The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-11
BEECHER'S LETTER,
EuE ADyANoHMENr oE woMAN,
Her Relations to State aud $ lOIsty-wOmSn
In Public LIfe-NO Longer MIuOr
Factor In Public AHalrs-ThS
Sphere of Women Enlargsd,
copyrighted lSsSl,

copyrighted 1851
Spscid! corraD9gdEIIes q he IHItlltgsRelr,
BRooHLYN, Dec, s.AA great change hal
come over the sentiment oil the public il
regard to the rights and duties Of women
For the first time in New York City two
women have been appointed on the Board
Of School Commissioners, Other States
or cities have done the same, The only
wonder Is that the appointment OF women
to educational boards has been so long de-
layed. Woman is the natural educator
The management Of the young 10 her pc
Culiar duty. But the machinery OF q
system OF education has been chiefly
given TO men. 1t seems 10 have been
supposed that q woman's function Ia q
system Of common school teaching, while
o mans ia management. Experience,
however, Is rapidly developing the fact
that q woman is better manager than q
man. The Catholic institutions have
given us eminent instances Of the capacity
OF woment to manage large and complicated
affairs, A history Of Lady Superior Alb.
besses would develop wonderful line OF
noble and successful managers OF great in.
RLitutious.
The day is not far distant when the
Boards Of Education will be made up
equally OF mon and women.
| Women are better fitted In some re-
speCts TO he inspectors OF criminal institu.
tions, OF hospitals and OF charitable iusti.
tutions than men, and In New York City
the wisdom OF woman superlntendenCy Is
more and more recognized.
From al early day women served as
deaConesses in Christian churches. As
an order they ceased to be- recognized iu
the Catholic church. But deaconesses
have since the Reformation been deyel.
oped in Protestant churches, especially
among Lutheran and EplEcopal churches.
For many yeata deanoneLses have been
regularly elected in the Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, n. y, and their services have
been 50 eminent that 1t would be difficult
to dispense with them.
PREJUDICE PASSING AWAY.
II may now be said that In matters per.
tanning to charity, 10 education and 10 re.
ligious and humane movements thero Is
no longer any prejudice agalnst tho en-
ployment Of women. Their abilities are
recognized, their capacity Tor good man.
ngement Is acknowledged. Woman is no
longer reproaChed aa going out OF her
sphere when she executeB pupliO trusts Of
benovolonCe aud education.
Long ago society recognized the proprla-
ETY. OF woman's appearance IN public az q
singer, y dramatlst or in any other rela.
ton that implied genius. II was conceded
that woman, Rs q member OF the order
Of nobility might even tako part In poll.
tiCs-Queen, dpchGases, ladlea, entered
public services without prejudice. II was
only woman without rank or special
genius that WAS relegsted to the seClusion
Of tho household,
A plain, democratic woman Bhould not
speak In the pulpit, or In tho !oram, or
on the platform. Il she wRH royal lady,
an aristopEaLiV lady, II was entirely per-
miCsahle. Dutto.dsy II may bo said that
the controversy Is ended, and a plain,
democratic woman to whom God has CON.
mitted the gift Of oratory may exercise II
without prejudice, subject TO no other re,
atrictions than those which attach 10 the
samo functions among men. She must
have something to say that people are in.
terestVd In hearing, and abe must bs able
to say II attraCtiVely. No one now thinks
Of going 10 lecture because the speaker
ia o woman. The novelty has worn of
The question Of eek no longer
attracts or repels. Among the
Quakers, and among the Methodistg, won.
en- have long exercised the rights Of free
speech ia public or social religious meet.
irgs. When the anti'slsvory reformation
was developed, and women became speak
ers with larger range, much prejudice
was developed, and In some churches 1t
was made q disClplinable otlense 10 permit
women to preach or lecture In church
buildings, That prejudice nGill exists in
large denominations Of Christians. Wo-
men were ordained enough 10 60 preach
among tho hesthen, but ordained Chris.
tian women, as pastors or teachers, are
not frequent. But tue battle ol the plat
form has been fought, and women with
cause, with genius Tor speech are aC-
Cepted In every community OF any con.
siderable intelligence or Refinement.
WlSNlEe HER WAY.
When woman sought tho Office Of phy-
aiClan aud surgeon another storm arose.
That she should bs nurse was thought to
bs in accordance with nature-even q wo.
mans nature. But 10 aspire 10 the dig.
nifty Of female doctor was thought to be
abhorrent to nature, grace and decsncy.
That battle. too, has been fought and won.
Both In Europe and In America women
are permitted to take their place among
medical students, 10 undergo medical ex-
animation and 10 take diplomas. ! do not
say that ip theRe regards tho way Is made
90 easy to women as to men, but year by
year It grows eaUieE, and the field Of prac.
tiCe 10 growing wider. In many depart.
ments OF practice only woman should be
employed.
Tho laws Of tue country by which
women have no right 10 their own earnings
or 10 inherited property hBYond the reach
Of their husbandB; the old idea that woman
had no legal existence except In her father,
her husband, or a guardian have been
either abolished or eoitened, and the
coutts are, dlaPose1 70 put women upon
tho same level Of Justice which men have
uolu ulbuUltUa
Women arc forcing on entrance for
themselves into the grOat industries OF
society. shU Is Conpesitor In printing
offices, q typewriter, ashorthand writer, q
rVpofteF, an amAnuonsls In Law oIIlCss, In
insurance societies, in literary work upon
newspapers. 0nu Of the mort successiul
writer's rron tho cattle market for
an important daily newspaper 10 q wo.
man. Women are finding employment "a
walters In hotels end In respectable
Restaurants, 90 clerks ID BhorB and stores
90 aOcouhtanta In all kinds Of business
This participation In the stringent In.
dustrlsB Of society "a HeACllnR iavorably
Upon tho dlDpnsitoIn aud habits Of women
themselves, AB compared with men, II
waa at frst found that women carried too
mitch sentiment into The rigorous IN.
dustrleH--lhat they we're often sick, that
they looked for courtesy rather than Justice
-bnt graduslly women are learning
hardihood, independence and plain deal:
intt lNtuInI nt t,uaiaaaa ,tnaaa.tttaa y.