The morning call., 1891-06-12

hOm DID hAPBENg
Why Have Women Always Been Subject
to the Rule of Men?
Editor Womdn'S Column, Morning Call !:
The question is often asked. eli women are
as capable as men, how does it happen, that
with few exceptions, they have always been
subject to men ?' 1t is the same principle
of might "makes right" which has hitherto
worked to put right forever on the
scaffold. wrong forever on the throne; yet
intelligent people do not believe that be-
cause injustice ruled, that is good reason
why it should continue TO do so, or that be-
cause a social arrangement in one age may
be good, an advance even, il should con-
tinue when it has ceased to be benefit. If
there is any right in the present position
of women other than that of might" it
may have been right that Plato and
Frederick Douglass were sold as slaves {;
that Angles, SaX0ns, Danes and Romans in
their time should be conquered and en-
shaved that at the present time $50 men are
subject to the one thOusandth. The fact
that Shakespeare must wait on sn0bbish
lords for patronage; that inventors ard au-
thors are subject TO average legislators even
now; that philosophers have no hope Of Of
fee that Mrs. Lofty often
RIDES IN HER CARRIAGE,
While Mrs. Sensible walks, pushing a baby
perambulator ahead may in part explain
why in this material age, when political
strength and wealth govern, women have
not yet secured their crowns. Until re-
Gently, aud in few modern republics, the
universal opinion OF mankind has been
that governmental instinct" had been
delegated by God to a few diYine-right
rulers, who made peace or war, who eXacted
tribute and protected" their subjects very
much as Adam now rules Eve. The SOW
eTeign did according to his own divine
! right Will. He was re-enfoTced by DOM
! lnant, and together they taught that 1t was
the highest duty of man 10 protect the state,
OF women to furnish sons to swell the
army. Neither dared ask the reason why.
but most submitted without question, the
| mother 10 bear an endless brood, unkempt,
unframed in all but war; the father TO go
| himself, with bis sons, and submit to mill
taTy dill, less cared for than the battle-aX
or the musket with which he was armed.
The result was that men learned oTganiZa-
ton, and il seems inscrutabe that, with
/ training and weapons IN hand, they contin-
ued for centuries to fight, to kill those who
had never harmed them, who were
VICTIMS LIKE THEMSELVES,
And then see tile booty given 10 a Marl-
borough, they themselves never knowing
moment Of freedom or dreaming of a com
} etence; women just as stupid, with tear
full Joy sent off their boys to die for George
or Louis OF Frederick, while poets and phi
losopheTS encouraged the multiplication Of
children without regard 10 quality, and eX-
| plainsd the need of war, pestilence and
famine to keep population in check, ard our
fathers and mothers defended the abSurdiry.
At last, in the United States. owing TO the
wisdom and energy OF a few men, the mass
made issue against man the sovereign and
won. But not yet do men comprehend their
victory, ana only in Il material sense has the
| mass as yet rlucked the fruits. The mo-
! nOpCllst rules business and men with out
| stretched hands are on their knees asking
what mere can We give? anything to share
your plumber" Political parties stand I'M
covered before the sovereign boss, eager to
learn his will and TO do it, Is it because
boss. m0nOpOHst and others embody the
wisdom and the rights of the people? No;
because they represent
STRONGER ORGANIZATIONS.
Those win who are best organized, and
those who have the feWest moral ScTupleS,
who can diYest themselves of Individual
conscience and throw all upon the corpor-
alton which has no conscience, make the
strongest material for organization. Men
IN their families, ana superior men IN all re-
latiOns, have stepped out of the mass and
become individuals, but most still own a
ruler by whose direction they think and
act, often IN direct opposition TO their own
interests. On our list of sOvereigns are
and large brood Of princelings. Women
are and always must be individuals. and in
the feudal days, when there was no govern
ment but the will Of the stronger, when
pixies and swords had not been exchanged
for ballots. there were need and justice in
the customs. My lord defended the domain
while my lady sat Ia the castle tower, her
children safe ab0ut her. She cared for prop
erty and retaineTs, and educated her chill
dreD. She was not made subject TO Tom,
DICK and Harry; they all did homage to her
the same as TO my lord, and her children
were their master and mistress. She owed
allegiance to none but her lord, while AmeIi-
can women are ruled by all the tramps and
pauIerS in the land. When men at last
learned to use their arms and military skill
TO FREE THEMSELVES,
They also delivered women from one master,
but appropriated TO themselves whatever
power over women their sovereign had
withheld. Women with children cannot
combine for hostile purposes if they would,
and their affection for fathers husbands ana
sons would prevent if there were no other
reason; their warfare viii always be with
the weapons Of love and logic, By those they
must conquer or not at all. Women are sub
ject 10 men for the same reason that most
men are subject to rulers. because of the ac-
cident Of birth-the one inherting power
and organizations, the other nherltlng sub
lection. Women are also subject TO men be-
cause they love them, and are usually
ready to sacrifice themselves for them.
Some women have learned that the
true way to help men is to make the
most of themselves, that their model
should be My Lady, as joint sover-
eign, not the helpless wife of the churl aud
when woman enters politicSand teaches man
to measure public matters by the standard of
personal responsibility, and learns from him
the value OF cooperation and the concession
of all but principle for the common good,
politics will cease to be "a filthy pool" it
will become applied to religion. Woman is
gaining freedom faster than men did; she
does not abuse it, but improves gu its use
the best men are her hearty helpers, and
the day Of her redemption draweth nigh.
C9{lyOt, June g 1891 s &