The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-06

L)0mnan'S Power OVer Great m2em.
Mrs Dewey Is Responsible Admrals Leap Into
Politics. There Are Numerous Historical
Precedents to Justify Her.

Until Mrs. George Dewey authoritative
" announced that she had not Influenced
her husband in any way so far as agree
ing to accept O nomination for the presi-
dency was concerned, 1t was very gen.
orally believed that she was the power
behind the throne that had changed the
first resolution of the hero-admiral, says
the Globe-Democrat.
Even granting such was the case, the
influence Of O. wife over a husband and
q woman over a man has been the dra-
matte close to a great number Of the
most important chapters in the worlds
history. 1t Is not necessary to mention
the first affair IN the garden of Eden
Granting that the women of the world
have been trying to forget 1t, the men
have remembered that fact, and quoted
it on every possible occasion.
Putting aside that fact, the truth still
remains that from the days of the old
Hiksos, the shepherd kings of Babylonia,
right up to the events chronicled in this
mornings paper, women have been a
power in the governments Of the world
It's always an interesting subject, the
part played by women, and perhaps 1t Is
especially so at this time.
Just read some of those chapters of
Genesis and see what the women used to
do with the men, and they had no rep
resentation in the councils, either. Look
at Abraham and Sarah. Read the twen-
tieth chapter of Genesis and see what
Sarah did to the entire household Of
Abimelech. Perhaps you can better ap-
preciate the amount of trouble she made
If you read on to the end of the chapter
and see the number and value of the
presents Abimelech gave to Abraham to
get rid of the woman
Another sad story in the worlds his
tory is that - Hagar, who incurred a
woman's hatred and was forced to go
into the wilderness. 1t is interesting to
know that we get our word hegira from
the same word as Hagar. Presented by
Sarah TO Abraham it seems very hard
indeed that she should afterwards be
turned with bread and bottle of water,
along with her son Ishmael, into the
wilderness of Beersheba-
Perhaps there is hardly a better ex-
ample of the value of woman's clever
ness than that of RebeKah, the wife of
Isaac. You remember how Isaac wanted
to bless his eldest son Esau, and in those
days a fathers blessing was like signing
over a will in behalf of the one so fortu-
nate as to receive the blessing Was IL
Jacob, the younger son, who thought of
the plan to deceive his father? Well, not
according to the account in Genesis. 1t
was Rebekah who suggested the placing
OF kids and goats skins on the backs of
his hands to represent the hairy arms Of
Esau.
The story Of Samson and Delilah is too
well known to need repetition here Sam
son, the strongest man in the world, was
easily conquered by woman.
King Solomon Is generally conceded to
nave been the wisest man the earth has
ever seen, and his knowledge of women
was something marvellous According to
all accounts he spoke from a wider ex-
perience than any other man Still. how
often does this greatest of all sages re-
peat the fact that the ways of
a woman are past all finding out. In
his proyerb he takes occasion to say a
great many very plain things about a
great variety of matters, but again and
again he comes back to the power of
women, and warns man not to try and
test their strength with hers. OF course.
ne has great deal to say about bad
women and what they will do to the best
of men, but he also gives unstinted praise
TO a good woman.
DO you remember this reference Of his
to the influence of women: 'There be
three things which are too wonderful for
me yea, Iour which L know not: The
way of an eagle in the air, the way of a
serpent upon rock, the way of shin
In the midst of the sea, and the way OF
a man with maid" If you would know
what this great man thought about good
woman. just read his last chapter of
Proverbs While he takes occasion MANY
times to place himself on record as not
1aVoring equal rights, perhaps woman
was never appreciated or given a more
beautiful tribute than in this CHAPTER.
There is little need to speak of the
many instances in which even the great
est prophets fall before the power of
women. The accounts are familiar to
every one.
Women do not have to go back into an
Client history to prove their ability to
suffer the hardships Of soldiers in camp
and on the battlefield. The Red Cross
nurses in this day and generation are
quite sufficient proof of this fact. But
1t is also true that woman has always
been this way, and has always begged
for the privilege of being at her husbands 8
side' and in cases where she has been IA
Vored the instances are few indeed where
she has not proved herself a valuable
helper and adviser
There was Agrippa, the elder. the wife
OF Germanicus. who shared with her hus
band all his hardships in his campaign
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