The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-14
Does Woman Know Too Much?

Harper's Weekly: In the North Aneri~
can Review for July. Miss Margaret Bis
land discusses the falling off of the birth
rate among native Americans, and at
tributes it ito nothing more or less than
the overeducation and abnormal public
activities so ardently encouraged among
our women since the close of the civil
war" In the bible story of the fall and
the curse of Eve, she finds an allegorical
record Of a primeval experience Of man.
kind which resulted in the conclusion
that in women too much knowledge of
good and evil-too much mental cultiva-
ton and active participation in general
affairs-was inevitably prejudiced to
child-bearing, and that unless women's
energies were restricted to the domestic
side of life, the race would run out, In
the early lays of the Roman republic the
Roman woman as mistress of her house
hold held a place very like that occupied
by the wives of our pioneers. She found
complete occupation at home and was
highly successful as the mother OF strong
men. In Rone's later days with the
emancipation of the Roman ladies from
domestic labors and their participation in
politics., came celibacy, childlessness, d.
Vorce. the degeneration of the Roman
race, the dinlinution of the old Latin
stock, and the maintenance of the popu-
lation by Immigrant ~barbarians. When
the empire fell there came a blight upon
civilization mot milk that which ages
before drove the man and woman out of
Eden. Evelike the woman of Europe re-
sumed her task of bringing forth chill
dren; her desire was to her husband, and
he ruled over her."
Through the conservation of the wom-
en-. Miss Bisland thinks, Europe has
achieved her true destiny: for lack of
that very p~recaution We of the United
States bid fair to dare the fate that over
whelmed the equally ambitious Roman"
False energies, it seems, and, abnormal
ambitions possess the Americanized won-
an. But 1t isn't her fault. AS long as
she found honorable, independent. profit
able employment at home she STAYED
there content, and her ambitions were
realized in her children. But when 1.-The
greedy current Of commercialism tore out
or her hands all home employment. she
followed her task to the mills and fac
tories Forced to get her living outside
her nome, she has reached naturally for
whatever laws, privileges, training and
education would help her. Men, fnding
feminine labor chear ral.I efficient, have
been glad to train it. But 1t has all hurt
family life. Fewer children are born to q
marriage, and divorces have increased
until now In the western reserve of Ohio
there Is one to every eleven marriages.
A~SNt SA1S ALL Is uOI
new incentives to education. or new
spheres of public activity for our women.
but r~e-elevation of the motherhood ideal,
otherwise out Of this western Eden we
snail go, because Eve, as before. has
eaten too freely Of the tree of knowledge.
1t Is easy to say that the North Ameri-
cans contributor has not told the whole
story; 1T is easy to Point out exceptjons
10 the general rules she offers, and her
view that overeducation Is a chief cause
OF race decline is denied by some excal.
lent authorities. But there is plenty of
acknowledged truth in what she saws.
ana she has put it impressively. What
are we going to do about 1t? Close tha
college for girls? Put hobbies on the
higher education Of women? Separate
the typewriter from Its mistress? Pro-
h1o1t the employment of girls and women
IN factories! NO, none Of these expedi-
ents are practicable. If all the people
VINO want children and cannot have than
could be suddenly supplied, much Of our
reproach would for the time being be
taken away, but that is not practicsbla
either. Legislation, fines, rewards. taxa-
ton or celibates-all these expedients
would be of trifling effect. The strongest
direct artificial force that works in this
country for the multiplication of off,
spring seems to be the Roman Catholic
cnurch. NO other artificial force, not
even president Roosevelt, makes mora
than a temporary showing, The condi-
tons OF living have checked the Increase
OF population among our native-born ctti-
zens, and II anything ever starts this
birth rate upwards again some change In
the conditions of living is likely to be
at the bottom of it. Meanwhile the treat
ment by exhortat!on and persuasion ts
the only one practicable.