The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-14

* to he hopeful. and we can hut expect
+ a prosperous voyage and an open sea
! ForecaSting no disaster, we launched
< out-cheerily, bravely, joyOuSly. You
: have taught us to trust; you have
; taught us that with the clouds sill.
. yer lining may appear; you have
:. taught us that with the tempest a
! heavenly voice may be beard-a voice
f that stays the fury of the storm, that
n quiets the wild waves of sorrow, and
: whispers to the faiting soul: "Be not
+ afraid, it is l." For these lessons SO
forcibly taught us
e mo labored line nor polished art
q Such hallowed memory needs
! But when the winged angels of heaven, to bear
L you thence, shall come down,
: Then God shall give you gold for Your hire (;
= not coin, but crown
5 Senator j.. w. Jones, of Houston,
was then introduced and made the
following able address:
/. The man who undertakes to make
2 a speech to ladies assumes delicate
l and embarrassing task. Whether his
speech is made to an individual or a
collection of individuals, his situa-
| ton remains the same. In either
event his first impulse is to wander
, into the realms of poetry, romance and
flowers.
The delicacy, tenderness and purity
of woman's nature appeal to him in
sweet and touching tones, and seem
to elevate her for the moment into
sphere high above his oWn-a sphere
such as the order of knighthood Gre
ated for her, one but little lover than
that wherein dwell the angels. Such
impressions, though pleasing and po-
etc, are abstract and ephemeral.
Such is not the true and proper light
in which to view her. At the risk of
being considered ungracious and I'M
gallant, l am forced to say in all can
dor, that do not consider women
either as butterflies, humming-b birds
or angels. The age of chivalry is
. past-the days Of wild and bewilder-
ing romance are gone; and we must
view woman in practical light
must take her from the realms of ro-
nance and poetry and place her where
the truly practical age in which we
live has placed her; where the inspir-
ing and lofty moral power of her in
luence, the strength of her mental
faculties and the range of her intel
lectual capabilities have placed her.
When that is done we will lind her on
a plane of mental and intellectual
|
ceptible of indefinite expansion and |
as capable of grand and intellectual |
achievements as his. This she has |
demonstrated wherever her opportu-
mites and facilities have been equal |
to his in the race for education. But /
these have been seldom afforded her. |
Nearly all the colleges, built or en-
dowed, in this country, up to period |
not exceeding thirty or f rty years ago |
have been devoted exclusively to the
| education of men. Upt thirty years
ago such thing as college for wo-
men, with few scattering exceptions
was scarcely ever thought of. She was
almost entirely ignored in connection
with educational facilities or enter
prises. Recently, however, she
has compelled more consid-
Grafton and has forced the
world to the recognition of the fact
that she is no inconspicuous power in
the domain of intellect. The problem
which is now attracting much of the
| profoundest consideration and best
thought of the age is presented in the
shape of a plea for the higher edu-
| cation of woman.
In what may be said OF this subject
here in the capital of the state, it
| would seem unnecessary to go beyond
the limits of Texas. Those who are
interested in the proper solution of
this great problem can find wide
| field for thought and reflection as well
as abundant material here at home.
The last census shows that Texas had
a female population of more than
seven hundred and fifty thousand; her
increase for the past two and half
years has been unprecedented, so that
it is not unsafe to say that to-day
Texas contains within her borders
fully million women. l will leave
it to the pupils of Alta Vista to find
by calculation what proportion of this
vast number of females are within
the scholastic age, not alone the Scho-
lastic age as fised by law for the
public SCI ools, but the age in which
girls and young women are usually
sent TO school. Such a task will fur
nish admirable exercise for their
mathematics. And if the result
when arrived at, with that
certainty which figures alone can
show, could be hung upon all the lin
tells of all the doors in Texas, fathers
and mothers, as well as philosophers
and statesmen, might be awakened to
a fresh appreciation of the magnitude
and sacredness of the duty devOlving
upon them in respect to the fair
daughters of this fair land.
Where IS the college, the seminary,
or other educational institution in
Texas, chartered or endowed by the
state, that is adapted to or affords
facilities for the higher education of
woman? Where is the individual or
association whose munificence has
even been directed to the establish
ment or endowment Of such an insti-
tutiony There are some noble and
grand women in TeXas-one of whom
is the honored principal of A lta Vista
who have labored heroically and I'M
remittingly in behalf of the higher
education of their sex. They
have pursued this glorious work
alone, unaided by the bounty of the
state, unassisted by donations from
individuals or associations. Such
earlier days of the history of this
country. Let us trust that their eff
forts and labors in this holy cause
will be rewarded as were those of
their predecessors. Let us mention a
few of them: In 1892 Miss Pierce
opened aschool for girls at Litchfeld,
Connecticut, which continued for for
ty years, and at which large num-
Der of young ladies from all parts of
the country were educated. During
this year the first female academy in
this country was Incorporated at
Philadelphia. In 1916 Mrs. Emma
Willard commenced her noble en-
rIeavors to secure women the oppor-
tunity of acquiring grade of educa-
ton corresponding with that which
colleges furnished the other sex. The
eminent success of her school at Troy,
New York, is well known. AS re-
suit of her labor,a donation was given
her school by the state of New York,
thus placing female seminaries on an
equal footing with male colleges. The
energetic efforts of Miss Mary Lyon
achieved the establishment of South
Hadley Seminary in 1897. She was
the first successful pioneer in this
| laudable cause in Massachusetts,. Her
remains now sleep within few yards
of Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, in
which noble monument she has COM
memorated her just pride in and ap-
probation of the capacities of her own
sex. Other names and other examples
might be cited to show what woman
has done for the cause of education
of her own sex, by her personal labor