New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-23
HER SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
Why Women in Certain Lines Are More
Backward Than Men

opposing
declares that by reason OF biological laws woman
is not and never be the equal OF man. the
other with q conviction OF injustice insists that
II is due 10 mans brutality IN the past that wo-
mans position is to-day inferior to his As
matter OF course. there is a medium ground,
which Il can be ascertained why women in certain
lines OF development are more backward than
men to-day"
In these words the Rev. Anna Shaw the new
president OF the National Suffrage Association.
began the first OF series Of four lectures before
the Brooklyn Institute last week Her general
subject is Changing Ideals Of Woman's Position
in the Industrial. Social. Educational and Civic
World; and the theme OF the first lecture was
Woman a. a Factor in Social Development
Mrs Franklin ". Hooper introduced the speaker.
taking occasion to criticise distinguished Ger
man professor in American university who
devoted chapter IN a recent book to deporng
the "overeducation Of American women"
Some Of smiled In reading that said Mrs.
Hooper. for ourselves had worked for years
TO gain better educational facilities for women.
and we knew American women had lost none OF
their womanIiness through education. 1t gives me
pleasure 20 introduce 70 you woman who Is her
self distinguished member OF learned profess
sion: who has secured for women many 81 the
privileges which they enjoy"
IN primitive eras." began Miss Shaw. "the whole
Industrial service OF the world rendered by
women; the whole protective service by man
Woman rendered the Industrial service because she
the natural caretaker OF the children. and. in
consequence OF the nome Man was tne protector
because his physique made him the natural fighter.
lis superiority came not because ne was male, but
because his function was OF greater value 70 the
tribe No matter how many women there were IN
the tribe It in danger unless there were war
rtors enough 60 protect It The loss OF twenty Wo-
men would not equal the loss Of warrior. II all
the women IN the tribe were lost the warriors
| could steal enough women from another tribe 10
| furnish wife and caretaker for each man.
Primitive man has been called brute because
he MADE woman beast Of burden It is true. she
was a beast Of burden and she IS to-day In every
unciviIized race But this was only natural when
every tree concealed an enemy. when the woman.
| hampered BY her young. was I'm danger from every
| stranger and from wild beasts
WHEN MEN DID NOT WORK.
In the enormous period that elapsed while these
conditions prevailed this habit Of not working be-
| came fxed IN man. II became a secondary sex at
! tribute Man became the lazy sex Only civilized
! man works. and the degree Of his civilization is
/ marked by whether he supports the woman or
makes the woman support him. As the necessity
for his hunting and making war passed by and left
! him too proud and too lazy 20 work. there IS n
period IN his history when he presents piutul hs-
! ure We have seen. almost under our own eyes
! such a transition period IN the American Indian
/ At the first there was only one basis which
! primitive man chose his mate-Jhat OF strong.
/ healthy physique able 20 bear burdens and per
! form labor. But the family developed Gor The
! family was the unit OF society II developed on a
religious basis and just soon as tho religious ee-
! ment entered into life woman was lifted one step.
! She became not only the laborer. but the keeper
Of the sacred FIRE on the family altar
Yet hers again the masculine function IN religion
/ rendered the man enormously more important q
ne iatiliIy re ~oIsl-4p ~ H., 49, -
iy goes. was foT long peTiods Ie ilost ~ ,
/ 10 her husbands home. and worshipped his family
s9 s e' to 6 keeS Ss se s s sy and worship 4
/ his ancestors. And so the head o. every family
! absolute power Of life and death over every VIE
o9 sa Is ToIa we vers h9dreds Of years old
| the head Of the family had the power Of lie and
The lie Of woman remained on a very low
plane until TIE human race began 10 live in cities.
gods that all could worship. Otherwise the family
gods we're ell az war and there was no pGHg ,S a.
OF the city. woman began 20 ECU M he fsr5iiv
| altar. And Immediately women were Itiea 20
! now employed IN the temples Of tie gods. ana me-.
held them IN higher Tesaaa oHT 80 S coreetion 81
greater and greater gods,gods eyerywhefe IN NJ, nc
gods women, and called them 6y women'S names i
And from merely isnd9s IT,, the a ssa T TSeT became
priestesses 50 woman teveioPed as soci 49, IA a
BASIS Of brute force and other things became i'm
| portant besides hgnting.
! CHRISTIANITY AND WOMEN.
As the old city life decsyed end degenerated
/ and the old gods lost their power. there cama
new power into the world the power OF Christian
/ itv With the breaking down Of the OLD. stern
! rigid family IDEAL woman found a new opportunity
| The greatest stride she had ever made was when
her husband lost the power OF life and death over
! her And with the message OF the new religion. IN
/ which bond and free male and female 1hiid ana
adult to be equal she saw the door o. rev
| the new Master His word was the word OF nope
For the FIRST two hundred years Of the early
| Church woman enjoyed freeGon anu anu Jss 80
alton had never known before. ana w 49,, IT,
TO know FOR many long century 9 9bgTcb Then
/ came that old semi-pagan Iertuuan Anu &c.
20 20 eT nsTanisrn in all the history OF the world
1 had IL been held that woman as woman Was
INN. .rssrtyIlian taught that all the woes OF the
| world had come through Eve That because OF
~ SroI1s1 sbould walk with their eyes cast down
not presuming TO look At men. OF 'lg ris EoT
/ 80 at .trre women were ashamed OF being
/ women. They had never been ashamed OF " j"
he Shell Of dogma closed around the spirit
Of the early Churfh, "A hsS Sumsn deal Of Chris
/ t;a5,tv but the ideal OF the Virgtn-eeautIul'
ssintiy but not human. Marriage. which Chris
| .Ssnityy' mad made a sacrament, was degraded 70
an evi thing. And Il came about that me s Ui.g
s snd gave herself to the service OF the church
believe nothing conributea more 35I 10 EoIsII
| hood. this placing marriage IN the hght OF
"Tinailv came the renaissance renaissance IN
Toysrnunent IN intellect. in religion And men ana
SomBan,ons believe it was not til the sixteenth
century that women ,b rea-y PiSht To life ana
ali IL AFFORDED. a right to development because
they human SIS Wei as woineq ,i ION ,sesi
/ OF Tomanhood From that day men have chosen sen
| rns-riess been a matter OF barter and sale
STILL SOLD IN MARRIAGE
81 ,-v that women are stiu sold In the marriage
market and other things are bought there. ana
Families are founded on that basis But these are
! .ToeDt,ous and held to be degrading spectacles
| by the mass OF mankind
a