on lhc Woman Question.

But tho oy was faint and cold
For it never could give us the youth again
OF hearts that are growing old.
Gail Hamilton on The Woman Question.
In the last number Of the Independent
Gail Hamilton takes a wider departure than
ever before from the extreme advocates Of
Woman's Rights. On the question whether
women should work for their own support
she says
All that can be done for women is to help
them do as well as possible what they never
can do well, but what it is absolutely neces-
sary they should do somehow The organiza-
ton Of woman makes it improbable that she
will ever become to any large extent, a tiller
of the soil but the Boston Horticultural
School established in Boston most wisely Of
fers to women an opportunity for thorough
education in the theory and practice Of hor-
ticulture. IL aims TO choose that part Of
agriculture most suited for women, and to
substitute trained, skiliul, well-directed labor
for unframed clumsy, and spasmodic effort.
We may admit that women can never equal
men in trade or commerce; but, because many
women are born to self-support, and because
all women may be reduced to self-support
he who POUNDS a college to teach women the
arts of trade and commerce confers a real
benefit. A woman thoroughly trained TO the
occupation Of type-setting or hair-dressing
may be inferior to the thoroughly trained
male printer or barber but she has great
advantage over the unframed woman. That
she is less deft than man is no reason why
she should not be as deft as a woman can be !;
and fancy her best is far beyond the mascu-
/ line average So the objections raised TO
these schemes-that they tend to take women
away from their homes--is not only futile.
but fatuous Women are out Of their homes
already. 1t is not question whether their
/ life shall be domestic or mercantile and
mechanical 1t is whether they shall be
inteigently and lucratiyely mechanical, or
awkwardly unproGtably, and fatally so. Were
/ it otherwise, did the choice lie between self
support aud man-support coming, Of course,
naturally and, therefore, rably-there
would be but one answer And here is where
| branch of from the woman's rights reform.
If | understand it, the leaders teach the abso-
lutte worth aud desirableness of manual labor
to woman. They say q quote from one Of
their prominent journals " Women should
oot;on dix sborld he reorcd lie bovs 70
Jenond mon ,bomsolves Gr snnnort self
snpnor, creates self.re.pect which
nattbb;n, 81 "a oan confer No trne barn;nos.
i onSd in denendsnce No trno lifo il con.
sistent with il j
Tbns Il ,,nts man and ,vomen an the same
rl,no II counts nocuniarv indcnendencs
danaIIv incrmbent on and necuniarv donend.
e5ce e9naIlv dcarading 10 botb sexes il do.
mands entrance for woman into all depart.
ments of labor not as the remedy of an evil
but as the Gl6lment of a mission. do moi
knoyv how strongly enonoh IN exnress NV dis.
sent I think the necessity of earning he,
own living is always woman's misfortune
She who must sunport herself in order "a
resnect herself IA n very inferior sort of a wo.
man Indeed 20 far as regards anv concen.
tion of her mart in the economy of life. she i,
No woman at ALL Probably her instinct over.
hears her intellect and she is nineteen.twen.
tietbs more a woman than she would make
herself out to be.
Pecuniarv dependence DEGRADING TO men.
is not only not undignifed but is the only
thoroughly dignided condition for women
In renovated and millcnnial society all wo.
men will be supported by men-wili have nc
more to do with bringing in money than the
, lilies of the field.
1t is the misfortune of our age to be as vel
, far removed from that day; but to imagin,
il. and then call il DEGRADING. is Altogether in.
tolerable.
. We will admit that technically, legally. th,
husband and father has the right of eminent
, domain. lie isa citizen, wife and daughter
are not. Actually, also, if he is a wrong-headet
, or bad.hearted man, he NAV be an intolerabl,
! tyrant. There are men so persistent of will
50 feeble or twisted in intellect that never $,
| superior a wife can only manage them-car
never thoroughly subdue or renew them
Soanians who eonouer Ey their yery weakness
But there are also female Seani9ns. and n,
law can be framed to touch them. Civil code
NAV reach a state of absolute perfection. do
inc equal and entire Justice to man and wo
man and husband will still be able TO hec
: tor his wife IN death. and the wife her hus
to think she does it best. A woman has rathe
1; more power to make home steadily and un
mitipatedly uncomfortable than has man.
-. - Al