The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-08-29
THE NEW WOMAN.

ture have conceded to wo-
ran a permanent place in So
ci,I life. In ancient Egypt, in Re
,ublican Rome women owned prop
erty and enjoyed equal rights under
the law. These words of DIR. Daniel
Rrinton in his Races and Peoples
form a most appropriate introduc-
tion to the study of the position and
etatus of the So-called New Women
Of today, proving also that the name
i, = missioner, for from the days
Of Hatasu, who was queen of Egypt
sixteen centuries before Christ,
down the ages to Isabella of Spain,
the first monarch of a new world,
until this year of grace 1895, when
Victoria holds sway over lands which
encircle the globe, has it ever been
true that, that nation which most
eleyates and honors its women, most
elevates and honors itself. When
woman is enslaved as among heather
tribes, or imprisoned as in Moham-
medan countries, progress is scarce
N possible, for the condition of the
women of a nation is an index to
that nations civilization. Further
more, Brinton says unusual ability
in a man, is usually inherited from
his mother and a nation which
studies TO prevent women from ac-
quiring an education and from tax
ing an active part in affairs is pre-
pairing to engender citizens of in
ferior minds, for it is the mother
host that takes into her loving care
the child-life OF nation"
Some one has said-in irony per
haps that woman once the super
ior Of man, has become his equal.
We will concede both points, adding
that the acknowledge superiority
of woman i'll certain regards, is met
and balanced, by an equal superior
ity of man in others. They are the
complement of each other. Equal
rights not w oman 5 rights" is all
that the woman of today asks, with
the need of true and manly res
pect, instead of being held up to
ridicule, weapon supposedly more
forcible than abuse and always more
cowardly than persecution. The
woman who has awakened to the
TACT that mentally she is the equal,
often the superior of her brother,
and can see no reason why she
should not receive an equal training
and education, at least to the extent
OF her capacity, the press has seen
fit to label somewhat disrespectfully
the New Woman, Immediately is
suggested to some minds, a semi
masculine creature, with bi-furcated
garments, possibly mannish collar
and tie and perhaps a derby hat.
Especially is this figure a favorite
with comic papers, and wouldbe
funny writer's. But we do not give
ourselves a great deal of uneasiness
over these weak attempts to belittlC
the grand woman of these last days
of the nineteenth century. The new
woman is in good company. Deborah
was a new woman in her day, .
poet, prophecies, judge and {
warrior. She rose to call her coun
trymen to armed resistance and LED
TO victory in the name of the LORD
of Hosts. There was 4 time wheT
the Lilies of France We're trampleC
under foot by the invader and aliens
claimed the throne. Then rose
II, g n-l
jeanne d Arc was new woman. 5,
was Florence Nightingale, Doroth,
Dix, Clara Barton and Mother Bick
erdyke, women who, by their devo
ton, have sustained armies an,
nursed the soldiers. Not only did
wOman's money fit out the snips tha
discovered a new world, but a won
ans money fitted out the MayiioW rr
and if living today, doubt.e5s i-;.
bella of CASTLE and Mrs. :. lustol
would be called new women.
What the eighteenth century WON
en- did for the emancipation and edu
cation of women is greater than an
preceding age, so that the neN
woman is now one hundred year
old, for Elizabeth Fry is worthil
called the mother Of philanthropi
work of the nineteenth century.
But time and space is wanting t
MI out the names of grand women
coming down the ages to our ow
day, which is starred with 1hei
deeds. In every step towards pros
ress, woman has been in the var
with the prejudice of centuries, cor
fronting her on every hand, she la
pressed steadily forward and tn
stone wall of opposition is now to