The record-union., 1894-03-01
SARAH GRAND,s INDICTMENT.

Sarah Grand, author of ''The Heavenly
Twins" has paper on the woman ques-
ton in the North american ReUieaV. in
which she says that "the Bawling Broth
ers Ii. g., mem have tried to howl down
every attempt on the part of our sex [wo-
mem to make the world pleasanter place
to live in.p That's precisely the kind of
an assertion we expected from a radical
who conceives woman's highest purpose
on earth to be to displace men. How
ever, Sarah has the grace to add that the
EXTREMISTS amongst men are no worse
than their counterpart "The Shrieking
Sisterhood."
She continues: 1--WE must look upon
mans mistake with some leniency, be-
cause we are not blameless in the matter
ourselves. We have allowed him to ar
range the whole social system and man
age or mismanage it all these ages, with
out ever seriously examining his work
with view to considering whether his
abilities and his motives were sufficiently
good to crafty him for the task"
From this, she goes on to protest that
no longer should women permit man to
exact all things of her, nor, as in the past,
should she endure misery for his sins, or
refuse, as heretofore, to expose and pun
ish him. She proceeds to point out how
the tyrant man has cribbed and coffined
woman in the matter of education, set
bounds to her social activity, narrowed
her outlook on life, cramped her mind,
and then made merry at her want of logic
The indictment continues that woman
has all along had truth in her, but that
she has cared more for man than for
truth, and so the whole human race has
suffered. This Is the unkindest cut of
all. If woman is hereafter to draw the
line between truth in her and man,
and desert the latter for the former, there
being no possibility of taking both, in
heavens name what are we to do? But
who gave it unto Sarah Grand to an
nounce as fact that which by implication
carries the idea that there is no truth in
man?
However, according to her idea of the
process of evolution now going on man
is to be better and woman wiser and
stronger. and for that much let us be
thankful. For what matters it how little
we know if only we are better. Sarah ad-
mits that it is going to be difficult to make
men understand this process, because
he ''has no conception of himself as i'm
perfect from the woman's point of view"
But, hopefully for US, 'as it is woman's
place, pride and pleasure to teach the
child, and as man is in his moral in
fancy" she is going to take him in hand
and lift him up to her level.
That we may not misunderstood her
let US quote: "There have been times
when there was a doubt as to whether he
was to be raised or woman lowered, but
we have turned that corner at last; now
woman holds out strong hand to the
child-man and insists, but with infinite
tenderness and pity, upon helping him
up"
She is going to ''teach him consistency"
That's good; if she can teach some news
paper men we know, that virtue she will
confer lasting benefits. Man is to be
taught to make the most of himself
Good again. He is to be shown that
woman has q certain amount of self
respect and good sense. Whoever denied
her immeasurable self-respect and good
sense? The ''conceit" is to be taken out
of man: we agree that woman can do it.
He is not to know ''the world" some
thing Objectionable and bad) alone; he is
to have woman as helper in response to
the cry of want and the moan of misery.
Has she ever been denied such colleague
ship?
But Sarah Grand means this in larger
sense than that of charity. She means
the breaking out of her ''sphere" as man
terms it. to take part in all human aetiv-
.tv and thought for human betterment,
md vet "true womanliness is not to be
endangered, and the sacred duties of wife