The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-26
WOMAN'S POSITION.
WHAT IT WAS BY NATURE AND WHAT
MAN HAS MADE 1T.

Intended For fraternity and Iomekccpcrs,
Many Arc Driven Into Occupations That
Were Once Only For Mcn-Some Very
Plain Talk.
lilo reltcration Of any statement, how
ever important or timely, becomes mo-
notonous, but 50 long as mischicyous
ideas arc promulgated they must be met
and discrcdited, though it be seventy
times seven and more. Otherwise tho
world would remain eternally in error
1T Will be admitted, even by the most
radical of the so called woman's rights
advocates, that, i'll conformity to her
peculiar physical organization, the fc-
male OF the human race has been espc-
clally created to perform a specific work
Ill the domestic economy. This is, COM
prchcnsivcly stated, to bear children and
maintain tho home. On the other hand,
it was manifestly intended that the
male of the human race should cherish
and protect her, assuming tho scvercr
physical labor which must be performed
ard shielding her from every danger
That might threaten the health, happi-
ness and pcrpctuation of tho species. In
the original plan ono duty was not re-
gardcd subordinate or inferior to the
other Nature had simply divided tho
burden of existence, assigning to one the
active part'of providing food and shell
ter, and to the other the moro important
part Ill the reproduction of the Species
to strip it of all its scntimentality and
state it plainly.
But i'll this, as i'll all things else, the
majority of men have subvcrtcd the
law OF nature and have promulgated the
theory that they, the actual earncrs of
wealth, owe little to women who mere
~ raise children and preside over the
home which they, tho men, have found
cd, and which they alone work to sus-
tam This assigns maternity and homo
keeping toan inferior position and places
the mother and the head of tho house
hold in the attitude of dependent, who
must DO content with whatever the hus.
band and father secs fit to give her. dis
regarding common justice and that
which is her rightfnl duc-tho absolute
and equal division of all that accrues
through his work and hor economy.
The increasing love of luxury among
men. tho comfort which club life pro
ridcs, with emigration from thicllv
populated centcrS to remote folds Of i'll
duStry, have reduced the number of mar
rlaScablc men i'll many states. This,
with the unwillingncss of the few to
accept the dependence of tho nature de
scribed above, has also largely increased
the number of unmarried women who
choose to, Or are forced to, provide for
. III
class or the other, it remains none the
less certain that whatever income they
are to have they must acquire by their
own efforts. They have no other alter
native, unless they are willing to accept
the dlstasteful charity Of wealthy friends
or relatives, or join the army of the lost,
whose brief season of ease and luxury
almost inevitably ends i'll the prison,
the almshouse or the potter's field.
And yet, again and again, and still
again, solemn exhortations arc sounded
from the pulpit warning woman" from
deserving tho home, her proper sphere,
to JOIN the feverish multitudcs who
crowd the marts and highways of the
world. Women themselves, weak fool
ish and unthinking, selfishly satisfied
less and cruel command.
For it is cruel, as heartless as the sur-
gestion of the pampered French queen
whose subjects, starving for bread, were
advised 'to put Il chicken in the pot. -
The wife of a famous Union general
some time ago deplored the exodus Of
woman from the homo into business and
the professions. In all her life she had
never known want OF the lack of IL thing
she desired. After the death Of her hus-
band friends and the government, i'll
consideration of his service, provided
for her so that she might enjoy the same
comfort to the end of her days Not
dollar of the generous income was tho
result of her own personal effort and
but for tho bounty of tho country she
might have learned something of tho
stress which forces other women to seek
an honest livelihood for themselves
The situation has passed beyond tho
power of any human being to alter it.
Instead of decreasing, no matter what
the result may be, the exodus will CON
tinue. Those women who have braved
the world have tested through experience
the sweets of independence and the salts
faction which comes from being able to
Go work and do it well, which not only
provides living for the present, but in
dependence i'll old age. Poverty, help
lcssncss-bread and board that are Bit
terly grudgcd-haveh hurried many wo-
man to her grave whose old age, had she
been able to benefit by the now condi-
lions Of today, would have been serene
and unclouded.
There is no fear that women will