The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-11-22

their entrance into the various pro-
fessions and occupations would help
having more refining and humane
effect n.'
He discussed to considerable extent
the effect of her entrance in the BUSH
ness world, and thought that if in so
doing she crowded men out, the queS-
tion was a serious one. and more SER
ious if, as asserted, it has tendency
to keep young men from marriage and
getting a home. He believed that
there was another side to the ques-
tion; that while competition was
sharp, and men were driven from
many places they had hitherto filled,
there were plenty of new fields of SER
vice and plenty of room at the top in
the arts and trades if they would turn
to them. And there was considerable
room at the bottom to if young men
were willing to drudge and economic
as their fathers had done. There
never was such demand for young
men of ability. Worth will soon find
or make place Woman will occupy
many of the lighter forms of work,
while men will be driven to the
coarser and heavier work, and more
professional lines of the worlds SER
vice. Men must become more expert.
Woman is not as stable as man, for
some word may be whispered to her
today which may cause her to change
her mind, employment and home to-
morrow. But it is acknowledged that
the work IN store, factory, office and
school is better done because of
woman's presence there. While the
wages Of father and brother may be
cut by her presence in their midst,
what she earns more than makes it up
to the family and the work is better
done. The entrance of woman into
the business world increased the pro-
ductiVe capacity of our race, and that
will have tendency to lower wages
and make goods cheaper. ...-....
He commented to considerable ex-
tent of the effect of this change upon
the home, which he showed to be the
most important institution in the
world, and that whatever weakens it
is an injury TO all that touches man.
He thought there had been greater
progress in the effort to relieve the
drudgery of man than there had been
that of woman in the home, and dis
cuSSed to some length the reason why
girls turned from domestic work to
that in public places, when in the ma
jOrity of cases they could have bet
ter home, better pay and lighter
work In the former. Said that while
| in many instances the girls were not
properly educated to assume such du-
ties, in as many instances, the woman
of the home was as ignorant of how
to run the home, and here was the,
source of all the trouble. What is
needed is better education along these
lines.
Speaking of her education, he said
that 'she should have the best educa-
tiOn because she is TO be the teacher
of our race, as wife, mother, sister,
maiden aunt, grandmother, she is to
fashion society, it's laws and public
opinion, more powerful than courts
and thrones and legislative halls, "and
in this he said he meant proper de-
velOpment of her whole life. He re-
ferred to her fight for sound morality
and what had been accomplished in
this line, also to her poverty of ideals,
caused by the cramped position she
has occupied through the past, and
commented upon the Over-work of
fathers and mothers, which prevented
their giving that time to the cOmpan-.
! ionship of their children which they
ICh no. fn oh no hot fap me
and women. But thought as woman
| became more self-supporting she
would be able to lift many burdens
from the father, and at the same time
| would become more companiOnable.
He believed that much of the over
work came not so much from neces-
sity as from the awful thirst for ''cOn-
quest in the world of finance, power
and display" The question is whether
the entrance of woman into the bust
ness world will whet the knife of COM
petition and strife still sharper, or
bring her near him in enthusiasm, OPP
portunity and Judgment, and so tone
! the love of money into happiness,
love, life. home and sympathy.
He touched briefly upon the Ques-
tiOn of marriage, and alluded to the
fact that the marriage of leaders in
business, politics, the professions and
literature, because of their being to-
tally absorbed therein, has often been
failure, and speculated as to what
would be the effect in the future with
women in the business world.
Notwithstanding all that is said
about the frivolity of our women he
believed that American WOmanhOOd
was the noblest in the world, and
quoted various authorities from
foreign. sources to substantiate the
claim.
In closing he commented upon some
of the effects of woman's advent into
a wider sphere, and the tendency it
would have of lessening many of the
evils which everywhere abound. AT
the same time the door was opened to
other evils which might spring up,
and every effort should be made to
Il ~