The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-07-23
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
BY MEMO.
(Copyrighted.l


ent day to pick up paper that does
not contain references to the strange
creature called "The New Woman
She is made the butt of numberless
ljokes, and dressmakcr's model for
all sorts Of outlandish garbs. She is
described as an inveterate consumer
OF cigarettes, and free user OF
thin-iee expletives like gosh and
"by lingo" She is even spoken OF
as threatening to go as far as men in
vice with an equal freedom from
subsequent blame. The penny n.
liners end paragraphists OF nearly
every stripe find her as fruitful a
topic as hardy perennial, the
mother-in-law.
Does Memo" believe in the ex-
listence of the New Woman Most
decidedly but not the new woman
of the plans of thought occupied by
the Joker. That short sighted crea-
ture is dmly conscious OF a change
among women, tendency to assert
themselves and to maintain their
rights, which he can neither under
stand fully nor satisfactorily eX-
plain, and therefore he feels that the
movement in all its phases is a mon
strous Joke. 1t is difficult, of course.
for man to enter fully into the
feelings of woman; but yet it
seems to the writer that possibly he
may with diffidence interpret to men
some phases of the widespread
unrest among women. A few sug
gestive outlines will suffice. Should
the Interpretation be at fault, the
writer is anxious for more might
and will be rejoiced to get it.
The new woman is with us be
cause she is necessity. This age
is n progressive one, and its great
need is progressive women to keep
in step with its forward motion.
Without such women the men and
children of the day would have
neither help-meet nor guide. The
new woman comes forward to pre-
vent that sad marriage catastrophe,
where the husband and wife drift
enart 1poI mental grounds and
thus grow into permanent dis
sonance of interests and that other
lamentable phase of domestic life
where the children tolerate poor
dear mamma" but neither respect
nor heed her.
The new woman is here to make a
new declaration Of Independence.
1t shall not read women are en-
titled to vote, and therefore, to
serve in the government. That is
relegated to the background if she
can but gain recognition for the in
fnitely higher demands she is max
ing. 1t will, whether engrossed on
parchment or net matters little,
read somewhat rs follows:
Whei eas: All men are not born
free and equal
Whereas; untold thousands of
them are morally imperfect from
birth because they are the offspring
of careless and Indifferent mothers,
and grossly selfish fathers.
Therefore do we declare
|. That every child has the right
to be born we'll
2. That science stops short of its
range of influence if it only suflices
TO guide stock-raisers and does not
reach to the prenatal and subse-
quent stages of childhood.
3. That woman has the indisput
able right to the control of her owl
body, to say when she shall be call
ed to the burdens and anguish o.
maternity.
4. That marriage fraught as it il
with so much influence upon the fu
= ture of our race, shall no longer b.
: looked upon as mere matter o
buying and selling
In some such way is the power o
new woman to be felt Many of hel
sisters in their hearts neither under
, stand nor yearn for all of thes
, changes but the pioneers of progres
among women are loudly calling TO
= tn ese rights and more, and sad vii
be the day that sees n flat refusa
= given to demands that are so essen
tial to the well.being Of our race.
The new woman feels that ther
is no shame attached to perpetua
maidenhood that marriage mus
not demand her acquiescence to it
social necessity, upon merely none