The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-12
Superb

The excess of women over men which
has caused so much comment in the
New England States is question which
is agitating Great Britain as well. In
England there are 69i 900. i'm Scotland
1871 900. i'm Ireland los. 900, and i'm the
Channel Islands 5000 more women than
men. making II grand total in the
United Kingdom of nearly 100000.
Like the Western States and territories
i'm America. the British colonies in
Australasia have large excess of men
over women. the number in Australia,
Tasmania and New Zealand alone being
nearly 100000.
Social refOrmers in England perceive
i'm this situation of affairs IN opportun-
ity for their exertions of which they are
not slow TO take advantage Not Il little
of the misery and crime noticeable in
the dense populations of the British
states is directly traceable to the pre-
pondcrancc of women. Thrown on their
own eXertiOns AT an early age and forced
by bitter necessity to enter into Il keen
competition with each other for bare
subsistence. they depress the value of all
labor and rarely rise above Il condition
of dependence. Besides the temptation
10 which many of them are exposed and
TO which too many of them yield. INSULT
cient food and clothing and hard fare
generally reduce thousands of them To
Indebtedness and add enormously to the
sum of human misery. The English So
cietieS having the subject under con-
sideration incline TO the opinion that
the only satisfactory solution of the
problem to he had must come through
the assistance of the government From
the fact that women are scarce ut the
antipOdes il is believed that there is Il
demand for them there. and as the great
majority of those who would be likely
to 90. if they could. have no means, it
is proposed that the government take
upon itself the task of helping such as
would willingly emigrate to reach those
far away climcs. To this end the dis
cussion now in progress lead
Viewing the proposition FROM an
economic, social. moral or humanitarian
standpoint there can be little doubt that
if Il quarter of million of the super
iluous women of Great Britain could be
transported gradually to the British
colonies numerous advantages would
accrue to the emgrants themselves, to
the colonies and to the mother countries
More especially is this true of England,
where the excess of women is enormous.
Although the evils resulting from such
a state of affairs are less conspicuous in
this country. it is nevertheless true that
if there should be a large movement of
young women from New England to the
territories west of the Missouri, not I'M
der government auspices. but each one
for herseltmany advantages would be de-
rived therefrom. There are some obstacles
in the way of II girl setting out by her.
self to seek her fortune. but they may be
overcome, and the prospect of comfort
and happiness is sufficiently good to
stimulate stout-heartcd young women to
make the venture.
In most of the territories there is no
great demand for men ut present, but
there is a never-illcd request for women.
Women are wanted for wives. for school
teachers, for servants, but until they be-
come more plenty than there is any
prospect of at this time they will all be
wanted for wives. and by ambitious and
industrious men. The old cry of $50
west. Young man. 90 west is no longer
applicable. more pertinent eXclama-
ton would be Go west, young woman,
90 west.