Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-05-08

at the front and the military experts in
London seem to have come to the conclu-
SION that Dom Pauls ''staggerer" was
nothing more nor less than his determi-
nation to put rifas in the hands of the
Boer women to defend their homes.
1t therefore becomes an interesting mat
ter for speculation. says the Washington
Post. as to what effect such n move
would have not only upon the enemy, the
British, but the rest Of the world. Some
IF tho English papers, in commenting on
the rumor, are disposed to credit it us a
shrewd move of the willy old burgher to
enlist the sympathy Of the world and to
bring about intervention. 1t is assumed
that the civilized world would hold up its
hands in horror at such spectacle and
that such IN cutlery would be raised as
would cause England to stop hostilities
ut once.
t. X. Bishop. who is now in Wash
ington. refugee from the Rand, where
he was engaged in mining when the war
broke out. says: II have lived in South
Africa since 1856 and think l know the
Bocr character fairly well. You ask me;
will the women actually fght| l an
swcr, l believe they will. They nre quite
capable of it, TO the American who is
familiar with the character Of the real
western frontier woman Of our country
the idea will not seem so strange. Like
her sisters OF former years in the border
land of civilization in this country, the
Boer woman Of today is used to life
full of labor, privations and perils. She
has learned to be self reliant and knows
how to shoot. She has stood off the
black savage with her rife when her hus-
band was away on the vcldt. Why should
she not turn her skill as a markswoman
against a white invader of her home?
"What the English would do under
such circumstances seems to be even
more certain. judging from past history
and national characteristics. With all
their boosted civilization. it is a sad fact
that consideration for the weaker sex is
not characteristic of Inglshmcn. In.
deed the charge has been made. with
much evidence to back it up. that the
Englisl, are a nation Of wife beatcrs."
Certainly among the lower classes Of
Englisllmen wife brntinE is SO common
and notorious us to have become the sub
ject Of serious consideration on the part
Of many humane and reform societies.
British soldiers would not be lenient upon
the Boer women. which is not surprising.
as BOer women would have no hesitation
in killing British soldiers.
Should the Boer women revert to his
tory they would find that in one notable
instance when English valor was pittet:
against the genius Of women in warfare
sex was not barrier to vengeance. Joan
Of Arc paid the penalty of her temerity
at the burning stake. Then let the Boer
women beware.
What the outside world will do il the
issue should arise is merely a matter for
speculation. The world easily gets &C.
customed to horrible things.
Although the world of today seems to
have experienced primary shock at the
thought of women going to war, history
shows that it is no novelty. Since the
mythical amazons spread terror to the
Grecian hosts women have always taken
more or less active part in war. The
case of French Joan was perhaps the
most notable individual instance within
Thea scope Of authentic history. Coming
down to later times and even in instances
where the people of this country were in
terested, women have borne a conspicu-
GUS part in warfare. Elizabeth F. Ellct
has written highly interesting and In
structive story az to the part which
American women. like Molly Pitcher.