People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-03
The Emancipated Woman.

of the nineteenth century. Among
all the changes which have marked
the close of this great cycle of the
worlds progress it is safe to say that
none will compare in historical and
social interest to the rapid reforma-
ton in the attitude of women them
selves, and the corresponding change
in public sentiment, toward the true
aspect in which the sex should be
considered. Amid the wrecks of
.dogmas and the crash of prejudices
which have gone down before the
irresistible onslaught of free thought
and free speech, none are more con-
spicious than the hopeless collapse of
the belief, that woman is inferior to
man, and that her ambitions must be
confined to the narrow and restricted
sphere of the home and nursery.
The advocates of Phrenology point
with pride to the fact that this.
science has always maintained the
social and politicale quality of woman.
The cardinal doctrine of the science
is, that the volume, quality and form
of the brain, other things being equal.
decides the proper sphere of the in
dividual, regardless of sex, color OR
other accidental conditions, Phrenol-
ogy moreover. demonstrates, thai in
all cases Of superior organization,
the male inherits strongly from the
mother while the reverse is true of
the female, who lnherits her positive
qualities from the father. All great
men have had gre at mothers, all great
women have had great fathers. Just
why in each case, the excellent talent
should be arrested in its development
for a whole generation, by debarring
women from the exercise of natural
functions, is one of the problems
which the astute statesmen who have
stood in the way of progress until
they have been in danger of annihi-
lation by its onward march, may con-
slider at their leisure. Meanwhile
the emancipated woman is marching
on in her conquest. In two states OF
the Union she has already established
herself in the full rights of citizen
ship, and in many others the question
will soon be submitted to popular
vote. 1t is entirely possible that the
new century may dawn upon nation
which honors its wives and mothers
with recognition of their claim to
at least ore half of the wisdom,
judgement and patriotism which
exists within the State.
New conditions create new forms
of character. 1t is doubtful, if the
ballet had been conferred upon the
women of the last century, that they
lasould have BEEN as capable of using
wisely, as the nineteenth century
nen undoubtedly are. The strife
1ch has wrested the ballot from
unwilling masculinity has made femi
'ninity capable of approaching it. 1t
is unqnestionable that the women of
1896 is far in advance of her grand
mother of 1895 in self reliance, dig
nifty business capacity and general
Intelligence. No evidence has yet
been introduced, as far as we are in
formed, that her kisses are any less
sweet, that her touch is less soothing,
or that her companionship is any less
agreeable to her masculine compa
triots. Numberless persons can be
found who insist that she viii lose
all of these delightful feminine char
acteristics as soon as she has ballot
placed in her hands, but no evidence
has ever been produced showing that
this fear has been realized in the case
of the thousands of women who have
recently voted in Wyoming and Col
orado.
The real gist of the opposition to
the complete emancipation of women
is expressed in the wall of a promin-
ent anti suffragist who said, eff wo-
men are given the ballot, they will
demand equal wages with men, and
things will come to such pass that
man can't get a wife when he wants
one"
Things are in reality coming to
just this pass. 1t is entirely possible
that the twentieth century may see
women getting equal wages with
man, and it is altogether likely that a
man will not be able to get a wife
and keep her unless he deserves her.
Women, at least the better class of
women, and by this we mean the
most intelligent class, are beginning
to feel that they are no longer chat
tells to be owned by some man, but
that they have rights which all men,
and particularly husbands, are bound
to respect.-The Phrenologist. +,