, 1875-01-31

the artificial and not the natural woman Aisu
that those strong, sweet women of New En-
glands homes, our 6randmothera, bud thei
types in the free healthy blossoms Ut their hills
| aud not ia the gardens or tho greenhouses
fear that - Ruth - is out in logic as we'll q!
in botauy. EDoS.
DR.. VAN DE WALKER Oh SEX.
II To the Editor ef The Chicago Tribune:
The paper which appears in tho February mum
her Of the Popular Science Monthly, from til,
pen Of Dr. Van de Walker, on Woman is on,
that is likely to call forth as much discussion o.
did Dr. Clarke's Sex in Education" Both ar,
repetitions md scientific Endorsements of an as
sertion persistently made by the press of thi.
country, for the past thirty years, as an all
sufficient argument against every effort for on.
larging woman's field OF labor, for opening the
labor-narket to fair competition. To every do
mnnd made by underpaid and starving women
for an equal right to earn bread, men have per.
sistently replied:
ssshame upon you! Do you not know that,
by reason Of your womanhood, you are in
capactated for earning lVing?"
To tho persistent cry Of the hungry, 'sDo,
please, let US try!" the stinging answer has ever
come:
"Bacl to thy punishment, false slave! Are
you not woman? Did Lot the Creator stamp
that condition. with mental and physical inca
pacity for my employment to which honors and
emotumonts may attach, and appoint man as
your jai1er to prevent your escape from this po-
sitiou of inferlority?"
Still d fow, and eTer-increasing, number Of
women, impelled by that instinct which makes
| the lioncss fierce and formidable hunter, have
continued to struggle for an open field in which
to test their capabilities aad now comes Science,
| the Canute who Is to roll back the advancing
t wave Of womans aggression on the domain Of
man, and waving it's sceptre, haughtily c1claims,
.'Back!" But will it back ut this command
After all, is not the question ona which must be
decided By the aggregate results of long-con-
tinued course Of experiments Az the question
is one of life, or the Of living, to halr the
race, shall We accept any theory. no matter now
well it may seem to be grounded in facts, before
we have tested it by trial and experience?
One cannot wonder that male physicians feel
called upon to bestr themselves, to prevent any
loss or diminut1on to that lucrative practce
growing out Of the gcneral conviction that
women are censtitntionaly untitled for taking
charge of their own bodes aud preventing, or
curing, those Diseases which now make them so
prolific q eourco Of profit to tho medical profes-
sion. Like Demetr1us of old, the doctors seem
to feel that their craft ia in danger, and seek to
stir III, the people to drive out the dissurbers Of
the ancient Worship, who seek to take away
their time-honoEed monopoly, Ono cannot won
der at this, since human nature is the same in
ell ages; but, before we run together to con-
demn or stone the agitators, let US examine the
reasons given that they should bo summarily dis
posed OF.
Says DIR. Van de Walker, "We must arrive at
tue conclusion that marriage III nos an optional
matter with her. [Woman.] There is 40 un-
dsrcurrent OF impulse tanpslilng every healthy
to have been DELAYED until this time! May not !
this scientific gentleman il he continue his re-
searches, lind that there il that in the nature OF
healthy men Which iuclines them to growing
on each foot? Something Of this kind ought to
follow his grave announcement that women are |
actually women from some inherent Law OF their |
nature, and that this is now s. known by tho |
positive evidence OF medical men," Tue tact is |
no doubt surprising, not only to him, but to the
medical mon who have given positive evi-
deuce" on the subject; but ii il one which tho !
advocates of womans equality before the law
have been perslstentiy urging upon the atten-
tion OF legislators for thirty years. This
is the groundwork Of all our arguments againss
laws and customs compelling women to do that
which, in u state OF perfect freedom, they will
bo sure to do Of their own accord. We hnye
been Saying, ut is not necessary, gentlemen,
10 sHut NOt06o up LII RaEFeIb3 AnC compel them
to make shirts at starvation prices, in orleI to
mako them willing to marry you. II they could
aud did earn just rs much aa you do, dollar for
dollar, OF eren two 70 one, ey7ry one of them,
from first to last, will be willing to marry when
the right man comes aud no prosperity or |
eau ever divide woman from thd
man she ls constituted to 1oyo better than her
self"
We have always said to them, "Gent1emen,
Nature takes care Of that marriago-busness
Al - ia n n IN ft hat runf and |
artificial incapaclty for getting living shall nos
be called in to prevent her impulses and enforce
3 sale Of the person, instead Of marriage, which,
n tbe nature Of it, must bo d thing OF choice.
That tue Doctor l5 correct in his premises, SO |
lar us above sisted no candid observer can
teny, and there is no reason why every one
should wish to deny them; but. when he says
hat marriage is Is prime necessity" to women.
10 oyerhtates his case; and whom he assumes
hat to her, it Ia more important than to man, |
10 contradcts the facts OF natural history, so far
Is known, aud lmpeaches the wisdom OF the
jreator, or claims that women can ouly find !
Il marriage what men are at Liberty to seek out
ide. The general history OF animals proves !
Int the male il more influenced by sexual pas
ion than the female. Hence, in many species, he
8 endowed with superior strength; power Of
ocomotion, and prehenslble organs, that be may
ur6ua and snblue the female to his will. Dar-
'in assumes that man inherited this propensity =,
rom his apa-llke progenitors; and the habits Of |
IL savage tribes show that William OF Normandy /
anne legitinately by his mode OF couttship. | 6
knocking woman down, and cudgeling her into
omplan.e with her lovers Wishes or forcibiy :
bducting her aud compelling her acceptance Of :
he situation, are modes Of asserting tie sexual
emand on the part Of men, which have only re- =
emily given place to tue legal and social disabili
es now invoked to compel women to be willing
. accept the addresses of her predestined mate.
That man is more influenced by sex than wom- I
a, is also proved by the general ....valeuce of .
II one man, when like Solomon, he O