The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-25
Tho Great Social Problem.

The conditions OF life are more fatal 10
men than to women. Although the pro-
portion OF boys born In any civilized com
munity is 104 to 1O5 to every 100 girls, a
greater number Of the latter survive to
reach maturity. In fact, in nearly all
countries there Is q surplus Of women.
In England there are 10s women to
100 men, and In America the excess Of
women is fully FIVE per cent, while in Ger.
tain parts Of the United States, such as
Massachusetts,, the emigration Of young
men has made a far greater disparity in
the numbers Of the sexes. From the sur
plus Of women there would naturally
follow the enforced celibacy Of the more
unAttractive Of the sex
There are, however, other causes which
also tend to produce the same result.
Prominent among these is the lack OF
chastity among men. According to Mr..
Greg, whose Literary and Social Judg-
ments" has recently attracted much at;
tention, this latter cause Is more power
tul than all othCrs in producing tho ce-
libscy of so large number Of
English women. Hisremsrks on this sub.
ject can be applied with equal truth 10
the condition OF things in this country,
and we, therefore, quote them, leaving
the moral to be drawn by our readers.
Mr.. Greg remarks: "Ii every man among
the middle and higher ranks were COM
PEELED to lead a life Of stainless abstinence
till he married, and unless he married,
we may be perfectly sure that every
woman In those ranks would
have 90 many offers, such
earnest and such nationally eligi'
BILE ones, that no one would remain single
except those to whom nature dictated
celibacy3 as q vocation, or those whose
cold hearts, independent tempers, or In
dulgent selAshnees, made them select It al
| q preferable and more luxurious career.
Unhappily, as matters are managed now,
thousands Of men lind 1t perfectly feasible
to combine ali the freedom, sV53sBI
LUXURY, AND sELF.1NDuLoRNoE
Of bachelors career with the pleasures
OF female society and the enjoyment they
seek for there. As long as this Is so, 30
long, we fear, q vast proportion Of The
best women in educated classes-women
especially who have no dowry beyond
4 their goodness and their beauty-will be
doomed to remain involuntarlly single,
How this sore evil Is TO be remediCd we
cannot undertake 10 say, When
female emigration has done its work, and
drained away the excess and the special
obviousness Of the redundance; when
women have thus become far fewer ID
proportion, men will have to bid higher
4 for the possession Of them. and will4hnd
Unnecessary to make them wives instead
OF mattresses. Again, when worthless ap
pearances, and weary gayedes, and Joy
less luxuries shall have lost something
Ioftheir Fictitious fascination In women't
eyes, In comparison with more aolld
and more enduring pleasures, they will ht
content with smaller worldly means in the
men who ask their hands, and as they be
come less costly articles Of furniture they
viii find more numerous and more eager
purchasers. Ladies themselves ARE faI
from guiltless in this matter; and though
this truth has been somewhat rudely told
them lately, It 10 q truth, and 1t Is one
they would do well to lay to heart"