The record-union., 1894-09-21
WOMEN AND WORK.
Prof. Ferrero's Interesting Reasons
Why the Fair Sex should Not Labor.

Prof. Ferrero's Interesting Reasons
Why the Fair Sex should Not Labor.
"The problem of woman from IA bio
sociological point of view" is treated by
Sig. u. Ferrero in the current number of
the JfORiSt. 1.-THE essential condition of
feminine existence" which he desires to
analyZe In his paper, is that which he
names 1.-The Law of Non-Labor." ''As it
is natural law that the man must labor
and struggle to live, so it is a natural law
that the woman should neither labor nor
struggle for her existence. Biology
clearly shows us that the physiological
prosperity of species depends on the di-
vision of labor between the sexes, for in
exact ratio to this is the duration of lite."
Marriage, as found among the higher
animals, is "a perfected form of the di-
vision of labor and mutual cooperation
of the sexes" During Matching time the
male bird does all the providing for his
brooding mate. At other times her func-
tions in seeking food are merely auxili-
airy. Similarly with lion and hyena.
The fearful toll which falls to the savage
woman the writer pronounces to be
merely passing phase, very danger
Gus alteration, produced by the excessive
seifshness of man, which does not and
can not last long" He remarks that the
races in which it is found "have remained
in savage state, and have made scarcely
any progress"
Iu civilized nations female toll is not
necessary for the production of the
wealth needed for humanity. MAN
alone could do this. Woman labor only
tends to lower the marketable value of
male labor, for while woman is working
in the factories there are everywhere, and
especially in Europe, crowds of men
vainIy seeking employment, to whom
the cessation Of work is an oft-recurrent
and terrible evil. This shows that, even
from sociological point of view, female
labor is pathological phenomenon.
statistics SHOW US an increase of NOR
tality among women and children in
countries where industrial life has
pressed mothers into its ranks. A per-
feet woman should be chef d'euvre of
grace and refinement, and 10 this END she
must be exempt from toll. The working
woman grows ugly and loses her femi-
nine characteristics. Womanly grace
aud the love which men bear beautiful
woman have perhaps been the original
of paternal love, and of all the other
sweet and tender feelings of which the
male is capable. Grace is the esthetic
side OF weakness. Woman, more than
man, enjoys all the benefits of ciyilizs-
ton, which, nevertheless, have been IN
great part acquired by him alone. Man
Iabors and tolls to-day just as he did OF
old, and there is nothing abnormal in
this fact, for it is his positive duty.
''What advantage, then, can be gained
by participating in mans struggle for ex-
istence, when woman has only to wait
until he places these benefits at her feet.
i cannot understand why the question OF
woman suffrage should so excite public
opinion. It is entirely protitless to her,
If her husband strains every nerve al
ready TO provide her with all the luxu-
ries Of life, he Will certainly not be lax in
defending those interests which are iden-
ticaI with those of hia family"