The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-12
WOMAN'S PLACE ON THE FARM.
MRS. FELTON's ADDRESS BEFORE
THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

ana W hat Is Needed tOr Ihetr nap
piness, Protection, Elevation and
AdVnnccment-Ope the Doors OF
the state University to Women,
Mrs. FELTON, Says.
The chief feature Of the afternoon ses-
sion of the agricultural society at Tybee
yesterday. and. in fact, it may well be
said, the chief feature Of the convention
so far was the paper by Mrs w. II. Eel
ton on Woman on the Farm"
The paper was remarkable one in
many respects, but the manner in which
the subject was handled could not be
termed otherwise than mastery.
Mrs. Feltons brain and wit are well
known but in her effort yesterday she
.airly echpsed herself When she began
speaking the seats in the pavilion were
not all taken, but the laughter and APP
plause which greeted her opening re-
marks, ana the further fact
that it was Mrs. FELTON, speaking,
drew every member of the society TO the
scene and the guests and pleasure seek
ers from the hotels as well. The npour was
SO great that the president was compelled
to request Mrs. FELTON, to pause while the
new corners obtained seats.
Mrs. Feltons address throughout was
marked by demonstrations OF applause and
frequent bursts Of laughter at her sharp
sallies and frequent thrusts at the male
portion of the audience. The address is
one that will be remembered by every
man. woman and child, who heard it.
Statistics go to show she said that
70 per cent. of the population of Georgia
are engaged in agriculture. This means.
as l understand it, that seventy-fve men,
women and children out of every hun
dred are connected with farming as an
occupation.
"Of this number. it is understood, that
81 per cent. are females-while As per cent.
belong to the other sex. We were told
some years ago, by a former commits
sioner of agriculture, that If Georgia was
settled as thickly as Massa chusetts our
population would be ten millions and up
wards.
I'VE suppose, therefore, that there are
at least as many women allied to farm
work as men. But the farm women cut
no figure in farming statistics. Their SER
vices are aluable-srlctly necessary and
satisfactory, but no woman is talked
about in farm management, unless she
AAdpptiAS 70 ne Il WIDOW OF Il SlAuSNtI WIZ
overloOks her own business.
1T is a fact that the world knows of
but one sex in farming under present cons
ditions. As chairman of the committe on
agriculture, for the board of lady
managers in the great Columbian eXposi-
ton at Chicago this astonishing fact met
me at every turn in my endeavor to esti-
mate the scope and value of woman's
work in agriculture.
Every other committee which inVestiga-
ted womans share in other business rela-
lions discovered the amount, quality and
capacity of woman's work and 1t could
be counted, valued and placed successful
ly. But a sponge never more completely alb
sorbed the water, than did the men of this
nation absorb and appropriate to them
selves the giant success in farming ana
general agriculture of the union. For one
time at least. the biblical statement was
confirmed. The man and his wife are
made one-and that one is the man.
AS 1 cast my minds eye over this vast
republic and remember that almost every
farm employees at least ha.f of its force in
women, mostly indoors, whose labor, self
sacrifice and economy make possible a
profit from out-of-door crops; il seems to
me to be ungenerous, If not unjust, that
these women and their daily toll have no
recognition in the figures of the country.
Civilization in its advancement, lets in the
womens work is brought under the light
of Christian progress. il becomes more and
more highly valued"
Mrs. FELTON, discussed the position of wo-
men as compared with man in Mosaic an
cient and feudal times as compared with
her present proud position under Chris.
tan civilization. Her conclusion was
Unity Of the sexes in every relation in
life is the corner stone of progress and ex-
cellence, as well as the cap stone of its
completion and glory"
Il am no new adventures in the bust
ness of farming" said Mrs. FELTON,, TAX
ing up her subject. For over forty years
/ have been a farmers wife and intimate
~ conencted with the ups and downs Of
farm life, ] have known 1t in good times
and bad times, In war times, IN times OF
flood and drought with high and
low prices. in sickness and in
health, in prosperity and ad-
versity. with plenty and with scarcity, in
every phase of sunshine ana shadow, with
snowy clouds and torrid rays overhead, in
deed. l have become acquainted with the
Alpha and Omega of farm life In Georgia.
and if l know anything of value TO me in
my existence connected with II Is farm
pleasures and farm disappointmen,s.
Viewing IL in all its surroundings. with
its honesty and independence. It's oppor-
tunities for youth and It's quiet and re-
freshing thoughts for old age, I stand
here to-day In the presence of heaven and
this goodly company TO say that il is a
glorious occupation, blessed of the Al
mighty. and not discounted by any other
calling in this life as a training school for
great minds and for their eternal destiny.
From the creation farming has had no in
remission ian It's universal scope and so
long as men live on natural food. that
long Il must come from the soil The
farmer Is in one sense the creator OF this
food universe, and the other professions
only adapt his work 20 the uses of the
animal kingdom.
Farming Is the only business, however
that is open to lazincss and ignorance
therefore II is the farmer himself that has
thrown ediscredit upon his calling. II a
farmer sticks To his field. as the engineer
20 his locomotive. or tne banker to his
desk. he can also count his profit in hard
cash.
There Is something radically wrong an
the times when the only producers OF
values are the slaves OF those who adapt
his products TO pccunlary profit for them
selves. ! have said "A hundred times that
liquor dehauchcry will retire when tho
churches get ready 90 vote IL out and as
Hon. Charles Wallace Howard