The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-24

government as oppressive and children have been
known to declare parental control tyranny
These epithets are gratuitous I would not CON
7 done the crimes of man against woman or assert
his claim to an unwilling homage, but question
whet er the family in genera is possible without
spontaneously recognized leadership resting
back on fundamentally different inclinations and
powers. Such the family OF the past has been and
| such are the families which men are forming to-
day. All talk of bringing men to time or accus-
tornine them to a different type ignores the fact
that the very association which Is charged with
selection and perpetuation OF types Is responsible
for the types as they are.
Unless my reasoning is radically wrong the
secondary characteristics of woman are not arbi-
trary, but part of her adaptation to func-
lions under existing conditions and must subStan-
TALLY persist while those conditions remain. II
remains 20 ask whether these characteristics do
constitute far her obstacle to the extension
of womans functions 1t seems to me that ask
such a question is to answer IL. Do controlled
emotions, physical strength and above ALL intel
lectual assertions and initiative, count for nothing
In professional success? VIII not say what the
limit is, but is it not plain that psychology ado
its interdIct to that of physiology and that here
too necessities OF race existence impose limits mn
on the Individual career?
Again 1 must remind you that this applies pri-
maFily TO married women. The woman Who 70
nounces marriage in favor of some other carae-
especially IL she be exceptionally endowed t,y
nature, escapes in part the Limitations whIcb ,SE
great function imposes upon her sex. Bur in 40
doing she resigns to women OF more traditional m
stincis the privilege of nominating her sncce M
and of determining of what sort she shall be- In
married women contribute their part to the en-
vironment of ideas and customs into which tho
generations born. but this is the lesser functo
and their part even in this is the lesser na~t
Speaking broadly we may say that women who
do not marry do not count largely in the influence
that shape the future of their sex.
We are now ready to formulate few PRINCIPLES
IN this matter.
Women Wish They Were Men
!. The interests OF society are not always ident
cal with the interests of individuals Woman,s
lot is not enviable. Women wish they were man
but men do not wish they were women. Women,s
perso nal interest calls for larger opportunity But
social interest makes the desirable i'm possible in
part.
z All privileges granted TO women as an alterna-
tive to marriage are inducem ents not to marrv
Functions which unmarried women might advan-
tageousy perform cannot always be safely granted
In general, therefore, all women must be treated
alike and their industrial and social stains mnst
De that OF the married woman The functions al
lowed 10 women must be either less inviting than
marriage or compatible with it.
3. An attractive function offered to women tends
10 eliminate the class to whom it is attractive
not be perpetuated. - ~
4 Functions associated with marriage and
therefore, permanently possible for women nust no
compatible with the intellectual and emotional re-
quirements of marriage.
o. These functions. in the nature OF the case be.
ing avocations, cannot be ide ncal with or in com
petition with those which are the vocation OF men
In closing must try to answer IN few lines
the question proposed as the subject of my paper.
How far is woman adapted and adaptable to pollti-
cal functions? First, as to the suffrage. This is
not vocation. II is incidental 10 all careers with
which 1t is associated. 1t would not interfere with
marriage directly nor perhaps indirectly. Whether
society would be improved thereby is not so clear
There is reason to doubt whether The conditions
which shape and must permanently shane
wOman's character are such as condUce 10 sober
and discriminating vote. But what is voting for?
is 1t here that the initiative and creative work of
government is done? BY no means This is the
work of few minds who deal with difficult
and slow fashionng material. A vote discloses
the temper OF the mass they fashioning and the
possibilities OF the moment. Woman's would
help 10 that end and would give the statesman a
needed insight into neglected part OF his prob
lem. But should not anticipate from it moment
GUS results either to woman or TO society. lady
recently said to me, ''Ibe suffrage would at least
do for us what it has done for you" Possibly, but
what mas II done for men? The suffrage is not re-
sponsible for the masculine character. Men are
not what they are because they vote; they be-
cause they are what they are. But without ex-
pectf1C too much from it, may fairly ex-
pect that this enlarged revelation OF social feeling
would make government ultimately more suited
to social needs
Woman's Lot Is Hard.
AS we rise TO the higher functions involving adj
ministration and Initiation, the is different.
These two were once regarded avocstIons, incl
dents in citizens career. Anybody could be
Judge in Athens anybody can be the Mayor of
an American city without special training. But
this conception is changing and must continue TO
change as our problems become more complex.
Ultimately the higher administrative and legis-
lative functions must be entrusted to highly spe-
ciRzed functionaries. To the that this is true
they cannot be equally available for the sexes
Taken all in ALL neither woman society has
probably too they have little to fear 1t is the
worlds perennial delusion that Limitation and
privil ge are matters OF law and arbitrary regula-
ton. They inhere in the necessities of nature of
which these things are but the shadow. Womans
lot is hard and IN part unnecessarily so. L cannot
underst and how any one can be unwilling to as
sist in all-promisng efforts for its amelioration.
But that amelioration must be effected primarily
In industrial and domestic relations Woman
would gain infinitely more to be emancipated from
the barbarsm of modern homework than by any
change in her political status she is far more
tyrannized over by her skirts than by her husband;
she is more in need OF pockets than of political
rights This is no excuse for neglecting any means
Of improving her condition, but we shall accom-
plsh most by recognizing limitations, by expect
Ing only possible things Nor need we guard ma
lures limitations with grudging legal restrictions
Nature will probably protect her interest in this
case by means of her own. Let US extnguish
every ungenerous instinct which grudges to
women the privileges of the largest life. Let us
give free scope to every noble aspiration that
makes for human betterment. And then-let us
reconcile ourselves, indeed we must, what re-
mains of natures enforced inequalities and the
great worlds necessary pain. H. II. POWERS.
Eagles always drive away their young
as soon as the latter are able to fly well.
Business is never good with the eagle and
j =