Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-28

| as some OF them do after taking very
long breath, would that determine it tt
be mans duty to sew them on? "I
is poor rule that will not work both
ways. This is one of the illustrations Of
mans selfshnessethat he sets up his
needs as the rule by which the rights Of
one-haf of the human race are to be de.
termined.
This same selfshness of man will de.
mand that consider this talk, and viii
accuse me of sophistry. It will declare
that I do not state the case fairly. II
will say that woman needs money with
which to buy her dresses and procure
her food, and strong hands to labor fol-
her and protect her, and that these needs
do indeed define mans duty with re.
spect to her. But I place all this on the
ground Of gallantry and humanity. OF
course, we are all very glad to do these
things, you kDow-we who have human
feelings woman has no right to
them, based upon her need-partic
~ If she be q woman who insists, as
do, upon her indefeasible right to sing
bass. know that it helps things along
for q woman to look after q mans linen
and buttons, and do his fine work gen.
orally, because she seems to have Kind
of natural knack at this business.
suppose that women generally prefer
indoor to outdoor employment Labor
that draws less upon muscle and more
upon ingenuity and delicate fingered
facility: but that settles nothing as to
their right to engage in muscular tolls
IN the open air. The German peasant
woman has labored out of-doors for many
generations. The result has been the
gradual approach to each other of her
hips and shoulders, the extinguishment
OF that portion of her person known as
the waist, and some noticeable flatness
over the cerebral organs; but the German
peasant woman has her right, and that
Is worth any sacrifice, you know.
l will not admit that the gen
eral preference of woman for pri-
vate life imposes any obligation
upon any woman to abstain from
public life, or affects in any way her
right to enter upon public life. I am
aware that one would not like to have
ones wife or sister an opera singer, or a
public dancer, or preacher, or doctor
In general practice, or circus-rider, or
popular lecturer, or an actress; but
am talking about the question of right.
Most women would shrink from war
from its fatigues, its dangers, its bloody
strife; but Joan of Arc asserted her
right to go into war; and her name is
engrossed upon the scroll of fame. All
women have the same right to go to war
that she had. confess that T should
like to see a regiment Of women six feet
high, differed by women, all dressed in
Balmorals illustrating the national COL
ors, marching to battle in as close or
der as the peculiarly of their garments
would permit, and accompanied by a
corps of cavalry in side saddles. Such
an assertion of woman's right would be
grand beyond description.
know that as women are now land
they please me exceedingly they have
not the muscle to chit from the shout
der " with force sufficient to make them
formidable antagonists and I am aware
that they lack something in the length
of limb requisite for The rapid locome-
ton of the ball ground; but they have
never had q chance. See what the
washerwomen have done for themselves.
They seem to be separate race of be-
ings, for they all have large arms, and
shoulders that would do honor to Tom
Sayers. I have seen negro slave women
at work in the field, with muscular de.
velopment that would be the envy of
the Bowery boy. The washerwoman
and the field slave show what can be
done by cultivation. I know that their
style Of figure is not quite so attractive
as I have seen, and know that wherever
there is an extraordinary tax upon mus
Gle there is an extraordinary repression
of mind and bunting of the sensibilities,
but it must be remembered that we are
talking about rights, now. I claim and
maintain q may as well come out with
the whole of it, that woman has a
right to do anything she chooses to do,
with perhaps the unimportant excep-
ton of becoming the father of family.
If can witch the ears and win the
hearts of men and women by doing that
which I can do easily and naturally and
we'll, then I shall do best not to exercise
my right to do that which I can only do
with great difficulty and unnaturally and
i'll.
When women talk to me about their
right to vote, and their right to practice
law, and their right to engage in any
business which usage has assigned to
man, I say: "Yes-you have all those
rights" I never dispute with them at
all. Indeed, you see how I have put my
self forward as the defender Of these
samerights; yet should be sorry to see
them exercised by the women I admire
and love. It is all well to say that the
presence of woman at the ballot-box
would purify it, and restrain the man
ners Of the men around it !; but have
seen enough Of the world to learn that
all human influence is reciprocal and re-
dictionary. Men and the ballot-box
might gain, but woman would lose, and
men and the ballot-box themselves
would lose in the long run. The ballot
box is the base, and it should be mans
business to sing it, while woman should
give him home melody with which it
should harmonize.