Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-02-12
The Independence Of Wcmen.

wee
The NECESSARY iuGruendcnce of
woman" is u cant phrase embndying
one of those hall truths 80 often
accepted in this world tor whole
measure. 1t leaves the Inference that
mah is not necessarily dependent;
which is no, true. There is no human
strength, however great, no earthly
station, however high, which Is alone
and self sustaining All the civiliza-
ton and advancement of our race Is
the result of the geIeral utilization of
the great principle Of division OF
labor" In the learned world, for
instance, it is impossible for one
student to master more than one or
two sciences. The greater part OF our
information we must take upon trust
There was time when people did
not believe the world was in motion.
Nobody doubts it now ; and yet the
number of those who can demonstrate
The fact is very small one The
sciences are correlated and mutually
dependent. The astronomer is assis-
ted bv the chemist, the mathematician,
the geoIogisr and the opiician. The
geologist, for his part, must lean upon
the botanist, the Zoologist and the
mineralogist The same principal
holds good in all the relations Of
practical life. In medicine, for exam.
pie, no man has the least confidence
in himself where he is himself Con-
ccrned. When the doctor is i'll he
sends for q brother physician. In
law it is much The same.
If no professor feels himself sell
suIlicing in his own profession, much
less will lie trust himself upon the
strange ground of another profession.
Nor is the community, comprising ex-
perts in all the arts, trades and mys-
trries of life, independent as a whole.
The town depends upon the country,
and rice rersa. The temperate zone
depends upon the torid the manu-
featuring interest upon the agricul-
tural; The consumer upon the produ-
Ger. There is no end to the manifold
complexity of human relationships all
involving dependence.
The male as well as the female
human is, then, necessarily a depen-
dent being. 1t is true that there are
many labors and occupations for
which woman is by reason of her
physical weakness and delicacy essen
tiallv unfitird. On the other band,
there are fields of labor IN which man
finds himself the inferior Of his ap-
pointed helper by reason of the rude.
ness Of his strength and the rashness
Of his scfreliancc. If man is larger.
woman is more gracefully mouldered ;
if man is more logical. woman is
more intuilivc in her mental process ;
if man is broader in his views of life,
woman is keener in her sensibilities
and warmer in her sympathies il
man has more talent, woman has
more tact-as for genius, it has nc
sex.
Therefore the scheme for an idea
humanity comprises both male and
female either only half itself without
the other.
But when we come down to the
plain, hard questions Of food and
shelter, and the relative ability OF the
two sexes 10 sui sist themselves upon
this planet, each unaided by the other
is it not true that in this regard the
woman is the more dependent! We
answer that if the world were reduced
to savage state, and the struggle fol
existence were reduced to question
of muscular power, it might be
so. But even in the savage state we
6rd the husband depending upon the
wife. He degrades her to the status
of slave, but he lives upol the pro
, duct of her labor.
The truth is, however. that this con
sideration cannot be admitted, since
the world IS not in a savage state ant
cannot return to that condition. The
,, increasing Growth Of our civilization
the development of all the great inter
, ests of business life, wilens CONSTANT.
the legitimate sphere Of feminine
activity. As teachers. clerks, account
: ants, officials in many departments o
the Government, newspaper CORES
pundcnts, artistS and photographers
, there is DO reason at all that womeI
should not compete with their hardie
=, brothers
= 1t is to be admitted, however, tha
parents, for the most part, are TO
: little careful to prepare their daughter
4 for Oiher than domestic duties. IOun
] girls very soon begin to look upo
:, marriage as their ultimate destiny i
this life, and if they are prepared fc
that condition, they consider tbel
education complete. Consequently q
state of life is regarded with so muc
apprehension by the average feminln
v mind as old. maiden-bood. Very fre
: quen,ly the most uncongenial person
q are united in matrimOny, slmpl
because the lady in question see
: before her no other escape from III
;. of loneliness aud without resources
# Very soon her parents will be deaf
o and her brothers and sisters will hav
o all forsaken the family hearth an
gone to homes Of their own. Wlthot
h property and without profession
is any sort, she has now no cholt
between sordid poverty aud the humi