The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-04-25
THE STATUS OF WOMAN.
liberal Education Is Fitting Her for tn
Professions and the Higher Caliings.

Liberal Education Is Fitting Her for the
Professions and the Higher Callings.
In generalizations, upon any leading
question, it becomes necessary to state
facts again and again. The public ap-
parently is intellectually lazy, and COM
prebends finally only after repeated and
reiterated argument.
1t is very evidens. writes Mary II.
Krout in the Chicago Inter Ocean, that
the status of women has changed: it is
evident that continued and even more
radical changes are imminent, and, as in
all else. there is moving cause.
To the narrow, the prejudice, and the
ultra conservative but one reason is
prcffered: women have become dissatIs-
tied with the place assigned them in the
order of creation: with being the help
meet of men, of rearing children, of at
tending to household matters which they
find monotonous and irksome.
The progressive and the radical urge
that it is the natural consequence of
liberal education. The woman with
the intelligent mind. the skilled hand,
with talent or genius, is entitled to
choose her work and do it. as men choose
the work for which their talent and
training have fitted them. Men are not
forced by any uuwritten law to marry
and become fathers if they do not desire
to do so. The man who devotes himself
to his profession, on the contrary, is
Landed for his zeal and earnestness.
And it is urged that women also are en-
titled to like freedom of choice, and are
availing themselves of that freedom.
But there is still third cause, with
out doubt more potent than any other:
The necessity Of working. Of self-main
tenance, and of providing for others. In
former times there were three avoca-
tons open to women. She could earn
SI.50 or. 81 a week with her needle; she
could teach for SEQ month, or she
could find employment as domestic
for a pittance and her board. In any
of the three her entire time and
strength and ability were required,
with no prospect of ever becoming in
Now it has been demonstrated that
there is demand for her services as a
physician. Every consideration of pro-
priety and delicacy make it evident that
the woman physician is best qualified to
to the needs of her fellow
women. The demand is growing with in
creased intelligence. and the effort to bar
them out of medical colleges and societies
has been fruitless. Thoroughly educated,
women physicians have been
needed in every community. and the
practice they have is only another illus
tration of the workings of the old law of
supply and demand. They fill capably
other positions of responsibility; on
in publishing houses, in Of
fees. They earn comfortable liveli-
hood as lawyers, even; as teachers in
schools, and as professors in the higher
There is an immense
amount of cant about their lack of SER
iousness and thoroughness and their I'M
The average woman COM
pares favorably with the average man.
She is probably, morally and mentally.
if not physically his superior, in that
she never drinks, smokes nor otherwise
units herself for the position which she
holds. In all these callings adequate
salaries are to be earned; the work is
and therefore a constant
and pleasure. Shall wom-
en-. then, because the professions are
those which have been allotted to men
60 bac,s to the drudgery Of
joyless, hopeless work in the
kitchen, the school-rcom and the dress
makers shop? For, if the facts could
be ascertained, the women who stand
before the world, because
Of the positions they fill, the unusual
profession they have adopted, are not
inspired by mad ambition, by grasping
avarice, by rebellion against that decree
which has made them women; but by
necessity. The daughter has
left her home to live among strangers.
that she may not burden father unable
20 support her. She has chosen to earn
her living by those means most profit
able, honorable and remunerative for
which her talent has fitted her. that she
may not be dependent upon the brother
who will establish home of his own
and have nothing to give her after the
needs OF wife and children are supplied.
In possession OF brains and reasonable
health. her pride and self respect forbid
that she should fasten herself like
parasite on the household of relatives
where she may become burden.
In arraigning her for rushing madly
into the world, in sacrificing her natural,
maternal instincts for fame
and money, no one ever thinks of all these
things. In her Utmost heart most wom-
en- value the peace and the seclusion Of
home, the devotion and companionship
Of husband and children; but these are
not vouchsafed TO all. and those who are
denied them must still live. II they
choose to be self-helpful and helpful to
others it seems pitiable thing that any
one should stand in their way. Assur-
eddy they are entitled to the praise and
of every just and gener-
Gus soul
The intelligence of animals became
one of the subjects of discussion 1t
little dinner party. An enthusiastic
advocate of the dog was asked: do you