The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-05-05
The Rights of VyOman-Vfepvs of the
Late J. &. Holland.

1t is claimed by those who deny wom-
! ans right to sing bass that she Is need
ed for the treble and alto parts. Need
ed by whom? Needed by man? But
who gave man the right to set up his
needs as the law of woman's life. If
man needs treble and alto, l hope
he may get them He has the undoubt-
ed right to sing both parts to suit his
fancy, or TO hire others to do it for him.
Man needs buttons on his shirt, and clean
linen, but for the life of me ] cannot see
why that need defines a woman's duty
in any respect Let him do his own
washing, and sew on his own buttons.
Suppose a woman should need to have
hooks and eyes sewed upon her dress,
az some of them do after taking a very
long breath, would that determine it to
be a mans duty to sew them on? "It
is a poor rule that viii not work both
ways This is one of the illustrations of
mans selfishness-t that he sets up his
needs as the rule by which the rights of
one-half of the human race are to be de-
termined.
This same selfishness of man will de-
mand that / consider this talk, and will
accuse me of sophistry. 1t will declare
that do not state the case fairly. 1t
will say that woman needs money with
which to buy her dresses and procure
her food, and strong hands to labor for
her and protect her, and that these needs
do indeed define mans duty with re-
spect to her. But 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-but woman has no right to
them, based upon her need-particular-
Iy if she be woman who insists, as L
do, upon her indefeasible right to sing
bass. know that it helps things along
for woman to look after mans linen
and buttons, and do his tine work gem
orally, because she seems TO have a KIND
of natural knack at this business.
1 suppose that women generally prefer
indoor to outdoor employment-labor
that draws less upon muscle and more
upon ingenuity and delicate-fngered
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 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 fatness
over the cerebral organs; but the German
peasant woman has her right, and that
is worth any sacrifice, you know.
viii not admit that the gen
eral preference of womah 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. am
aware that one would not like to have
ones wife or sister an opera singer, or
public dancer, or a preacher. or doctor
in general practice, or a 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. l confess that / should
like to see a regiment of women SIX feet
high, officered by women, all dressed IN
Balmorals illustrating the national col
ors, marching to battle in as close or
der as the popularity 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 (and
they please me exceedingly tney nave
not the muscle to "hit from the shoul-
der" with force sufficient to make them
formidable antagonists and am aware