Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-04-09
The Man And The Woman.

The Pail Mall Budget comments on an
article by Strindberg in the January
number of the Revue Blanche called
1.-THE InferiOrity of Woman" 1t is a CO.
incidence, says the London Queen, that
the Spectator of the same week contains
review of book by Eliza Burt Gamble
entitled "The Evolution of Woman"
These two facts, placed side by side,
bring home to us at once the utter fulfil
ity of the endless discussion on the Tela
defense of man is undertaken by man,
the defense of woman by woman; they
are both special pleaders, and as such
can be no more than advocates; it is i'm
possible for them to set themselves up as
Judges Until some being, neither man
or woman, at once above yet in perfect
sympathy with both, can be brought in
to court, the question will ever remain
an open one.
The fact is, it is impossible for us, con-
stituted as we are, to measure things
which do not contain common unit.
Man ana woman differ not in degree, but
in kind. 1t is as absurd to claim that
man as a whole is superior to woman as
to claim the reverse. On what grounds
can we go? Take that usually selected
by the opponents-intelectual capacity.
All men are not cleverer than all women.
No one in his senses would assert it, and
its opposite is not affirmed even by the
most ardent "womante." If we regard
not the exception but the mass, what do
we find? The ordinary man declares the
woman to be devoid of business faculty,
power of concentration and judgment;
she retorts he is dull, lacking in imagi-
nation, unobservant. They are probably
both right. But it is because their
brains are differently constituted or be-
cause both are strong in the faculties
which have been brought forward?
From his earliest school time, through
out his business life, the boy and the
man has been forced to concentrate his
attention, however repugnant the process
may be to him, or the penalty will be un-
endurable, he will be left altogether be-
hind in the race. And so with the other
qualities. The ordinary woman, on the
other hand, is bound to be observant, to
get what pleasure she can out of trifles,
to make her own interests, or her pen
atty will be excessive, the WEAKNESS of
I;co +,, J,,D 70 ha bnrno 70 orn oil
miliar with TIE brilliant exceptions, the
women who, without the advantages of
the men, have outstripped them on their
own ground. We wonder how Mr.
Strindberg would deal with these; they
are getting little too numerous to be
lightly thrust aside as proving the rule
Besides these many OF us have met wom-
en- who meyer have done nor will do any
thing brilliant, but who are strong in
the very qualities man claims for himself.
Business-like, selfcOntrolled, with adj
mirable judgment, capable in every re-
spect, even if they have lived all their
lives at home. The petulance which
classes them in a mass with negroes
and children shows something of the
fretfulness of 'sick child" itself.
Until we can find our angelic visitant
who is to tell us definitely once for all
the truth of the matter, is it not wiser to
cease quarreling and allow each sex the
fullest opportunity for developing what
capabilities it has?