The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-07-23
Women and Money.

1t is the duty of every man, especially
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 con-
fdence, and if they should get it there
would be far less room for domestic mis-.
understanding and discord. He has no
ground for considering them imprudent
or reckless of expenditure when he keeps
them in entire financial darkness. They
have no means of Judging whether they
can spend with prudence one dollar or
hundred; for dollars are distractions,
have no definite meaning. Their no
tions are those of children; they marvel
why banks should issue SIS notes when
they can issue $50's, as they suppose,
with no more responsibility. They are
preplexed to comprehend why their hus-
bands or fathers should give them ten
dollars when they ask for forty. 1t is
either caprice or downright meanness,
they are led to conclude, and they are
permitted to remain 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 num-
Der of cabalistic phrases touching notes
to meet in bank, decline in breadstuffs,
depreciation of stock, or panic in Wells
street, which would be quite as intelli-
gibie were they uttered in Chaldaic.
Should they request an explanation of
the phrases, they are snubbed with the
remark, 7" Women never can understand
business" and left with the impression
that what they have heard day after day
for years must contain some truth.
Generally money is either doled out
to women, or given them in a careless,
lavish way, as if no account were made
of it-this is very rare, however--so that
they have no sense of responsibility from
its possession. Men do not, as a rule,
let their wives and daughters have money
in a manner that will produce its intel
ligent use. In most cases they demand
what they want it FOR, and having been
told, they furnish the exact amount.
They are seldom willing, even when they
they have abundance, to permit the wo-
man to employ her own discretion in
spending it, which she might be trusted
to do after little rudimentary instruc-
ton, and which is the surest method OF
aeeslainting her with its value.
If she once understands that the whole
hing is left to her, if she knows how
much she can Justly use, if she feel the
full sense of responsibility, she is very
apt to show that she is capable Of man.
aging dollars and cents. Having had
proper training and teaching, she very
often proves herself quite as competent
az men are to deal with money, and not
seldom surpasses them in this particular
She is not ex travagant nor wasteful after
she has had little financial education
On the contrary, she is decidedly eco
nomical, and many husbands are willing
to attest attest that their wives are more judi
cious purchasers and better savers thar
they can ever hope to be. After all thai
: has heer said nf waman's exarayaganee
she is far less extravagant than man, ant
what she spends rarely does her harm
which can not be said Of his improvi
dence, She will nearly always use none,