The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-23

80 "hu CudIulliS. Her cOHlpleAiOH Is Oil'c,
her mouth firm, teeth good and eyes shade
uarker than the hair, which is brown,
abundant and wavy, and is worn parted
over her forehead in peculiarly becoming
way. She is of medium height and plump
Inquire She dresses handsomely and well,
ana looks what she is-the simple, quiet
vile OF great and successful man.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
do the Women of To-Day Have Fair
Play in This Country?"
Editor IVOmdn'S Column, Morning Call:
Not long since George William Curtis de-
clared that whenever n free and Intelligent
people ask any question involving human
rights or liberty or development, it will ask
louder and louder until it is answered. 1t
asks to-day, DO women have fair play in
THIS country?" A sneer or smile of
derlsion may ripple from one end of the
land to the other, but that question will
swell until it is answered by the ballot in
The hands of every citizen and by the per-
decentralization Of the American fundalnen-
tai principle that Cove n nents derive their
Just powers from the governed" In the
course OF an address, Mr.. Curtis speaking
10 THIS subject, SAID:
This reform means no menace. II lies wholly
~ 1ho sphere OF reason. Ii Is demand for JUS
tlce as The best political policy; IN appeal Tor
equality OF rights among citizens as the best Sc
CURLY OF lie common welfare. 1t IS a plea for
introduction Of all The mental and moral forces
OIL society into the work of government.
Lhe movement Is a plea Tor Justice, and / as
oeIt lhat Tue equal rights OF women, not as citf-
zens, but as human beings, have never been
acknowledged. Edward Lear, the artist travel
ins III Greece, says that he was one day logging
aohg with an Albanian peasant, VINO said to
MN, Women are really better than donkeys for
ST9frSlng BURDENS but not SO good rs mules"
ihls was The honest opinion Of barbdrsm- the
honest feeling OF Greece to-day.
,Aou say That lie peasant was unelVilized
very well. Go back 10 The age OF Pericles. IL is
tie nigh noon OF Greek civilization Ii Is Ath-us
The eye OF Gteece-molher of arts" There
stands the orator-hlmselt incarndte Greece
speaking the Grafton over the Peloponnesiau
dead - he greatest gloty Of woman," lie says,
rs 10 be the least talked Of among men," So
SAID Perlces when he lived. Had P=rcles lived
louay lie would have agreed that 10 be talked OF
among men as Mis-. SOIneTylie ana Florence
Nightingale are, Is as great glory as to be lie
mother OF The Gracch.
In this audience have no doubt there is many
man who is e1clamng with fervor Home, The
heayen-apponted sphere of wuman!" Very we'll.
don't deny II; but how do yoa know II? How
can you know IL? There Is but one law by which
any sphere can be determined. aud lhai Is Der.
feet liberty Of development | look into history
ana into The society around me, and see thar
Tie position OF women which Is most agreeable
upon the whole 10 men is that which they cal
the " heaven-appointed sphere II" OF woman. Ii
may OF may NOT be 50; all tDat can see thus far
Is ihal men choose 10 nave It %. Or another geu-
ileman remarks that IL is beautiful ordinance
Oh fGONlueHce mat pear-treeS should gro like
vines. And when say, - Is ii SOP" he takes me
into lis garden, and shows ne poor, tortui ed
pedr-tree, trained upon TELLS. Then | see that
II Is the beautiful design of evidence that pear
trees should grow lie vines, precisely as Proyi-
dence oruainS that Chinese women shall have
sniall feet aud that the powdered sugar we buy
al tile giocers shall be half grOund-rIct. These
philosophers might as wisely inform us that
Providence ordains Christian saints to be chops
and steaks; aud ther point us to ST, Lawrence
upon lis X ldiron.
We claim that the same opportunity and liberty
That Il Ean has IN CIVILIZED society shall be eX-
tended TO the woman VINO stands at his side
equal or unequal III special powers, but an equal
member Of society. She must prove her power
as lie proves his. When Rosa Bonheur paints a
VIGOROUS aud admirable picture OF Normandy
horses, she proves that she has a hundred fold
more right 10 DO IL than scores OF Dotclers aud
bungleiS IN color, VINO wear coats and t ouSers
and whose right therefore, nobody questions.
When women, accomplishing themselves in medi-
cine, with a firm hand and clear brain, carry
the balm OF life 10 suffering men, women and
children, II Is as much Their right 10 40 iI-as
much their sphere-as IL Is that of any long
hatred. sailow. dlssipated boy in spect9cies. WHO
l., Ana so when Joan OF Arc follows God and
ieIds the army; when the NJ I'D OF Saragossa
loads aud fires tile cannon when Mrs. Stowe
makes her pen The heaven appealing tongue OF
an outraged race; When Grace Darling aud Ida
Lewis, pulling their boats through The pltiless
waves, save fellow-creatures from drowning;
when Mrs Patieu, The captains wife al sea-
her husband lying helpessly III in lis cabin
puts everybody aside, and herself steers the sim
10 port. DO you ask Inc whether these not
d
women; but Florence Nightingale, dem nding
supplies for lie sick soldiers III The Ciimea, and
when they are delayed by red tape, ordering a
nle OF soldiers To break down the doors and bring
Them. which they dO-ior the brave love bravery
seems To me quite as wOmaniy as the lOv-hrst
girl In the land, dancing at lhe gaye>t ball in a
dress Of which the embroidery is the piuched
INES OF starvation 10 another girPs face, aud
whose pearls are the tears OF despair IN h-r
eyes.
But have women, then, no sphere as womenq
Undoubtedly they have, as men have sphere IS
men. II a woman Is mother, God gives her
certain affections and cares snringing from
them, which we may be very sure she Will
nor forgeI. and TO which. just In the degree that
she IS true woman she VIII be fOudly faithful.
We need not thiak that II is necessary to fence
her In, nor suppose That she would try to evade
these duties and responsibilities, II perfect lib
cry were gwen her. AS Sidney Smith said OF
educatloh, we need not fear that If the girls
study Greek and mathematics, mothers viii de-
seTt their infants Tor quadiatlc equations.
But the sphere OF The family Is not the sole
sphere either OF men or women. They ate not
only parents; they human beings with
genius, talents. aspirations. amOit On
KNOW as every man knows, many a woman
OF the hoDiest character, OF the highest intel-
gence, oil the Uurest purpose. the owue: OF prop
erty, the mother OF children, devoted to her
ldlllY ana lo all her duties, and for that reason
profoundly interested In public affairs. Aud
When TINS woman SAYS TO me: You are one OF
Tie governing class. Your government is
founded upon the principle OF expressed
consent to all, rs the best security OF all
l nave as much stak In 1t as you, perhaps more
tnan you, because an parent and wish, more
IMAM many OF my neighb0rs TO express my
opinion and assert my influence by a ballot. /
AN better Judge than you OF any man can be of
my own responsibilities and powers. am will
ing 10 bear my equal share OF every 5usden of
the Government, in such manner as we shall all
equally decide to be best. By what right, then,
except that OF mere force, do you deny me
voice IN the laws which | am forced to obey 3'
What shall l say? What can say@ Shall l
tell her that she Is "owned' by some living man,
or is some dead mans "relict," as The old phrase
was? Shall l teil her that she ought TO be
ashamed OF herself for wishing to be unseX d
that God had given her the nursery, the ball
TOom the opera; and that. If these fail, he has
graciOusly provided the Kitchen the wash-tuD
and the needle? Or shall tell her that she is n
Lutte, moonbeain, a rosebud, and touch my gull
tar and weave flowers in her hair?
The language of this speaker is entitled to
in the land. s. S.
Giiroy January, 1891.