The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-24
l.
Dameria Opposed ewsS a Wons
o FRS

"How Far Is Woman Adapted and Adaptable
10 Foiltical Functions? was the title OF Pro-
lessor II. H. Powers now famous lecture be-
fore the Woman's Congress in this City. Pro-
! lessor Powers took the negative side of the
question, protesting that it were not the part
OF wisdom to endow woman with the suffrage.
Inc following is the complete lecture, now
made public for the first time:
What Is Woman?
The woman question logically begins with the
inquiry, What is woman, why is woman and why
Is she what she ise This fundamental inquiry Is
seldom seriously undertaken. On the one hand
there are playful assertions that womans nature
is inscrutabe and her ways past finding out; and
| onThe other 1t is tacltly assumed that anybody
knows enough about her for all practical purposes
approach the question with some difhdence,
knowing that shall give occasion for pleasantly
TO those who so disposed, but hoping that those
VINO near me will not be so disposed am aware,
700, that exception may be taken TO anything L
may say. The most general truths are not quite
general and opinions will differ as TO their relative
Importance. Above all it viii be hard for us to
look calmly at what is, when we are looking
yearningly for that which we hope shall be.
Passlng Dy the mere physiology OF sex we note
suhury characteristics of woman which are not so
obviously connected with the sex function. These
are the secondary sex characters. In like manner
there are secondary functions associated with the
primary functions of sex, but not obviously essen
tlal TO it. II is these secondary characters and
functions functions which IL is proposed to modify the
primary ones being unalterable
In general way these characters are obvious
enough. First OF all, woman is somewhat smaller
and weaker than man. though the difference is
partly one of kind well degree. woman
can carry baby longer than man and feel the
burden less, but she can seldom screw up foun-
tain pen so that IL will not ink her fingers, or un-
screw 1t II some one else does so. She excels in
endurance of moderate exertion long continued,
as man does in violent, intensive action differ
ence having an important bearing on the problem
Emotionally the differences are more marked.
Noman's esthetic perceptions are quicker and
more oelcate and Intense To this Is due her deft-
ness In embroidery and esthetic production of
every sort, her skill as a musician, where she
ranks scarcely below man, and her success in dra-
mhuc execution. transferred from things TO per
sens The esthetic finds its analog in the moral
sense. Relations which are not beautiful between
persons, relations which shock our sense OF fitness
ana hurt our feeling for harmony, these are wrong
relations Here, too. woman is additionally sensi-
tive. There can be no doubt whatever as 10 her
decaoy of appreciation In regard TO those personal
relations which her experience makes familiar 10
her. 1t is true that her moral pre-eminence is
often exaggerated from too exclusive attention to
sex relations where her vital interests and her diff
ierent sex instincts give to her judgments a re-
InArkable Vlgor and tenacity, while In matters of
business, honor, etc. she is said not to excel; but
when all allowances are made we must concede
that the emotional basis OF morals is abundantly
present In her nature.
No Woman Musical Composer.
In other directions she is emotionally we'll
equipped. Her power of blind devotion TO some
object irrespective of merit and conversely her
pacity for unreasoning hate, for tenacious preju-
dice and tumultuous indignation, are seldom dis
puted and if they it is usually with angry We
hemence which exemplifes the quality il Denies
AS regards intellectual capacity modern educa-
tionai experience is beginning dispel some pop
ular illusions. 1 have taught in widely different
institutions from Massachusetts to California; col
leges Tor each separately and for both together on
every possible basis and one conclusion is the
suit OF each. The women excel the men in those
Intellectual qualities which the basis OF ordi-
nary comparison in college classes. They learn
more easily, are more nimbe and versatile re-
member better, study better. take things more Sc
rously. IL Is true that they are more mature than
young men OF equal age and so do not compete on
equal terms, but In my opinion the odds will re-
main in their favor when all the allowances have
been made.
This would be good place to stop my ANALYSIS II
chivalry were my motive. but it is not IL must
have occurred to you that as I have touched at
point after point have omitted some obvious
truths, which qualify the conclusion reached In
the realm OF esthetics, the wealth OF womans per
cepons is no less notable than the poverty of her
creat ions. She can appreciate but nor create
Women musicians and lovers of mnsic Their
name is legion, but there is no composer In paint
ing, her ACHIEVE ments usually end with the mas
terry OF technique. a eacher knows how spon-
taneously woman grayta es toward poetry and
lives in its atmosphere. but she writes poetry
that endures. Look where you WILL the same is
true The new thoughts, the daring comb nations
the mighty undertakings that have join ed sundered
continents and put asunder lands that God had
joined these have been mans contributions 10
progress.
10 Franklin, who robbed the clouds of their light
ming, The series is unbroken. Don't say woman
HAS Hdu Ho Cnhuce. one mas time Tor tedious
acres of embroidery and the endless irtricacles of
etiquette made possible by her leisure. II takes
no longer 10 be composer than to be a prima
donna, and for centuries she has had nothing but
encouragement in half the lines have mentioned.
And, in any case. why hasn't she had the oppor-
tunity? An individual may have no opportunity,
but in the long run and for well defined classes or
species opportunity is but the counterpart OF
capacity. As far back as we can trace secondary
sex characters in animal or plant there Is reason
TO believe that the aggressive, the orgnative the
combnative and constructive character is thar OF
the male. am not glad this is so. nay, rather |
would be sorry-if q scientist had any business to
be sorry.
Her Obstinacy and Fickleness.
must trust TO your reasonabfeness TO remember
that have always conceded woman's superiority
in other lines equally important, as L ask your
attention little further to possibly unwelcome
suggestions. From the relative lack of the faculty
OF coordination and broad generalization results
that ascendency of the emotions which has so
often been noied. a woman judges by intuition
we are old, l. e., by feeling of attraction or re-
pugnance, which justly call instinct There
may be the best of reason for her feeling but she
seldom Is able 10 state IL. Judgments thus arrived
at are exceedingly invulnerabe to the assaults of
the reasoning process with which. indeed, they
nave nothing TO do In the torrential argument
which is common with women, there is much
ingenious argument and logic which would be
SOUND II IL were seasoned with dispassionateness
=, iurther result OF this emotional sscendency is
| the conservatism which Is associated with women
and religion in which she puts mans lukewarm-
ness SO constantly 10 shame To this Is due her
opstlnacy and her fckleness, qualities real to-
uhy rs III the time or EneaS, and inSeparable
| the emotional temperament. L but suggest
what 1t would require hours to elaborate. rass
10 hnal point OF contrast which is OF the utmost
Importance and which is for the most part relg-
louSly overlooked Woman IS more highly sexed
than man. know this statement will not pass
unchallenged 1t will occur to ali that the primi-
| tive sex passion Is not characteristic OF women,
but II Is rather the unenviabe heritage of men Nor
viii women acquiesce In any implication that they
spend their time thinking about men and trying 10
win their favor. 1 intend such Implication.
But yet II Is true that woman to an incomparably
greater degree than man, lives and moves and has
her being in facts that concern the relation.
of most of this she is happily unconscious, but IL
which convention has declared feminine and those
instincts which we associate with her character.
RAISING Dy such eXternals as woman's Dress with
lts studied effort to emphasize sex character, an
enort which in the ballroom Is redoubed under
conventional sanctions all with view TO the Or
deriy accomplishment OF natures legitimate pur-
pose passing with simple mention the peculiar in
tenslty ana tenacity of womans sex attachments
ana the consequences Of their disappointment,
ask your attention to minor characteristics which
are embodied in the typical feminine character,
NOT the new woman, the future woman, the ideal
woman out the woman whom the consensus of
opinion has pronounced peculiarly and satisfac-
toriiy feminine. Why have her arts. her graces,
her beauty, figure, attitude and bearing been pre-
ferred 10 others
only one answer Is possible. These have played
INTO the function of sex. which has been the
measure OF wOman's efficiency. We NAV NOT