The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-26
SOME VIEWS ABOUT WOMEN
Conditions and Possibilities at Which
the Progressive Sisters Aim.
One Writer Rebukes Her Fellow Women for
Their Inane verSation-Simplici in
Decoration Standardization Notes.
During Mrs Nav Wright sewa,rs recent

the Womans Council. of which she is
president, the New York sun had q two.
column talk with her on the work and pur-
worlds fair. Incidentally her views were
asked as TO the various phases of women's
progress and development, and this por-
tion of the interview ia here reproduced:
Would you have women hold public Of
fleet" was asked.
Certainly. | would have woman eligible
for all offices held By men; that is would
not have eligibility question OF sex, but
of capability and desert. because all men
vote. all men are not expected TO hold OF
fees unless their ability merits the places
of honor. And If any man finds 1t lncom-
patible with his private affairs TO serve the
state in official place. he has the privilege
of declining the nomination OF bis party.
Perhaps if good women could en-
ter into political affairs, and would
accept. political offices. they might
so elevate this duty of citizen
ship that it would not be so difficult to
get our most worthy men TO take part In
the affairs OF state. With woman. during
the time of rearing her children. this duty
would be considered paramount to all put
lie demands. Indeed. III On ideal state OF
existence the responsibility of fatherhood
would be recognized more seriously than
at present. when the children In the world
are practlcally ntlI-OIpu6ucU boCauoo VIC
father ls converted into mere money
making machine, or IS absorbed IN the
realization of his ambition for place ana
fame. Better might the mother share with
him the care of providing means Tor the
household, that be may thus share with
her the duty of bringing up his own cbil-
dren, in whose education and formation OF
character his influence is as essential as
that of the mothers"
What reform would women institute
first If they were in powers"
Il think their first effort would be the
securing of the same moral standard be-
tween the two sexes. OF course, you cam
not iegIslate morality. butif the law recOg-
niZed what we call q crime IN woman .
crime In man. and what we call O SIN IN
woman q sin in man. then the statute
would not hold woman so lightly. do not
mean that by establishing she same stand
ard for men and women that the restric-
tions would be more lax for women. but
more strenuOusiy exncting for men,"
What is the greatest wrong now sui
fered By women!'
1.-The disadvantage arising from the lack
of pecuniary independence. No value IS
attached to the services of the wife and
mother. Woman is dependent upon the
caprice of the husband. and his standard
of intelligence and generosity sets the
bounds of her liberty. This absolute de-
pendence and lack of the dignity OF value
and responsibility results In deceit, penurl-
Rather contradictory terms. but the
natural outcome of this undesirable condi-
ton. That Is one reason why disagree
with the people who advocate that married
women should not enter into professions
and occupations to earn means of their
own.
Every woman who works FOX money
when che il not Obliged TO dignifies wage
earning and makes il less kumiliatiDg for
the woman W no Is obliged to work. Every
l,o hno dam M fT fsa Vnfpla "a
value as q wage Garner sets a value on the
service which the wife and mother renders
to her family.
1.-THE rich woman, as we'll as the poor.
has a right to the highest culture and tru-
est happiness, which comes ever from the
exercise and development of ones gifts and
talents. The measure of worth is money.
the test of excellence and success Is the de-
mand OF the public. Consequently the
rich woman has as good right to sell her
work for money as the woman less favored
of fortune. Service 10 the price we pay for
living. and so great is the need of the
world that It all the women OF the world
worked every day we would 90 to bed
every. night with the worlds work IN
DONE"
But is there as much marrying nowW
mo. marriage is less easily entered into
now that women ere more seif-reliaDt.
But 1t 10 more of matter of cOngratnlation
when q man wins U wife now. In the old
and have often thought If had been a
man then should have wanted to know
that the girl that accepted me had refused
several other men to assure me that the
matter of choice and selection had any
thing 10 do with her acceptance. ButDOw,
as women are independent. self-supporting
members of society, we cen afford TO have
fewer matches and to marry for something
besides home. With the new sense OF
self-respect has been developed in W ON an
8 consciousness of the sanctity Of her own
individuality and person. demanding a cor.
responding sanctity III marriage which the
church alone cannot give.
Under the old dispensation. to the I'M.
derstanding OF good religious people, the
Bible itself taught the sacrament of mar.
riago incorporated powers and privileges
which II exercised by man outside Of
marriage would send him to State prison.
But we grow in nobility, responsibility, as
We grow in culture. though, because of the
very sacredness of marriage, We take not
our vows lightly. We know that it is the
natural condition in which men and women
find the highest development as well as the
purest happiness"
And what IS your ambition for woman
That she shall achieve personal liberty
and that she may attain n sense of personal
responsibility in that liberty as an iustru
IneEt In human service whioh will make
her capable of the highest usefulness
would have her become rational, lose tine
idea of person al partisanship In the ability
to see u question from all sides, and attain
q wise tolerance In the exercise of broad
human sympathy. which is woman's pre-
rogatlve."
Are Women Tfresome?