Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-05-27
THE NEW WOMAN.
why Should She Not Be Appointed to a
Consulship?


Consulship?
What objection would there be to the
appointment by President Mckinley of
woman consul here and there? It is
true that women could only vote for
Major Mckinley in three states of the
Union, but that was not their fault. In
every Office, municipal, state or ma
tional, to which they have been ap-
pointed women have given entire satis-
faction. In many cases they have been
acknowledged to perform their duties
more capably and conseientiously than
the men did who before occupied the
office. The duties of consul include no
task that cannot easily be performed by
woman. Acquaintance with the Ian
guage of the country in which the con-
sular station is is the first requisite and
there are probably more women lin
guists than men among our educated
American classes. In any case the wo-
man consul would quickly learn the for
eign tongue. 1t is the duty of a consul
primarily to aid in all possible ways the
commercial interests of his country. He
is to find out everything concerning the
exports and imports and the native
products of the region surrounding his
post and to particularly ascertain the
prospect for increasing American trade
there. Besides this, he must protect
American citizens i'll the foreign land
and help, SO far as is in his power, those
who are in Distress Much is made of
our ministers and ambassadors to for
eign lands, but it is fact that they
really are much less useful to the ooun-
try than the modest, quiet consul who
does his duty. Our commercial interests
have been aided not little in recent
years by American eonsuls in foreign
lands. American women do not, as a
rule, take that active part in public af-
fairs that they should do, and this is men,
toned as reproach to us by intelligent
foreigners of both sexes. am proud to
say nevertheless that there are Ameri-
can women who could fill creditably the
post of ambassador or minister plenipo
tentiary itself to any country ON the
globe, care not which one you men
tion. There are certainly 90, 600 women
who would fill in the most graceful and
efficient manner any consulship. Major
Mckinley has much regard for Union
soldiers Let him appoint to few mod
est consulships some Of the intelligent
widows and daughters of old soldiers
ladies, that is, who have their own liv-
ing to earn. All the country will ap-
prove.
A lady who lives in thriving little
city in New York state says that at
every annual tax paying season she OBJ
serves on the sidewalk outside the tax
receivers Office a string of baby car
riages. They contain babies belonging to
mothers who have gone inside to pay
their taxes The lady says she cannot
see how it would unsex those good
mothers any more to bring the baby
carriages to the polls while they depos-
tied their votes than to the city build
ing while they pay their taxes. Neither
can l. Can you?
"f men and women would only do
their haggling over money matters in
privatep' exclaims Margery Daw in the
New York Press. Just SO. 1t is enough
to discourage single men and women
from matrimony forever to hear hus-
bands and wives wrangling over money
in street cars, shops and hotels.
Margaret J. Preston was an excellent
lady who wrote some beautiful poetry.
AS much as one SO gentle could scoff at
anything, she scoffed at the new wom-
an, the one who believed a woman had
the same right as man to choose her
occupation in life, whatever it might be
| that she liked best Mrs Preston never
tired of vaunting the domestic privacy
of her life. :" She claimed to do all the
duties of an old fashioned housekepeer.
/ dare say, heaven save us, she even
made preserves. Her family was large
one Her notions of womanly domestic
ity would not permit her to let anybody
else manage her housekeeping. She
prided herself on it. Well, as she her.
self confessed. she4had crippled her lit
erary work sadly. She never did her
! best writing, and she knew it and re-
gretted it. That was one result. Anoth-
er was that she suffered three years
from a horrible nervous prostration"
and died before her time The world
never had the best she might have given
it, her family never had the best she
might have given them. All this sacri-
flee she made to her own dumb foolish
ness. / don't think she deserves any
great sympathy except for being so silly.
The women teachers of New York
city are finding out that he who would
be free himself must strike the blow.
For years they have been toi1ing on
with all the modesty and unobstrusive
silence so commended in their SEX. 9th
er city departments raised the pay of
employees. They were left, till finally
one day it occurred to somebody to
notice that it was not easy any longer
to get teachers for the New York public
schools. Talented, well educated girls
would not accept places. and there were
more empty posts than applicants The
teachers themselves then looked into
matters and found that 2, 600 of them
actually were getting less pay than the
street sweepers in New York. The street
sweeper was hired without even know
ing how to read and write; the teachers
had spent ten years in getting their ed
ucation They have petitioned for relief,
which they will undoubtedly get.
The moldy Outlook is still declaring
that when majority of the women Of
the country want to vote it will be in
favor of giving them the ballot. But
the moldy Outlook is all the time doing
its little best to keep women from want
ing to vote. For paper conducted by a
minister of the gospel such course is
extremely disingenuous.
The noblest of human beings is the
strong, sweet, calm woman who con-
troIs her emotions and keeps her head
on always.
ELIZA ARcHARD CONNER