The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-01-13
LOb-sided Observation-Disclosures
REV. John Todd, DID,, in the COrgrega-
tionalist.


When a church, a school, or a college
becomes unbalanced, the results are
"lob-sided." So it is in every depart
ment of life. | have seen families. in
stitutions and even so-called religious
papers terribly ''lob-sided." Among all
the experiments made, now making, and
to be made we are to see many of these
results. / see the question is entertained
by some of our grave New England col
leges, whether they shall not admit
women within their walls. q dare not
say females" because one of our lady
writer's protests that this is an indicate
word, aud may mean feminine dog or
horse, as wellD
Shall our colleges be opened to receive
women9 When so many papers clamor
for it, when we are told the age demands
it, when we are told how it will civiize
our young men, soften their manners,
rub off their roughness, how this and
that institution has done 1t, how it will
help to obliterate the odious distinction
between men and women and fill up our
small colleges, who am /, that | should
dare thrust in objections or incur the
odium of being called an cold fogy"
who hardly belongs to this century?
These old horses may do very well
as wheel horses-good to hold back
but not fit TO be leaders. Well,
have known stage, and that more than
once, saved from being upset, plunged
off the bank and wrecked by these same
old wheel-horses. No, Pm too wise, too
shrewd, too timed, to object. But l
want very modestly to ask few ques-
tons. fear | shall put them too blunt
", but will try to be gentle:
LIST. Is it certain that the normal struc-
ture, the physiology, the diseases, the
tastes, the sensibilities, the nerves, the
habit Of thought and feeling, the ply
steal endurance, the strength and weak
ness of the two sexes, are so nearly alike
that it is wise to shut them up in col
lege to be educated together?
I'd. Is it necessary for women?
Sd. A rule should work well both
ways. Will these lady-colleges-such as
Vassar, open their doors for young men
Sauce that is good for the goose must be
good for the gander. If the sexes had
better be educated together, then hasten
to invite us in. Arc they prepared to do
that2
4th. If ladies enter our colleges and
compete in the long course with the
other sex, they must do it by sacrificing
the female accomplishment Why must
they? Simply because they can't com
pete with the young men without using
all their time and exhausting all their
strength.
9Th. Is it certain that the delicate,
nervous, physical organization of woman
is such (I admit all you ask as to her
quickness Of mind and fine mental at
tributes, J that she can endure the physi-
cal strain requisite for a regular old
fashioned college course?
9th. Provided you say thatwoman can
bear the wear and strain of the college
course, and you want her to be educated
| like men and with men, what about the
gymnasium--is she to perform there
What about the boat-club, is she to be
shut out of the delightful training and
struggling in the boat-race? l only ask
in my ignorance, for if you try to make
| llcE u COllcSC-SbuuCllt Sdh oCV why
she must not be onel Is she any way
inferior to her brother?
Once more. For the widely separated
duties of life, which, by laws unalter-
able, must be separated-is it certain,
or even probable, that it will be any adj
vantage to either sex to change the
whole organic structure of our colleges
in order that this experiment may be
made? 1t does not meet the case to cite
the experience of childhood. We all
agree that in childhood, in the nursery,
so long as they are under the mothers
eve, they should be educated together
but the question is, when the days Of
| Irritation have arrived-when the
thoughts of the young, naturally and
strongly flow towards one point-when
the passions are strong and the will
weak, and the judgment inexperienced
is it wise to bring the two sexes togeth
err in the college? The institution that
! does that must take wide departure
from its own organization and become
elob-sided"-or am mistaken.