The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-28
WaY AND HOW WOMAN IS INFERIOR
TO MAN.
A Profund Essay by Prof. Z. ID. cope Oh
Pennsylvania.
from the Open Court )

from the Open Court
The foundation facts of the situation,
as they appear from physiological
standpoint, are somewhat opposed to
our ideals, I freely admit; but it is the
history Of every human mind that IS
not incurably imaginative rather than
exact, to learn the lesson which a bon
dage to material conditions imposes on
us all alike.
The question is asked: 'Is woman'S
inferiority the cause or the effect of hel
subjection?' The answer Is
hat it is the effect and, not the cause O
Ssnhjection, as we'll as of "bcdy dwarf
ing and custom. - --EhiS is tha~tdnda-
mental error of large class of women
doetrinaries, and it needs but a superb
cial knowledge Of natural history to
comprehend it.
The inferior physical strength Of the
female sex is general Though not en-
tirely universaD in the animal king
dom; and, mentality is one or the
functions of human mechanism, it ex-
tends to the mental organism in man as
well. It is a simple 'corollary Of the
law of the conservation Of energy that
where large amount Of energy is de-
devoted to one function less remains
for expenditure IL performing another.
The large part Of the female organism
devoted to- the functions Of CESSATION,
lactation, and maternal care Of children
simply puts her out Of the race as a
competitor with man, on anything like
equal terms. Even if those functions
are not active the machinery for the
performance of other functions is not
thereby increased in quantity or i'm
proved in quality, except in such
small degree as one woman may ac-
complish in alifetime. And thissmal1
accomplishment she does not transmit.
since the unmarried woman has no
children.
Icall attention to the fact that, al
though woman has had the advantage
of the inheritance Of male accomplish
ments and capacities since the origin
of the species, the relation between her
and man still remains about as it ever
has remained. The one sex progresses.
about as rapidly as the other, and they
maintain about the. same relative posi-
ton. This fact is so fundamental that
it is unreasonable to expect any change
in the future. What can b" done is to
improve both sexes as much as possible
in all their powers, and to acqualnt
each with their limitations. In this
way the greatest amount Of happiness
may be attained with minimum OF
conflict and waste.
It is evident that marriage is the des-
tiny of both sexes, and in the first
place monogamic marriage is no more
a slavery to women than the support
of family is to man. Man is, to
use this common but inexact express
sion, in state of slavery" to the con-
ditions of his environment, and no
socialistic scheme can relieve him of
the difficulty introduced. Man is'an
essential part of this environment, and
contributes to the, slavery" to which
he is subject. Woman's environment
differs from that of man. in the diff
erence in the relation in which she
stands to man, as com pared with that
which subsists between man and man.
That she should escape the conse-
quences of this environment is no more
to be anticipated than is the case with
man himself. She has the advantage
of man, however, in having for her
master" a being who is naturally in
clined to admire, aid, and support her;
while, to man, the environment IS
mostly controlled BY grim necessity I'M
posed by unfeeling forces. When man
rebels against this environment, and
makes reprisals on society by appro-
priating the property Of others, he
makes serious mistake, and he findsit
out. generally soon. So some women,
discontented with their relations to
husband, are dishonest to him. They
also have trouble. Community Of
wives is as impossible rs community OF
property, unless wives surrender all
claims to more than temporary consid-
Grafton. There are both men and
women who think this the better sys-
tenn, and act on it. But the men gen.
orally abandon it ultimately and marry.
It would be interesting to know what
becomes of the women. More iEfor-
snation is needed, but the impression
'aSat such men have not chosen
woman, like ''anv alli-
a # SSren; but il is also