The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-03-07
Women and Money.

WDlllCu uOu L kIOW, anu never can NC
taught, anything about money. The
former part of the statement may be
fact us respects many women; but the
latter part men have no authority for
making, because they scarcely ever at
tempt to be teachers. The dense and
irremediablc financial ignorance of
women is usually u foregone conclu-
sion; it is so universally taken for
granted that hardly anybody thinks of
questioning it. Men mention it rs Il
self-evident truth, because they have
always heard it SO mentioned, and will
continue to affirm it for generations
yet to come, for no better reason. If
women have no clear ideas of money,
it is simply because every effort is
made to preclude them from any and
all intelligent acquaintance with the
subject. They understand that money
has power Of purchase; they are aware,
most Of them by severe experience, that
it is very hard to get; and there their
information ends. They would like to
increase their small stock of knowl-
edge, and they often try to. But they
can't. 10 all questions the masculine
reply is, "Oh, you can't comprehend
it, and 50 the matter is dismissed.
Men seem to hold that financial
knowledge of every sort must be intui-
tive, if it exist at all in the feminine
mind, since it never can be put there
by any external means. They have to
learn whatever they acquire for them
selves; they are generally as ignorant
of money before beginning practical
life rs any woman can be; but they
never suspect that instruction or expo
rience would do her any good. If they
should fully explain to her the mystery
of dollars and cents, she would be as
wise as they; but then they would he
obliged to forego their beloved general
ization. They appear to believe that
any degree of monetary understanding
would unsex her, and they are perpet-
ually Jealous to prevent her from gain
ing it. Nevertheless, they like to COM
plain OF her extravaganza, or at least
to laugh at her incapacity to estimate
values, wondering that she should be
SO ignorant of what they have taken
the greatest pains to withhold from
her. They are constantly wishing that
she knew how to use money, though
they are resolved that she shall never
have any enlightenment from them.
They arc like the overcautious parents
who want their boys to swim, but won't
allow them to go near the water.
1t is the duty of every man, es-
pecially if he be of moderate means, to
tell his wife or daughters about his
pecuniary affairs-what he has, the
amount Of his income, and his capacity
for earning. They have right to
his business confidence, and if they
should get it there would bc far less
room for domestic misunderstanding
and discord. He has no ground for
considering them imprudent or reck-
less OF expenditure when he keeps
them in entire financial darkness.
They have no means Of judging whcth-
or they can spend with prudence one
dollar or a hundred; for dollars are alb
stractions, nave no definite meaning.
Their notions are those of children;
they marvel why banks should issue
SIS notes when they can issue sos. as
they suppose, with no more response
bility. They are perplexed to compre-
hcnd why their husbands or fathers
should give them ten dollars when
they ask for forty. 1t is either caprice
or downright mcanness, they are led to
conclude, and they are permitted to re-
main in the delusiOn.
If they inquire why they can't have
this or that, they are told again that
they cannot, and then are treated to u
number of cabalistic phrases touching
notes to meet in bank, decline in bread
stuffs, depreciation of stock, or panic
in Wall street, which would be quite
as Ineligible were they uttered in
Chaldaic. Should they request an ex-
PLANTATION of the phrases, they are
snubbed with the remark, Women
never can understand business" and
left with the impression that what they
have heard day after day foryears must
contain some truth.
Generally money is either doled out
to women, or given them in careless
lavish way, as if no account were made
of it-this is very rare, however-so
that they have no sense of responsible
ity from its possession. Men do not,
as q rule, let their wives and daughters
have money in a manner that will pro-
duce its intelligent use. In most cases
they demand what they want it for, and
having been tod, they furnish the ex-
act amount. They are seldom willing,