The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
UomANS MEyrAD CAPACITY.
DouehtiIy Upheld by the LAD whittfeza
In Debate. I

in Debate.
Tho Lady whittiers, rs they are affection1
ately known. otherwise the Lady WhittieN
Literary Society. rallied as one man. as II ware{
in response to n challenge to debate the ques1
tion. Resolved. that the mental capacity OF the
female sex Is Inferior TO that Of the male" an%
in Tuxedo Hall on Saturday evening. before AT
many OF their friends as could get into the hallt
successfully opposed the Kenworth Literary
Society, preventing the ehallengers from esS
tabIishine their proposition.
Joseph L. Epstein for tho Affirmative as4
serted that inferiority In the female was cad
sential to the peace and permanence OF sociaI
conditions. He asked what evidence OF meny
tai capacity woman had given in the s~olutione
OF problems such as those that King Johns
barons solved 30 effectively. or such az were
solved by the mon who wrought the Americana
Revolution. What woman could chow the
power Of perception OF ColumbusP We're there
mental equality the divorce courts not only
would be full. but special ones would need be
established to take care OF the business. ID
was Natures will that the woman should bS,
inferior. as inferior she was. to the end that
peace and tranquility might be secured in the,
home. woman's true sphere.
Miss Florence Harmon said that II a man
had q SIS bill and another man had ten hale
dollars one man was manifestly as well off az,
the other. II man had logic. woman had intu-
ition; II he had judgment. she had tact: X he
had holiness, she had pru~dence-different coins
| but the same money. All born helpless babess
| women had until recently been rerresseds
| whereas men had always been educated. In
Cornell University now three to five fellow
ships out Of eight went annually to womens
students Of both sexes competing. There
had not been time in these few years to devel-'
op a woman Webster or Choate, but in hum
| drado ~ wars few man had rAaohnd that U0s
v%elopment. In magazine articles no inferis
GRITTY on the part OF women could be detected
The most successful architect in London to-;
day H.. o woman. A woman's mind had ruled
China for the last thirty-fve years. What
women could do in tho administrative offices
was not yet shown. Miss Harmon said. but she
commended that where the opportunity had
been given her. woman had shown her equal
ity with man In mental capacity.
Bertram Lebhar granted condescendingly,
that his opponents might mention a few named
erinrly that they were but the phenomenay
p phhysitsaIA equal a because there were strong wo-
sally Re retorted BY asking why, 4 woman
Woman hadn't even had genius enough 10 ins.
E Ssa i hST omdd f TIE nssdlio ne ana RF0 the sSin III.
And DR.. johnson res arded inventive. genius
as the highest form Of intellect. Medicine
showed that man had more brain power than
woman; his brain WEIGHED more: II Tona4
was mans equal in mental c~apaclty, why BAG
herself to be able.to do and that had been done
Miss May N. Zepn opLned that the ohallenG.
ers themselves regarded women as their mems
tai equals, since Other gise.they, surely you'd
not have CHALLENGED the Lady WhittierS, II was
certain that God hadn't set the stamp OF In
feriority on woman. for each creation was
nearer perieetion than tts pEEs red seSUa a sSa
producing Adam that there was still somethin9
lacking and had made woman, out OF inner ma
terial. a living bone rather than q DUST pile.
On the score OF brain weight. diseased brains
were heavier than sound ones. Woman. orr
dained to inhabit the earth as long AZ man d1dl
would by the very necest itv OF progress eventuA
ally become the equal 2f mar man II every way; ,r,
ming up. where arc the woman;Oasars. There
are no such murderers. no such usurpsrs. ne
such oppressors Of mankind among the falls
sex. Can We not INVENT Who Invented ths
cotton gin? Mrs. Green. Are distinguished
women only the exceptional 1t is. thY excep-
ton that proves. for 1t Is always the index oil
the possible. The greatest athspat Whn ~.
mans brain falls 70, 81 ounces. he is an idiot
The Rev, DR.. silverman announced on be.
half OF the Judges Of the debate that II had
been incumbent upon those who took the
Affirmative side to establish the fact that ,yo:
mans mental capacity WHs i thfs mor ana "a ina na'
Scotch verdict the disputants had to make
fhamCalvaa pODfaDt