The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-09-03
AMERICAN GIRLS. S.
Have They Too Much Liberty9

ing voice in words like these:
1.-The many evils, wrongs, and abuses
heaped upon women are but the results
| of uncontrolled freedom with our girls.
| What causes the suicides, elopements,
! seductions, and brutal assaults so COM
mon in our times? The liberty Amer
lean girls enjoy. Girls travel alone,
! attend school with boys, go through
| college and graduate in the same class
es with men. Can the tendency of this
be other than evilP How long can So
ciety, the family, and the individual
woman be secure from the vices that
are SO ruinous to the welfare of all if
such freedom continues? Is not soci-
ETY. reaping the bitter fruits of misdi-
rected indulgence"
miss Matilda Hindman, in the
Pittsburg Commercial Gazette says, in
response to the above: Since thought
full persons so believe and claim that
this freedom is producing great wrongs
the subject deserves careful considera-
tion. True, American girls do enjoy
more freedom than others. They trav-
ell alone, attend schools and colleges
with boys and men. They live in tho
same families, sit in the same church
pews, sing in the choirs, clerk in stores,
and in various departments do business
with men. They associate with their
gentleman friends and neighbors as
they do with their brothers. They are
self-reliant, self-dependent, and vast
multitudes are self-supporting.
Yet we fail to see the evil results
therefrom. To US it seems to have
brought I.-. -.........
HIGHER STATE OF MORALS
and greater intellectual advantages to
women and girls. 1t is from license,
not from liberty, evils come. 1t is not
the freedom allowed our girls, but the
| license given our boys and men that is
to be deplored. -.-...s
The wrongs referred to come invar-
iably from this license. The girl who
is given her natural freedom, and
taught to use it properly, becomes her
own and best protector Freedom is
the natural right of every one, boy and
girl alike. Why shut the girl up, har-
EN- fashion, to protect her from wrong.
| while the boy is turned loose, free to
enter upon course of vice that will
ruin him both morally and physically,
and fit him effectually to ruin the girl
untitled to protect herself. Boys
should have equal protection with girls.
| Give them the same care, throw around
them the same social restraints, have
the same moral code for them that is
laid down for girls, teach them that
vice in all its forms is to be summed BY
them in youth and manhood. Teach
them to demand respect, to treat with
contempt and distrust those who would
even hint that they are less pure-mind-
ed and true-hearted than their sisters.
With such training for boys there will
be little need to deplore the uncontrol-
led freedom of American girls.
Self-respect is the lesson needed to
be taught both sexes. The girl that
fully respects herself will rarely be in
suited; nor will she be the one to break
her heart and commit suicide if she
has been
SAVED THE LIFELONG TORTURE
of living with man so false as to fail
i'll keeping sacred promise. The girl
to whom sufficient freedom is given
will not fail to read character sufficient
ly well to understand that the man
who would advise her to disregard the
wishes of her parents and elope with
him is not a man of honor, and there
fore he is unit To be the husband of the
woman.
| II Is HOl icSS ItOcuOIl, DuL iuOEe IlD-
erty to perform life's duties, that our
girls need. The girl returns from col
lege we'll prepared to do good work in
some line of usefulness. Who encour-
ages her to see her talents for the ben
eft of herself and others? Is it not
considered rather out of place for her
to use the knowledge she possesses in
making living by entering profess
sion or engaging in some useful indus
try. 1t is not considered by society
that her education has fitted her for
the parlor, where, with folded hands.
pretty looks, and simpering smiles she
awaits the coming of prince Charm
ing" who will lay at her feet his for
tune and free her from the menial con-
dition of providing for herself and do
ing her own thinking. When the
daughter returns from college with a
well-trained. disciplined mind, what
father encourages her to make use OF
the knowledge gained? How many
physicians fit their daughters to enter
the profession that has placed them in
position to do so much good? Where
are the lawyers and judges who
say to their intellectual daughters,
Come and receive instruction from
US; study law and thus prepare to help
yourselves and others of your sex?'
Do the ministers say, ITO you is given
the gift of the Spirit; we will aid you
in preparing yourselves for the holy
work that has fallen to your lot."
mo; novels, light literature, and
newspaper gossip is considered quite
strong enough intellectual food for the
girl who has finished her education.
| Al Il 70 hnn no
true. noble women.
Clara Dixon Davidson also discusses
the subject in the Won.an's Journal.
1t strikes me that there are alterna-
tives other than robbing young girls OF
ton also the uncontrolled freedom OF
young boys? Isn't bad boy as de-
plorable creature as q bad girl? Is q
place unfit to be frequented by girls iii
for the entertainment of boys, or ol
anybody? Should not all places o.
public amusement be pure enough and
exalted enough in character so thai
young girls may visit them with un
sullied soulsP If somebody has to be
penned up, why pounce upon the
"young girl?'
And then, rather than to compel the
young girl to remain away from any
particular resort, should like to SCI
her have such training as would leave
her
WITHOUT DESIRE TO GO.
Far better to convince her judgmen
than to compel an unwilling submis
, sion, which will in nearly all cases b'
l only an outward submission--restrain
gone when the mothers back is turned
The great mistake is in arranging fo
girls aimless lives, without steady EN-
ployment of any kind. Give girl
; mother who gets near her heart, wh'
never talks at her, or censures her il
: loud tones in the presence of others
but gives her wise and tender coun
sells in manner to gain and hold he
2 respect and confidence; give almos
= any girl such a mother and some EN-
ployment, not too hard nor too man.
hours day, by which she may achiev
little girlish independence, and ma.
look to the future with reasonable ceI
. tainty of success, and she will not car
to frequent or even visit any plac