Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-04
WHAT THE CENTURY
HAS DONE FOR WOMEN.
'THE nineteenth century is now in it's

THE nineteenth century is now in it's
last year. This century has, with
or without just cause, been called
the womans century. Why? Because
in no other equal period of time has
womanhood risen from position so
degraded to one of comparative free
dom and dignity. 1t is not by the de-
gree of respect that is accorded the
exceptional woman that the position of
the sex may be determined, but by that
consideration accorded to the majority
of them. One can judge of the estima-
ton in which womanhood was held in
the earlier part of the century by not
ing. for instance, certain advertise
ments in old newspapers.
In England and continental countries
| women of the poorer classes were held
| in position that was little, if any,
short of slavery. A mans wife was
absolutely his chattel; he could beat or
Ill treat her to any point short of
that which would result in immediate
death. If she died as the result of the
i'll treatment few days or a week
after, the husband was upheld by the
law; he had right to chastise his wife.
his children and his cattle at any time
he thought best. If he wished, in GER
tain lands. he could sell his wife. and
the wife Of the average poor man was
valued at about the same price as a
COW.
If the wife had any money before
she married, on her wedding day it be-
came her husbands; the marriage for
feited for her all legal right to it. She
could not recover her fortune even if
she separated from the man.
/ Divorces were almost 11plrpnun IN
4 those days, and if a wife became heir
ess to any property after her separa-
ton from her husband, if he desired to
lido so, he could appropriate the money
to his own uses. Moreover, he had a
right to all her earnings and could coll
lect them unchallenged, no matter how
he may have sinned against his wife.
The case of Mrs. Caroline Norton the
l English poetess, who had a profligate
husband from whom she was compelled
to separate, yet who regularly went to
the publishers and collected the royalty
on her works, had good effect in
rousing public opinion against this I'M
just law. Mrs. Norton was the grand
daughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan
and sister of Lady Dufferin and the
| Duchess of Somerset. Her husband,
the Hon. George Norton, a brother Of
/ Lord Grantley, was an unprincipled
spendthrift. yet by birth and education
he was what was considered gentle
man. If such condition existed in
1 exalted ranks, little need be expected
of the common people.
In 1905 an English paper commented
on the sale of wife for sixpence and
/ a quid of tobacco as an occurrence
growing to be much too common.
/ Marriage was the only career then
/ open to woman, and If she did not
marry it was supposed to be because
nobody had asked her. Jean Jacques
Rousseau expressed the sentiment Of the
day when he said: THE education of
women should always be relative to
that of man-to please to. be useful
to Us, to make Us love and esteem
/ them, to educate Us when young, to
1 take care of Us when grown up, to aG-
wise, to console Us, to render Our lives
easy and agreeable. These are the du-
/ ties of women at all times. (which they
should be taught from infancy"
At the beginning of the century if. a
woman desired an education for her
girls she found it necessary to employ
4 IL private teacher, for few of the states
/ in America had public schools. In these
! schools girl could not retain her place
if it was required for boy. Some-
times girls We're allowed to attend
( school during the summer months. but
in most places it was thought best to
! keep them from becoming too erudite
The daughters of we'll to do people were
taught the common branches" and
4 sent to a female seminary, perhaps
where they received smattering of
1 trivial accomplishments.
Today, at the close of the century,
4 almost all the important colleges of the
world have been opened to women, and
! in the public schools their education is
conducted along the same lines as that
of the male pupils. Women have shown
that they are just as apt as men in
i taking up any branch OF learning they
have pursued
4 In the beginning of the century a wo-
man left alone and without an income
4 was forced to beg or starve--that is,
unless she chose the doubtful alter