Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-08-27
uNLusr plscRlMlhA1lon.
Deliberate Cruelty OF Which Many Ia
thers Arc Guilty.


Is woman the equal of manP The
question has been asked many thou
ands OF times and answered with
fierce negatives, which, however, have
been growing fainter and fainter as
civilization has progressed. Generally
;peaking, the greater the degree Of
civilization Of the individual man the
more willingly does he concede that
woman was created the equal of the
other sex. though with different quail
ties. But there are few believers in tho
equality OF tho sexes who carry
their opinions into practice even in
their own families. Theoretically the
girls Of n family are entitled to have
as much spent on their education rs is
spent on that Of the boys; to have the
Same caro- bestowed upon fitting them
10 fight this worlds battle as is be-
slowed upon the boys; to have q bust
ness or profession chosen for them and
TO be fitted for it; TO be furnished with
capital to the same extent with the
boys. and, finally, to share alike with
the boys in the partition of the family
property on the death of the parents.
In how many Canadian homes il this
equitable treatment Of the daughters
carried out? In few, we opine, and
the better off the parents arc in this
worlds goods the worse are the girls
likely to fare.
1t is too much the habit of fathers
70 spend MI their means in pushing
;tlong their sons. leaving the daughters
20 taka the chanccs in the matrimonial
lottery. Hence we often see son
launched into the world with abundant
capital. the benefit OF his fathers finan-
cial backing. and what is better
still. the inca: culable advantage of tho
experience of men and affairs gained
by the father in Il long and successful
business career. What does tho father
do for the sister Of this young manP
Ii the father is lucky enough to possess
managing wife, he marries her of
early to some young fellow with ap-
parenty good prospects He gives
her dowry not at all proportional to
what he has given the son, and then
he Is gathered TO his fathers Twenty
years afterward the son has made his
mark in the world. He is a well-off
man with n growing and expensive
family around him. Ho can SEQ ways
for all tho money no has, and moro,
in setting up his own sons. an he has
nothing to spare-or. which comes to
the Same thing, thinks no has nothing
to spare-for his sister. Sho. poor
woman, has not been so lucky. Her
husband has not been successful, or
perhaps he has died after providing
her with nothing but n family OF chill
drcn. She finds herself ut forty al
ready old and looked upon as IL failure.
though perhaps she has more of her
father business tact than fell to the
lot Of her brother. But there she Is,
as poor "a q church mouse, while her
brother. having tiLkon tno major part
Of the possessions of tn, ftmily. has
plenty. 1t the brother docs a. much
for her as to take her boys int hi, OF
flee tho world will applaud his gen-
crosby.
Discrimination like this is being
Practiced every day in thousands of
homes. If there is to be discrimina-
ton among children, should it no6 be
in favor of tho girls instead of against
themP What Is tho good of admitting
the equality OF the sexes if the people
who admit it act towards their own Off
spring as though thoy did not bolievo
itP And where do those paoDlo stand
who. maintaining that women arc the
weaker vessels, rob their daughters in
; order to better equip their sons2 If
tho sons, in consideration of having
tho major part Of tho family money
spent upon them, undertook to caro-
for their sisters in tho event of tho lat
ter requiring help. there would DO
somo element of fairness in tho ar
rangemont. But sons do not under-
tnko any such thing. Even if thoy dill
undertake it they might fail to carry
out their engagements. 1t would DO
better oil around II all the children Of
family wore treated alike rather.
than that tho ace1 NJ f,,t,,> hi,lyo,;,, or,