, 1874-06-07
"Ths Eatien's' Depreciation Of John
Stuart Hills Ficws in Regard
t, tLs ReIati:ls. Of .
lie Sexes.
vas Mr, Mills Mind in That Re-
gard Essentially Morbid"7
Tia "Curious Theories" as TO the
Cause Of Woman's lnteriority
Supported by Herbert
Spencer.
nh 3rr. hill Promu1gate an "Extraor-
dinary Fallacr," or Does "The
Nation'' Exhibit E1traor-
Ginary Ignorance

a".. I nresuue It is safe to assume that all
.-ona IN Ch;caco and the Northwest yho read
tha .,o.;oa rs.d also The TRIBUNE; and, as it is
-.o,,.b.e ,n.: tue former journal, even if it had
s,s scsce would not have the disposition, to
a-:nt rhst have to say, it has occurred to me
tl,.t perhaps The TR1BUSE. whose audience in
cIodes thst Of the Nation and mauy thousands
.1or. would be willing to do 80. l des1ro to call
.+teniou to certain passages from the Nation
rtl.ting to what il called
"ruE WOMAN QUESTION"
.,d In .pply the proper corrections, using, for
+t,t purpoze, not my own but tho authority Of
narsors FIR better qualified indeed. OF the very
ne.sops implicated by that jou1alc!s Statements.
and first permit mo to make the following quota
tions: .. .....
Ts believe it IVES tho late a1r.. NIL who e1vs cur
rs,cy u the curious yier. which his relations
h b. sex b1ve In great part explained that tho fe-
s ~ NJ, n. n9aduc If d xr
81 mlle tyranny, Ike that Of which mais serfs haEs
been The victims. and could. by course Of ladc;ous
l.cskrcn ba brought back TO primort3ia type, not
acoap!.t. similarly, but Of equality in strength and
e.raci,y.-,al1on; Acrea &c.
But bis [AIr. Mllsl Autobiography, whatever else It
did reyeaed the fact that his state of mind in regard
t. tie seAton Of tho texes essentially morbid, and
lh,t Lia experience Of female character YVES n&rrow
md naesded. and singula1iy insufficient to qualify
tsrt co,ors both national end individual life
denly tl1:n sny othsr infuenco.-Sotion, 4au IL
These passages might, perhaps, be termed tho
elimination Of specially lY-pursued purpose
vlich have noticed on the part OF tho Nation
fcrsoms time past, to mako Light of and dis
credit Mr. Mills viewB on this subject. I have
before me. Is write, soma six passages from
that paper, extending back for year aud hall,
IN eaeh Of which brief allusion is made TO
MIR, 7u11'e ~ CURIOUS STORY"
1t t.o.,;,s1u ;a +ha uo,d ,xad IN ana ;ns+,noa>
tcona1cA4 - LIS aoAo aoeo ~ "u0 AaSaAeo)'
and IN which the impression ls sought to bs
r1nxaveh-by naasinr ASSUMPTION only-thnt
HI. opinions we're peculiar, or funny. or
-. u.r;.- ~. ,<,a,arod -.
ons o1 oa'e' uas 'A PAop t:e
readers by fopetluons e" pnssoo, ~
Eeens Eow to think 1t safe to charge
that Mr.. Mills mind WAS "1norbid," snd
+,,,+ ,,a wa g o;ncn1nr1v "d;sna,ified tn adv.a
upon socn "a''er' "nae tne 1a.so" "tsueS 10
to believe, suppose. ID the; 1has mir. mill, VINO
mingled but little In general society. and there
fcra ssv little OF women. consequently regarded
t,a saI az n vho1a with tbe sans anointed eyes
.-oIS. -.;o,, ~ 1ooraa ,-,,o- 1,is 49, a,,d
laroosn "u4sn n1 .Uoae'on 10 49,. ~
that, had not Mrs. Mill been tho woman OF such
marvellous qualities as in his eyes she Was, his
opinions would not have bocn what they were.
I:egards the correctness OF this let me quote
ino object Of this ez.sy Is to explain, clearly
IN sble, thc grounds ct opinion ~hich nave held
firm ~ rery eoTlt<se peT19d Ehen naa 1oiueo any
opinions 81 ~ On soe1. M ~ raad;Sa ~.
e. ennssnr r7oxing stronger by the progress of
esea.na .na ia erneuencs Of Ife-Subjeeton of
Eomsn. pc9s1,
Ana ,oain sn.sk5nq of tha preaumptfon TINT
Ia ,n,ch9 hara GeriTed his opinious from his
Tfa 6a sars:
" ~ =, t-o,, h.tno t1,- c... that thos. ccn-
oa Of py mind to political aubjscts and the strength
With which held them was, as believe, mors than
.n5ne sse, The originating eaHte Of tha interest she
felt in ne-Autoaio1rdphy, page ~ 'l01e.
That lii. Mill held any norblu estlmate OF the
tex as whole, is
coSTnAD1c1En IN MANY WAYS.
He uroldcd general society, ~ he saya, because
there was nothing in it to attract an educated
pe1ton.-in other words, because he had D. con.
tempt tor it.. In bis "sub1cctlon OF Nomen,
ties which, in women, csptivate men tho most,
are artificial qualities. In the matter OF self
eaclihce, especially he esys that no lays little
htrass upon that supreme female attraction. for
the reason that ho does not think it belongs BY
nature exclusively to women; aud adds that, in
society Of, sexual equality, "a good woman
would not be moro self- sacrificing than the best
nan.' That be believed MomAn's mental capar
cities had been dWarfed, Is most true; but that
md over asse1ts that -"t:.judicious
ea1isa OF Legislation would produce
jzdcious coursa az ed,.c0f;on no donht ho
Moaghs "0nld approximate woman TO that
ea:e Ine only 1egslatlon he desired was the
tsAn8-o1 Of those legal (and sociaD chains by
which until within tfe present century she has
bssn sbso}ntn1v inhibited rom taat;oo her mrn-
tslcsnshi;;i;a. hv adno.+;ao s,,d e,s1,ar nna
nore;5a.. .hs.: e1oovu. ~, "Aon ~
plsn pe1s euas ~ u only "ltnln tnhk tlne, even Ill
1DEsoa, taat Eoinan has been allowed eTen &
co1mon- n-school education, aud puts with it the
present testimony Of Presidents White, AncelL
ind othara TINT thn gjr]s 1T the1r cn}lepa
Ire fullr m r. t,a s+erd.r1 - ~ ,1o 20 n,on +
saa,rs - = ~ 70 1sAo'A = Va tao 1eok "
->~-4' 90 u ~ a1n oP1nloo "as
.s AElha 5usT1f1ED EVEN sooSKh
IaAn he could have expected.
Within the zane period too Fashion and the
hw have permitted Fnrlish women 10 oducata
them,e1vaa for cart;n 1a,o-t,noa.s ~ IL ar,Iura.
md tha rasnft ~. 80 =; .t.4 49, ~ - +a.s1
ro, M.raa rnss no'cns.s &c. t o. "nlGn .1aa. na
Pcwer cohha Gn1io.sn s nr,n1.;,,3,
Gegr, FIJI F;ot 5' nta1' s3 @ nl 11: niuwgs
tomaay Iuu tho ats; .llu a1a MdSi ramcsts, +e
en- aa 49, se1 ~ ota1a. outsounuea =, susn "o
s,1tion e, oe -! sne ptoouc1 OF almoss .ne nst
h.d Nv y ~; H'ea m pal1laly-eaocateaM MomahnooGt
aaY erdanna W ~ teason ioI ms olon, atI tIas ~