Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-04-03
THE EDUCATION OF DIR GIRLS

THE EDUCATION OF OUR GIRLS.
Read before the Lansing Farr,er,' Club, bv Mr..
E. Il. Wsus' February ED, 1879.
In early ages, and at the present time,
among savage people, women generally
were and are treated a little better than
drudge" or slaves. performing most Of the
mental labor. Now among the Weather
and SO. called upper classes of society, they
are too often considered and treated as
dolls or animated forms for displaying
elegant toilets, laces, jewels, etc.
They are generally taught to dance and
f1irt; the chief end and aim of their lives
appearing to be to captivate the mascu-
lines and to outshine their feminine
friends.
Among the common classes, of which
We may perhaps consider ourselves a
part, our females appear in all the extreme
and intermediate grades, ranging from
the gr0ssest to the purest, the most intel.
lcctual, the loveliest and best.
IT'S of ours, the farmers girls, 1 will
briefly speak. How shall we educate
them' Physically, that they may be all
that God intended, robust, healthy, per.
fectly able to care for themselves and
labor for the unfortunate. Morally that
they may know the right and have courage
to perform. Intellectually, that they may
reason and have opinions of their own,
not depending on the judgment OF others.
That they may comprehend the laws of
nature and from nature look up to natures
God; also that they may exert their share
III influence in society and benefit those
under their influence and intrusted to
their care. They should he taught to be
modest, lovable, benevolent, and to ven.
crate the aged, to be faithful to their
CORRECTIONS of right, and to be loving
taught that appearances are not so de.
sirable as comfort, that u loving heart is
better than fine raiment. They should be
taught to reverence the Bible and all
things holy, and that to love God and to
trust in His grace will help them to bear
the trials of life as well as enjoy its hap.
tpiness. They should not only be taught
the common English branches. but the
sciences, and if they have taste, for
music or tor draw ing, for painting or for
sculpture, they should be gratified to the
:xtent of parents ability. Nor is this all,
hey should be taught that to labor is no
disgrace, but duty and to qualify them.
! 'elves to be independent of any outside
aid, unless physically incapac itated.
The ma ority of women are obliged to
earn their own living, and in order to
live, they should earn before they spend,
and their struggles to obtain an honorable
Subsistence are harder than mems because
they are women, and because they have
not been educated to earn or save money.
We should teach cur girls not only
how to perform homework satisfactorily,
but how to do it systematically. Our
girls should also be taught trade and to
acquire habits of promptness and regu-
larity, then ii adversely should overtake
them, such knowledge will not come
amiss. Some mothers fear that by learn
ing trade, their daughters will become
| unwumanly OF unlady-like, but no bus.
mess, if honorable. will unfit them Tor
usefulness, and business education,
guided by loving and judlcious parents
or teachers, will not injure any sensible
girl. We should teach our girls &c asso.
ciate only with those who are of strictly
| moral character, remembering that "evil
communications corrupt good manners,"
| and one cannot touch pitch without being
defled.
With these remarks might close did
not sense of justice impell me to utter
protest against the false prejudlces of
society and the Determinations of laws
and customs that limit our opportunities
for usefulness and lesson our chances for
i'm provement, so that for lack of exercise,
our intellects are dwarfed and we are re.
garded as little better than animated au.
donations, endowed 1T best with abilities
for acquiring superficial accomplish.
ments.
| With the same interests at stake as the
other sex, and often as we'll if not better
qualified, we are utterly debarred from
exercising the right Of suffrage As in
dividuals, we are subject to the same laws
as men, and our property Is taxed equal.
ly with theirs, yet we have no voice in
making those laws to which we are sub.
ject. BY custom and false notions Of
proprietY we are prevented from using
even our persuasive influence in correc.
ting the evils of society. Female sui:
frage is not an experiment. 1t Is said to
have been tried many years In England
for certain MINOR offices and in Wyoming
it has been tried eight years and the tes.
timony there ls universal in its favor.
and the Governor of Wyoming has en-.
dorsed it in his messages. Women who
went there prejudiced against it and
thought 1t indecOrous and indecent, now
gladly avail themselves Of the privilege.
The New York Independent remarks that
cautious men are beginning to look upon
it as not only fright privilege to grant
but q most hopeful agency to purify leg.
isIation. The temperance question Is of
great importance to US all, and as it so
intimately concerns the welfare of our
families, We should not only use moral
suasion, but as the ladies of Illinois are
doing, ask for "home protection" II 1t
not especially fitting that We should, by
the aid Of our ballots, help TO rid the land
Of the giant evil intemperance.
Again, let me ask you, lords of creation,
BY what right do you assume to say, that
for the same am cunt Of service performed
in the same way, and full as satisfactorily,
women should receive perhaps half the
pay that men receive. As teachers in
public schools, as clerks In dry.goods
houses, a. accountants in private and
public Offices, even as phi ysicians, lawyers,
lecturers and preachers, woman has, in
many cases. demonstrated her ability to
cope with the best of the other sex.
I do not say that I desire a sudden or
too radical change in our SO called sphere
OF life, but do ask that our schools and
colleges, which are supported at public
expense, be thrown open for the benefit
of all persons alike, regardless Of sex,
and If we are found competent to fill
places Of trust and usefAllness, that no
tyrannical laws of state or society shall
debar US from them.
Let VI as men and women strive to cor.
rect existing abuses, and follow our