The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-10-05

To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;
But earthlier happy is the rose distilled
Than that which, whitening on the vir-
gin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessed
ness"
This was the "social failure" mode
of reasoning. The right honorable
gentleman who first made use of
that expression no doubt thought
that he was saying something ex-
ceedingly epigrammatic and forci-
bic. Concerning the vulgarity and
bad taste of the sneer there can be
no question. But the unfortunate
individual who first gave it to the
world was guilty of worse fault
than either vulgarity or bad taste.
He was guilty of u stupidity. He
did not sec that it was precisely be-
cause the women who would be bcne-
fted by the change are social
failures" that they desired it. What
they said amounted practically to
this: 1.-The position of wife, of q
mother, of the owner and superin-
tendent of an establishment, is an
admirable one. But, through no
fault of our own, we do not hold
that position. Perhaps we never
may. And if this is to be social
failures we must plead guilty to
the Indictment. We have not OBJ
tanned, VIC see no prospect of OBJ
tanning, that settlement in life which
married women possess, and yet we
do not wish to he burden TO our
relatives and friends, who, indeed,
are not equal to the task of sup
porting us. Even although there
were not the competition in those
walks of life that there is, we do not
want to be governnesses or school
mistresses, or telegraph clerks, or
lady helps. But we are poor, and
we must live. Why, then, we ask,
should our means of obtaining an
honest and honorable livelihood be
in any way circumscribed? Why
should we not, if we choose, eXer-
else or endeavor to exercise the
professions of medicine and law, or
be electors, and perhaps even men,
bers of Parliament?'
To such a plain and sober state
ment of facts as this, what was,
what could have been retorted4
Naturally, nothing but a string OF
hackneyed and vague generalities.
The fossil NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
man grumbled that if any women
were to be allowed "to do as we do, )"
it would render them unfeminine
and immodest; it would degrade
them; it would be permitting them
to set bad example to the rest of
their sex. Even he, however, had
at last to admit that this was an
obvious begging of the whole ques-
ton, and it is now some time since
we have seen women granted pretty
well all that they ever claimed.
They can become Senior Wranglers,
and take degrees-supposing them,
of course, to be "good enough
and, as matter of fact, lady did
past first in honors at the last matri-
culation examination at the Uni
versity of London; they practise as
doctors; they act as private secre-
taries, law copyists, and solicitors
clerks, whilst many of the big insur-
ance companies have followed the
example of the Post Office authori-
ties, and employ them in different
capacities. If we wanted to be
frivolous, we might add that this
summer some have spurned lawn
tennis and engaged in cricket and
''go-as-you-please" walking. But
we don't.
That the advantages thus gained
have to certain extent been coun-
terbalanced by an increased COM
petition in many departments of
business indirectly affecting women
as well as men, cannot be denied.
If Mrs. Lawshon makes q respect
able income as II doctor, she pro-
badly prevents some practitioner of
the Opposition gender" from doing
so; and if Miss st. Ledger is
something in the City," her bro
ther may find that he can be nothing
either there or elsewhere. This is
inevitable, and no doubt three or
four fanatical Nj. P.'s will be found
to take the point when the subject
comes on for final settlement by the
legislature. But it is certain that a
vast majority will not allow such an
incidental consideration to influence
them, and next year we fully expect
to see women victorious over every