New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-03
THE WOMAN QUESTION.
VIEWED BY WOMEN AT A WOMEN's COLI
LEGE.
THE SUFFRAGE. PREACHING. HIGHER EDUCATION
AND MARRIAGE DISCUSSED BY THE PRO
FEssORs AND STUDENTS AT wELLEs-
LEY-THE DOMINANT INFLU-
ENCEs or COLLEGE LIFE
UPON WOMEN.

LEN-THE DOMINANT INFLU-
ENCEs or COLLEGE LIFE
UPON WOMEN
Wellesley. Mass, June 20 (SpecIaD.-It Is inevlta-
bic that Wellesley women should have come to
| thoughtful conclusions I'm regard 10 the various
phases of the woman question before the pub
lie. ana while it Is equally Inevitable that there
should be almost as many degrees Of opinion as
there differences OF individuality, an express
sion OF sentiment taken at random from among the
members OF the college community may not be
without interest to the public.
The professor OF mathematics Is perhaps OF those
connected with the colleges the ono mos, keenly in
terested In the extension Of suffrage to women; she
reasons thus In regard 10 the subject: 81 think there
are several weghty reasons why suffrage should be
| extended to women In the United States; the chief
one to be that at present the practices
| OF the Government not In accordance with its
professel principles Theoretically this is a gov
eminent OF the people by the people actually II Is
a government OF half the people-thc male people.
The drawing OF any line at all involves denial Of
| fundamental doctrines. and exhibits the Nation 70
the world living a lie / hold that there are
only two ways to right the present wrong one IS
10 throw overheard the doctrine OF democratic
government and start anew with the honest dccla-
ration that Il IS il government Of men AMI by men.
In which women have neither part nor lot except
| to be governed. the other way would be 10 make
each state constitution conform the present de
clar-i principles on which the general government
is ossnirncd to be based. Women. who
citizens by courtesy should be made citizens In
! fact. without reference TO oxpedcncy. | conceive
that there certain other questions TO be settled
before we nsk whether II viii be an advantage 20
| given State or city 70 have the woman vote added
| to The present vote. Truthfulncss and honor and
| fair play s,ill matters OF some Importance for
governments as well as for individuals" As
| CARDS the methods and effect Of the so-callel
higher education Of woman. this same professor
says: II think there H. room for great Improvement
in the methods II is too carly TO gcneraliZe I'm re-
gard the effect Of college life and training upon
! young women. as n matter OF fact the majority
| Of our leading women. those prominent in large
measures and great affairs, not college women
| This fact does not prove that they would not have
been equally able ard Efficient had they received
| college training. nor can we say that the young
| women from our colleges will not in due time
| bear their share OF the large work 81 the world
| All we can affirm AZ present Is that the college
woman is not necessarily able and efficient and
| that the voman without the college training Is not
necessarily lacking ia those qualities and that
training which give her the finest preparation for
| matters of pith ana moment
Another professor OF ne college who believes la
wom1u's rich, TO suffrage states the ground q
her belief follows In a government OF the
| people woman suffrage Is a mattsT - right AID
not u eXpedi~ucy. II suffrage question u
oxpedIency I, should be applied 20 ho'h sexes. with
| ont discrimination ana masculine Ignorance. vice
| polls and feminine intelligence virtue and thrift
| should De admitted one standard for bo'h sexes
Is 'hc only inst and fair 'hlrg"
| A prominent member 81 ihe c'lss Of ~ believes
| ~ wom1a suNrsge. "ch.ery because a woman IS an
| nlly.luai aud il j. the only logical result ~ The
acceptance u ,he fic' that she g. an .a.iyLu1i"
| She adds further. The very argument which IS SD
often ra.I against woman suffrage that women ne
| different from mer-teens % mo the very argu-
| mont Tor it. y women different from men. men
| cannot properly reflect w.n.en's opinions don't
| believe that the argument as 20 holding Office has
any weight. because a, only a certain per cent -
| men hol Office so or.y fsw women would hl.t
| Office one wnu,l suppose - hclr men talk. thar
m,a ID r,'h.ug else hn, vote AM ho.l Office"
| In decided contrast TO the foregoing Views is the
feeling IN the minds OF other members % -" coll
| lcgl ono Of the most esteemed professors says:
| II don't believe go woman suffrage. 1 don't Ike
| 20 have women 80 The platforms. nor 20 have
| them vote. | dislike ~ see women before the pub
| d. publicity for women IL very Objectionable 20
| me ~ course a woman may have strong liking
for the profession u physician for instance. and Il
| she has the ability | believe IN her lifting herself
for that calling but II Ia exceptional that woman
| has such "A calling. I prefer to have men til the
pulpis-to my mind women have no place I'm the
| pulpit In the matter Of holding property IT l.
| without doubt desirable that women should con-
| troll what il their own, but women have now all
| the rights they need. womlus place. 70 my
mind Is her home. II she has ono; and ii lies ia
her power to make her hone beautiful. refined.
| Christian influence In the community"
Another woman who holds protrssorship IN the
| college and who through her work. touches HE
| m many points" considers The neel OF educating
the masses Of vastly greater Importance than NAT
| Of giving the suffrage e. women. She questions
whether additional educational qualifications restrict
Ing the right Of suffrage should not BE- imposed
raihor than that suffrage should DO extended there
| bv making Il possible for the unqualified as well
AS the qualified woman 70 vote An instructor whose
| personal Influence il strongly felt among the stu
| dents SAYS II am hardly willing to give my opin-
! ion on the woman question. am in sympathy with
the IDEALS and wish the success of all that is good
| !n the various movements. at the same time fet
| that I cannot in justice q myself enter into t"e
| work / continually ask myself. when some ne"
| question other comes mp: Ia this quite woman
w.? Is II not going sacrifice womlnlnessf
| have a very high idea of womauhool. and
| | shrink from anything which might mar woman
| before the world especially before young women
| because consider Il necessary for young women
| To have the best deals OF Vomauhool often say
! 10 the girls who to talk with mo about these
things. especially 10 the girls who are much IN
| teresied In athletics: Let men DO the hrhting-
they born fighters. Your part Is to be just ana
| 20 concliate"
OF the students the one who IL most prominent IN
| the college for her conservative Views expresses
| herself thus: "A woman who IL educated and who
! has a position anyway can keep It without going
| conspcuously before the public | believe alto
| gether in the womanllnoss OF woman. and think
there is danger Of women going 10 unwomahV ex-
| trcmcs In their desire to Keep up with the times
| | believe women ought to he interested IN pune
| airs bat | want them 70 be Interested anu sun
| keep their woman.incss. II seems 10 me- tnat mono
| is the place for woman. II woman suffrage dd
| come | think IL would be woman's duty 10 vote
| Just a. IT IS man's-but hope II won't come .
| Existing conditions thus viewed by Inc
| japanese stuucnt who leaves Wellesley this sum
NOR after four years Of lie In this country; Inc
| general atmosphere has Influenced me most nave
f, since / came here that was living IN an en-
tlrey different world-a .lnt 81 iairyland, rms
Is how America as a whole has anertrd me:
| America il the place whera w3mans privilege ami
refinement reach the highest of anywherS IN the
before | came here; hal the ideals. but ! never
could have realized n at home as nave
| here II has broadencl my outlook and