The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-03
Open The University Doors.

Open the University Doors.
The women of Georgia are asking to be
admitted 10 the state university. We see
no good reason why their request should
not be granted. The charter Of the uni
versity recognizes their right TO all the
universlty's rights and privileges, and
president and professors Of the institution
are ready 70 welcome them why then
should not the universlty's doors be open
ed to them?
There are some who are opposed to CO.
education-to the association of young
men and women in university life. Their
ideas are antiquated-in harmony with
past age. The present age has reached the
conclusion, based upon experience, that
women do not become less womanly nor
men less manly who sit together under the
instruction o. the same professors in pur-
suit Of higher education. Indeed, from
some points Of view the association IS bene-
fetal to both the men and the women.
If this movement of the women Of this
state to have the doors of the state uni
versity opened to their sex were a new
departure-that is, if co-education had not
been tried elsewhere-there would be some
ground for expecting hesitation on the
part of the legislature to grant the re-
quest Of the women but in view OF the fact
that the majority of the higher insutCuons
of learning of this country rant the
same privileges to women which men en-
JOY, we cannot see how the legislature can
deny the women what they ask. IN fact,
not only in this country but in about every
other civilized country woman stand on a
footing with men in the matter of educa-
tional advantages. Georgia is behind the
rest of the world in this matter of higher
education for women. That being the case,
the thing for her legislators TO do is not to
discuss whether or not co-educatOn is
advisable, because that question has been
settled, but to find out the quickest way
possible to give to the daughters of Georgia
educational advantages similar to hose
enjoyed by the daughters Of other state.
There seems TO be an impression that the
opening of the state university to women
would cost the state great deal Of mon
ey There is no reason why it should 1t
is not necessary that dormatories for wO
men should be built at once. The few wo-
men who would avail themselves of the
privileges of joining the university classes
for the first few years after the Iight to
do so was given them, would find no din
Guilty in getting comfortable rooms and
board near the university 1t would not be
necessary for them to be under the inine-
date control of the faculty. Being earnest
women with a purpose IN view their con-
duct would at all times command the OPP
proval of the university government.
The doors of the university could be open
ed safely to women without the appro-
priation of a dollar. The class rooms are
large enough to accommodate ell the wo-
men who would become students, as well
as the men. In time, of course, the in
creasing number of women students might
make appropriations for their benefit ne
cessary, but women being admitted 20 the
university, the interest of women in all
parts of the state would be aroused in the
institutions behalf
What Georgia women could and would
do for it would far exceed any demand the
university would make upon the state be-
cause of the presence of women students.
Our legislature must recognize the fact
that women are not standing still these
days. They are graphing with the prob.
lens of life in competition with men. They
are to be found in all the protest.
trades and avocations, and they are meet
ing with surprising success. No means for
the preparation for life's work which are
provided for men should be denied to them.