Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-08-06
IN W0MAN'S BEHALF.
BOTH SIDES.
Some OF the Objections Raised to College
Training for Girls,

topics addressed TO all nlduncI VI pCb-
Pile AS way of reaching average
opinion the postal-eXamination system
has merits, though so many addressed
have no opinions, or no time to write
them, that it is, after ALL only minor
ity report which is thus made up.
But recent trial of it has proved in
teresting as showing the average OBJ
jections to college training for girls.
TO the sweet girl graduate of high,
normal and private schools in large
eastern city four questions were adj
dressed. They were asked If they
would like to go to college, if they
meant to go, and if not, why not; and
finally what objections they had heard
urged against such training. Seventy
seven answered, and of these, sixteen
had no desire to go, sixteen meant to
go, and the rest would like to- but could
not-chiehy for lack of money, A few
were unwilling TO postpone so long
their entrance into society; and one, a
normal graduate, was of opinion that
though she might know more after four
years at college, she would be no better
fitted to teach.
But il is the answers to the last ques-
tion which are most instructive, as
showing the prejudices still ruling the
average mind. The chief objections
urged are college training is unnec-
essary; women need to learn only house
hold duties. They soon forget all they
learn, have no use for it in after life, do
not remain single long enough to profit
by it, 1t is useful only to those who
have to support themselves or who
enter profession. 1t makes women
masculine, causes loss of pretty, lady.
like ways; makes them strong-minded,
vain, independent, disagreeable, dissat-
isfied with home life, Injuries the health,
units them to be economical wives, de-
stroys the maternal instinct, and him
ders them from marrying
Now it may be useful to note how en-
tirely the social fallacy underlies most
of these objections Substitute ''men"
for women in them and more than
half of them become absurd. But is
education one thing for men and
another for women? Precisely, answers
society. A mans education is for his
individual profit in knowledge and
character, society gaining in turn from
his gains. A woman's training is for
the good of the home; she can not be
considered apart from her special mis-
sion as mother and home-maker. In that
case, our homes are still, in the main,
dolls houses" There are, of course,
numbers of people who think a college
training a mistake; who oppose it
equally for boys and girls, urging, with
slight variations, these same objections
This is at least consistency if it is not
good sense. But the people who be.
lieve in it for the average boy, should
show cause why the average girl may
not equally profit by it; why only the
exceptional girl who means to teach OF
take profession should be given it.
The Question indeed, resolves itself in
to this: Has woman right to life or
her own account? If so, then the goot
of society will give to her, as to hei
brother, the broadest development, anC
trust to profit indirectly by her cultur,
as it does by his; no more, no less
late writer in a magazine, lik'
these objectors, lays the blame of de
clining marriage on college training
and the "selfish ambitions" it fosters
And, always with the good of societ,
in view, he recommends, as a cure ear
licr marriages Let the girl be trained
in household arts so that the youth cal
afford to marry, and then let her b.
given home and children to absorb he
energies and the selfish ambitions,
which it is so wrong for her to cherish
will wither. But it is precisely the bes
mothers of to-day, the most intelligen
and conscientious, who mourn owe
their intellectual deficiencies, their i'm
perfect, old-time training, because the.
feel these deficiencies with their chill
dren. They form classes and literar
clubs, because-'I want to know some
thing for my boys salle-my girls"
the younger women want knowledg
for their own sakes it is, perhaps, be
cause this reason has not yet come int
their lives,
Let us be rid of the idea that col
lege training is only for teachers. TIL
boy goes, not because he is to be teach
er or lawyer, but because it is the bes
education of a gentleman. Until hi
sister goes for like reason, because it i
the best culture of a lady, we are stil
, in the backwoods. Let us be rid toe
of the fancy that the higher educatio
is in some vague way, inimical to mai
riage and the common lot. If there
comfort in statistics, they show thf
college-bred women marry like the
sisters, only little later. Statistic
long since disproved the injury
health objection. AS for the moralis
who cry that women's extravagant
and love of dress hinder marriage, the
must surely see that society life fo
ters these passions, while an inte
lectual one such as college trainir
should develop, controls them by su
' stituting nobler ambitions
Meantime college women are warne
by these objections not to be vain, di
agreeable, independent or anxious
? occupy positions more suited to men
There is, indeed, certain vaguene
e about this last, and we all know va
: and disagreeable women who are n
r college bred. But behind the CRITICS
I is truth. 1t is part of the mission
e college-trained women to-day, to recol
y mend that education to the averai
q mother If we are open to CRITICS
y because of deficient social grace al
t tact, the cause will suffer, for, as Ho
e ellis tells us: at is certain that o
d manners and customs count for more
Il life than our qualities Emily
Wheeler, in Chautauquan.
A THREE young Englishwomen, t
Misses Shenatt. Selby and Johns, we
y awarded the degrees of NJ. A., wi
. honor, at the recent commencement
: the University of London. They d
!, tanced ali their male competitors