The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-05-25

Individual Rights and Duties.
"Amongthe reasons why there are
so few great men among us, why
national morality is so low, be-
lieve the greatest to be the existingI
inequality in the rights Of men and
women. Therefore the first thing
to impress upon the minds Of the
young girls in oul classes is the fact
that they have individual rights and
duties, that we may thus enlist
their interest in the cause Of re-
lligion. have seen many girls who,
after four or five years Of study, at
the expense Of much money and
sacrifice on the part of their pa
rents, enter married life to conduct
themselves as if they had no edu-
cation. They do nothing for soci-
ETY.. They are under the rule Of
their husbands. They have no OPP
portunity to show their ability, but
are condemned to things in which
they have had no schooling
kitchen and the care of children.
This is deplorable. 1t is sad that
their husbands, in the treadmill of
petty convenienccs, do not realize it.
1t may be the result Of custom, but
it is hindrance to the progress of
civilization. In matters of social
reform woman's influence is greater
than mans. Her power is indeed
great. But in our country we still
find conservative and obstinate
minded men who cling to the old
order Of things" ("
The above contains many points
that might serve as texts to as many
articles. At the start, to allay the
sensitiveness of those who have ta-
ken up with the new fad-extreme
disgust for women's excitement
over woman,' as Helen Watterson
terms it, let us say that the forego-
ing quotation is not from woman
but from a man whose history is
worthy of more space than we can
'lgive it. The author was Joseph
!, Hardy Nessima, japanese who, at
the risk Of his life, ran away from
'his native land to America in orde,
: that he might learn English and
read the Bible, some portions OF
!. which in the Chinese language had
fallen into his hands. He arrived
lin this country in 1865 when he
was twenty-five years of age.
Through the benevolence Of Mr.. Al
pheus Hardy, he took his prepara-
tory course at Philips Academy, his
college course at Amherst and his
; Theological at Andover. Returning
to his own country in 1874, he re-
fused the most flattering offers fol
high official position made to him
eIby the leaders Of the revolution in
Japan, established a Christian uni
versity and after life full Of the
: miracles Of faith, died in 1890, the
greatest private citizen Of Japan.
People Of every rank and of all
faiths, united in doing honor to his
Z memory, and his death was regarded
e national sorrow. That such o
; man should have seen in the ine-
quality in the rights Of man and wo'
; man the greatest cause for the low
moral tone Of his nation, and fol
= the scarcity Of great men, is a very
significant fact. 1t confirms the
Judgment of those who have any
; where in the world sought to solve
some Of the problems Of human ills
by reinstating woman in her right.
! full position, and it vindicates the
motives Of those who all the time
have claimed that "women's excite
!. ment over woman" was never a tiths
y SO much for the sake Of woman
as for the sake Of the interests which
every true woman holds dearer thar
any personal rights-the interests o
home and children.
The inequality In the rights .
! man and woman in Japan are
g doubtless, much greater than il
America; nevertheless, the pictur'
slwhich Mr.. Nessima draws Of TIN
J. welded life OF. the educated Japa
! ! nese girls finds many counterpart
lin our land. II is too often tru'
There that the educated girl lays he
y attainments a needless sacrifice up
= on the altar Of matrimony. We d.
y not forget that no culture OF hear
Ior brain is wasted that makes wo
man more competent mother,
II tlbetter companion to her husband
= But we do consider it fatal mis-
N take when girl drops at the thresh
j hold OF matrimony the pursuits Q
literature OF art which are her dc
light, and for which she has bee
specially fitted by natural endow
n ment and education.
\ Many cases Of the kind come IN
ID der the notice Of every one. w
" will mention two only Of thos
|v ,,,h;oh hava cnmp IN otlr own DeI