New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-27
WOMAN NOT INFERIOR.
A CAREFUL STUDY OF TOPIC FORCED
UPON STUDENTS OF LIFE.

in the universities and in unusual occupations.
this book has than scientific interest
There will be wonder in coming times al the
grave disputes OF the present day ana OF the
past over the inferorty Of women. not 50 much
at the doubt at the arguments by whlch II
has been maintained. Mr.. Ellis dwells upon one
point which was considered important until re-
Gently. The frontal division Of the brain was
said TO be larger in man than in woman This
was supposed 10 be in accordance with the re-
quirement Of nature that most intellectual work
belonged TO this part of the brain. The results
of direct observation were cast aside II they
confiicted with theory in this mattG NO as
sumption of science ever contained a greater
number Of errors. Careful investigations nave
shown that the frontal part of the brain is re'a-
lively larger In civilized woman than in civilized
man. But man would apparently have chung 10
his error If he had not discovered that IN the
brains Of apes the frontal portion Is II anything
better developed than the rest. This led him TO
review the whole question, and he has now SAT-
isaed himself that this part of the brain has no
exclusive importance in intellectual labor. In
spite of it's position in front and at the very
summit OF the human figure. and in spite OF all
the preiudices which favored the former error,
that error has been given up, and Mr. Elhs con-
tends that the whole brain Is employed IN al
mental operations. But the man VINO shNiu
attempt TO revenge himself for the loss OF sup
posed advantage by comparing women ana apes
could Immediately be taken down by some lalr
girl graduate who might show him that even in
this region Of the brain simian characteristics
are distributed man taking one class of them
and woman the rest Another case in when
prepossession against women made It difficult for
long time to get at the facts is shown in the
studies of comparative height and weight Just
because II seemed the proper thing that man
should always be heavier and stronger and taller
than women, it maintained that the case
must be the same with growing girls and boys |
And there were beautiful tables Of figures which
showed that the facts agreed with the theory |
But subsequent investigation on a more extern !
sive scale and in a large number OF countries !
has shown that during certain years OF deVeiop- |
ment girls are distinctly heavier and taller than |
boys.
Preconceptons Of this sort have affected learn
ing in the most unexpected ways 1t was known /
that for ages women among the civilized races |
had as rule refrained from war. In times OF |
battle and conflict these nOn-cOmbatants were !
really source Of weakness. But even among |
civilized races there is no proof that the diHer-
ence between men and women is founded upon |
anything more solid than custom. NevertAe-
less II modified the spe ,uations OF anthropolo-
giss in the most significant way savage
woman II was said in books which are sun au-
1horitative. was troublesome when her tribe was
at war because she could not fight and had 10 |
be protected This was supposed 10 account for
the cruelty with which she was treated Closer
examination of savage life shows that as RUE
woman is not treated more cruelty than man,
and that shea can fight and does fight for her !
tribe with as much bravery and skill as Is SHOWN |
by the warriors. II she is made mere slave
and beast Of burden. it is found 10 be owing TO |
the hard life Of the people; for wherever savage |
life is comfortable. there woman enjoys all its |
pleasures The division Of labor among savages |
is one that adopts itself TO their necessities Ap-
parenty women took upon themselves the druds-
erv. for 1t is not until men free to some eX- |
tent from the task Of hunting. and subsistence
becomes less matter Of chance, that Industries |
begin 70 be separated from each other. 1t Is |
man not woman who seeks relief from an in |
cessant round OF tasks. Apparently the savage !
habit due to the alterations Of forced actlVi- |
~ and ideness has remained with the race !
through all the viCissitudes Of civilization. DO !
nestle economy to this day is far from being |
specialized like that wider region OF lie IN whcA
man is most active But there is one savage |
example which may be commented 10 the women |
OF civilization who are looking for some new |
fed TO conquer from the tyrant man. II Is SAID |
of the Haidas In the Queen Charlotte Islands |
that ..the women are the great diplomats and |
generally contrive to have their own way. Ana
among certain tribes Of Australia the women !
act as ambassadors to arrange treaties, and IN |
variabIy succeed In their missions. Among CIV |
ilized peoples women are said TO be skiliul ulp- |
lomats. But their merits have rarely II ever
been formally recognized
The differences from savage life leave little
room, for the belief that woman is by nature
much weaker than man 1t is possible that the
difference is the result Of habits carried on from
generation to generation But there is no reason
10 suspect that culture alone is responsible LOT
the fact that girls more precocious than
bovs that in them development is arrested ear
Ner and that as a result the female figure retains
a likeness to that Of children. This greater
youthfulness Of physical type In woman Is
very radical characteristic" says Mr.. Eiis' ana
&c influence vibrates to the most remote psychic
recesses" This popularity Of woman is paruc"-
larry marked in the form Of the head. Woman
approximates the infantile type, while man APP
breaches the savage. the simian and the sehhe
The difference between man and woman here is
40 significant that Mr. Ellis anticipates quarrel
over it. and even goes so far as to hint what
man and woman are likely to say to each other
on the subject 1t may be error in him to go
so far: at least 1t has been said with authority
that no man earth could predict Deiore d
woman opened her mouth what she was going
IN saw The controversy in the past has been
oven more vexatious over the contents OF the
skull than over its shape But after all 'he
disputaton the problem seems 10 be not yet
solved and IT looks as If the soluuoh "heh II
does come will favor women There 49, 'nueeu
no question but that man among European raves
has a brain absolutely larger than woman pos
sesses But when these sizes are considered
relatively to some ratio Of height or weight. the
case begins to look different. Like small men
and children, woman has head out or proper
ton to her size judged by the measurement OF
an average man. Nevertheless. taking height as
a standard, 1t is shown that the brains OF men