The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29

ism of the "woman's rights women of
that day. Indeed, nothing short of the
same divine faith which supported
Daniel could have inspired the pioneers
who "blazed the way" for the women
who were to come after them. Women
of sensitive natures preferred to endure
the thralldom of limited freedom rath-
er than face the contumely which was
the certain fate of her who diverged
from the beaten path bounding the
sphere" of women. But heroines con-
tinued to do battle with the pSejudices
of mankind, until the boundaries of
woman's sphere can no longer be To-
Gated
The great world has recovered from
it's shock and now looks upon the
woman movement" with comparative
resignation. 1t has no more persecu-
ton, no more mud throwing" to
offer, and its delicate feelings are no
longer disturbed when a respectable,
sane woman does something no woman
has done before. 1t is because of these
happy changes in public opinion that
the further extension of "woman's
sphere" in the next half century will
contain no sensational features. Not
an advance step wilh be made which
will not be greeted by a practically
unanmous-"Of course, that is as it
should be-"
Fifty years hence women will be
much more important factors in the
business world than they are to-day.
1t matters not at all whether men and
women of our day think women should
engage more largely in business or
not. Women will become important
factors in business in response to in
fluences quite independent of public
opinion. The ancient custom of be-
queathing the bulk of the family for
tune to the eldest son has been grad
ually but surely supplanted by the
practice of share and share alike.
Since women have been permitted to
receive and care for their own property,
girls, like boys. receive by WILL as we'll
as by law, an equal share in the fam
lily estate. 1t will be readily seen that
if the Unuited States produces an equal
number of boys and girls the wealth
of any generation will, through inher-
itance, he held equally by the men and
women of the next.
1t is within the memory of those now
living that women were permitted to
control their own property. When this
privilege was extended to them it was
quite natural that, in response to the
restraining influences of public opinion
they should have been content merely
to hold that which came to them, with
out effort to increase it, The majority
either exchanged their Inheritance for
a home or placed it in investments
which returned a sure interest. In this
conservative fashion the half of the ma
tons wealth which came through in
heritence to women has been held as a
silent and uncounted factor in the bus
mess world. Meantime, for a genera
ton. the rate of interest has been
gradually shrinking until money in
passive investments yields but little.
Fifty years ago a hundred thousand
dollars was considered a handsome for
tune, and an income OF ten thousand
dollars could easily be earned from it
through investments in mortgages and
stocks. Now the same principal would
scarcely guarantee a $4,000 income. 1t
is no longer possible for the women to
invest modest patrimony and secure
satisfactory returns. Her necessity
drives her to the consideration of bust
ness ventures which promise to net her
a larger per cent. In the meantime the
withdrawal of public condemnation has
rendered women more self-reliant. more
ambitious and venturesome and they
are less afraid TO risk their money
These two factors will lead women
more and more into the business
world.
There the same Survival OF the fit-
test which controls the competition OF
men will operate in the competition OF
men and women. In that struggle there
will be victories and there win be de-
feats fer women as there have been for
men: but utterly regardless OF what the
world thinks, necessity win drive wo-
men In increasing numbers to make
business ventures.
There may be some curious results,