The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-23
uTop,A FOR GIRL GRADUATES.


ssr Thomas Rfore's Prophecy Has Come y
Pass In Ameriea.
Sir Thomas More published his IA.
nous Utopia in 1910. It was an &c.
count OF an imaginary commonwealth
on the island OF Utopia, formed from
two Greek words, meaning nowhere. 1,
Al companion OF Americas Vespucius
was said to have discovered this island,
where q perfect state of society existed,
and 70 have narrated the story to good
Sir Thomas. "A system Of government
prevailed 50 very like that advocated
by the Nationalist that IL is surprising
none of the hypercritics of the day have
thought of charging Bellamy with
plagiarizing from Utopia"
But the widest and most utopian Of
all the schemes adopted by this famous
commonwealth, and which called Ont
unreasonable laughter and ridicule
from all Europe. was that relating to
the education of girls, for In Utopia
as extensive and liberal an education
was given TO girls as TO boys, and moth
ing wa lacking TO develop in them a
noble and symmetrical womanhood Sir
Thomas More defended the Utopians In
their astounding departure from the
custom Of thosa times and replied 20
those who attacked him and them that
''if the approaches cast ON the female
understanding were sound they would
but afford so many additional reasons
for bestowing on il all possible cultiva-
tion. "
Only $40 years agoi And now We zee
that Sir Thomas More was q prophet,
and, as far al the education Of girls ID
concerned, that Utopia has come to
pass in America Never were the girl
graduates from seninaries. fitting
schools, = normal schools and colleges 30
numerous as this year. The papers In.
form MS that more women are seeking
admission to colleges than the colleges
have room for. The secretary Of the
New York State university reports 2S,
$50 girls and rs. 243 boys in the semi
naries and academies of the state Of New
York, the former being DC per cent of
the whole.
OF honor credentials. the girls re-
ceived this year 20S to 40 granted to
the boys-a proportion OF 6S per cent
for the girls. The number or girls
who entered college last year from re-
gents schools was "a per cent greater
than the year before, and this year will
show a similar increase. AT this rate, =
says the secretary. lit looks as II early
in the next century the colleges would
graduate more women than men, just
as the academies do now. !"
I recently met the dean OF the wom-
ems college OF Brown university and
learned that the nine women students
with whom the college opened three
years ago had increased this year to 10.
IA larger increase is expected next year,
but how to accommodate these earnest
and well fitted students is q problem
that taxes the university seriously. The
financial distress of the country has de-
layed the erection Of buildings for their
occupancy, but they. cannot be much
longer dispensed with. The dean spoke
In terms Or commentator OF the wom-
en- students, who are welcomed by the
faculty, tho young men of the uniyer-
sity and all others concerned Their adj
mission was i popular movement from
the start. and the women Of the Provi-
dencs club promptly manifested their
interest by taking measures I'd found
scholarships for the assistance Of needy
women students. Among the graduates
this year was Miss Mary WOolley, once
treasurer al the New England Whea-