The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-07-20
THE EMANCIPATION OF NAN.

I the most important business OF the re.
naming years OF this century. The
emancipation Of business from the
irammels Of restrictive legislation
the right of man to work and labor
without interference by another-the
right Of every man, partnership or
corporation to conduct lis business
according to his own views, and with
such laborers and workmen as he
chooses to employ, are much more
important problems than the question
of the ballot for women.
The same laws in relation to person
and property apply to single men and
to single women. The same rate OF
taxation applies TO the same values,
no matter who is the owner. No act
Of Assembly or Of Congress can FIX the
rate Of wages for any kind Of labor
can either give work or take IT away.
As to some fancied restrictions accom-
panying marriage, all that need be
said about them is that, in so far as
they may exist, they are voluntarily as
sumed by the parties, and therefore
complaint is without justification. No
one is compelled to marry, and every
person is allowed to make his or her
living in any trade, profession, occupa.
ton or calling suitable to the indivi-
dual genius or taste. In these mat
ters the present condition of things
can well remain, and ought to remain.
In the meantime the first thing for
the women to emancipate themselves
from is the skirt AMI all its abomina-
tiQns, If it must, in obedience to Gus.
tom Continue to exist in the parlor
and the ballroom, so be II; but for all
out door ard work.a day uses and pur-
poses, trousers, buttoning tightly
round the ankle, and skirts halfway
below the knee, are the coming cos
tune. The bust, neck and head can
be dressed to suit the taste, form or
figure. With that work, business, ex-
ercise or pleasure cannot only be done
and performed, but enjoyed. When
this dress reform has come, and come
to stay, then the women can dispense
with the ballot, for they will have all
things their own way.
There are few subjects in relation
to the emancipation OF men and bust
ness to which attention is hereby
called.
For instance Why should not the
scientific men OF the world agree up
on and have adopted and used by
them one make of thermometer ?
Those in use differ so much that it
is great inconvenience to use them
interchangeably and, to many people,
impossible. The Fahrenheit zero is
utter nonsense. 1t marks no appre-
ciable point. Doubtless for practical
purposes zero should be the freezing
point of water. That is visible and
movable to everybody. To begin at
nothing and 60 SO many degrees be-
low it or above it is idiotic.
For instance Why should the
commercial nations of the world allow
the coinage Of so many different kinds
and values Of gold and silver money!
The clerkly labor in custom-houses of
reducing the one to the other is i'm
mense and expensive the inconven-
ience to travellers and shop keepers is
enormous. You may call coins what you
please, but have all the pieces coined
Of the same commercial value, and no
time or trouble or temper would be
wasted in purchasing and making
change. From San Francisco to St.
Petersburg every thing would be easy
and commercial.
For instance: Why should there
be in the business world such an in
finity Of weights and measures1 Troy
weight, apothecaries weight, avoir-
dupois weight, dry measure, liquid
measure, long measure, cloth measure,
the nail, the palm, the hand, the span,
two sorts Of cubits, Statute mile and
geographic mile and various and
sundry other of these foolish distinc-
tions, often without differences. There
is a scientific method of fixing all
measures Of distance, time, amount
and weight, and scientific men, in a
congress for that and other similar
purposes could agree, determine and
establish one uniform system, based
upon scientific data, and oblige all
school books, tables, and teachers to
conform to such rule, by statutes Of
all the civilized world, if necessary.
For instance: Can there be any
thing more ridiculous than to submit
to and continue the mile measure
which obtains in the world as follows
YARDS. + YARDS.
Arabian mile .2,i4S Italian. ........... 2, u
bohemian. l0,ls7 Luthenian...... ass
| Brebant. 6,0S2 Oldenburg. 1880
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