New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-12
EDUCATION OF GIRLS.
WOMEN ARE FAST BECOMING THE ED
UCATED CLASS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SAYS PRESIDENT THWING.

Prospecting the question of fact there can be no
doubt The number OF girls exceeds the number
OF boys enrolled in all the public high schools.
SAYS President Charles +. Thwing, Of Western Re
serve University. The number OF girls. too. who
are continuing their education in the college grows
faster than the number OF boys The total number
OF students found in the public and private sec
ondary schools IN 1859 (the last year for which
the statistics are available) 655.2Z. OF this
vast number 2s2 SIC boys and 62S5l were girls
In every New-England State, with the exception OF
New-Hampshire. IN every Southern State. with the
exception OF North Carolina and Alabama. and IN
every Western State. with the exception OF Idaho
the number OF girls who are gathered in the pub
Tic and private high schools is greater than the num-
her OF boys. In the primary and grammar grades
the percentage OF boys is about equal TO the per-
centaee OF boys. but soon the high school is
reached the number OF boys dminishes, the number
OF girls increases.
we are also seeing the proportion OF the girl
graduates OF these schools who go 10 college in
crease Easter than the proportion Of boys
The question OF fact Is clear. Women are
fast becoming the educated class OF the com
munty. The change made in the last fifty or
I. twenty-five years is revolution IL was formerly
the daughter and sister OF the family who wanted
an education and found that IL was denied her.
IL Is now often the son ana brother OF the
. family who does not care for an education and
therefore does not receive Il. To consider the
causes Of this condition would carry one too far
afed, for the causes. believe thoroughly in
ferwoven with the warp and wool OF American
society and its changes Of the last half century
But To consider Of the results which will be
projected from this great educational movement
into American life Is al practicable ana prac-
teal.
EDUCATION AS KNOWLEDGE.
zone result OF the education OF an increasing
number OF women Is evidently 20 create body OF
women superior the women OF the past and 10
the OF the present. Education coes many
10 do. il fails 10 do many things for the COM
munity which II is supposed TO DO Education as
knowledge is OF slight consequence What may be
called the encyclopaedia idea OF education has
fallen, and fallen. Il is 10 be hoped, 10 rise.
To call man "a walking cyclopRdia' is 90 demean
him. The library is the place for cyclopsdia and
not the skull or the ankle bones. But education
reasoning, sense OF relationship, the power
OF weighing evidence, or appreciation, is OF the
greatest worth. The woman who can Judge, COM
pare assess each fact and truth al a proper value
is educated. The woman OF such a power IS
perior, and helps 20 make the members OF her
and OF the whole community superior From
this condition OF superiority. which results from
education, also must follow a very definite and
serious domestic consequence. IL will cause a
transfer OF the head OF the home from the husband
and father 10 the wife and mother. / have never
found myself I'm intellectual emotional sympathy
with those who claim that the man Is the natural
head of the home But I doubt not most folks
would say that is the natural head OF the
home. But. whether the majority or the minority
IL sound in its construction II clear that giving
10 women education and failing 20 give 20 men
edneation must tend 10 make the wife a wiser
Judge for all deberation and decision and a
stronger administrator Her personality becomes a
more gracious presence her relationship takes on
a wider vision, her services touch a broader hori-
ron. her commands and her suggestions are touched
with sweeter reasonabeness, which ere more
reasonable as well as sweeter. II man. ernbodytng
physical foroe was regarded as the head of the
home, woman, embOdytng superior Intellectual
force may now graciously and justly assume the
leadership.
ITS RELATION TO MARRIAGE.
A third result OF the education of a lar,s- num-
oef OK girls touches in contradictory sense llpon
'ae result which i have just considered Fewe,
women wish 10 be narrisd under the oons,,,ors :,