The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-05

honor 10 deliver ihe Com men cement address
before thu Literary Societies ana stuoen.s y, "
Er.kine College in that old ball which is
now no more, but which. although b II bad ID
The march Of events TO give place 10 this
more spacious and stately auditorium, II
fondIy remembered by many OF tne sons oi
Erskine College and the dauehters OF we
Due West Female College. Many time
while my home was in Abbeville did 81
tend the Commencement exercises o1 these
two colleges. and many are the pleasanI
Sad, too, are those memories when / think
OF those distinguished men whom ! 30 9i.ep
saw on the old rosirum. your Iatners'
where are they?" Grier. Pressly, bonner
others whose names come thropging In our
memory, alas!
"All, all are gone, the old familiar faces"
Bot how beautiful and enduring is the
monument which those men have punt - %
keep their memory green-these twin COL
leges which have made Due West famous
and which Ike two perennial fountains,
continue to send forth the clear, me giu1og os
these colleges live and flourish. My deep In
tereet in their welfare, apd the mary nguIes
of the past which they recall made IT lnpot-
sible for me to decline the honor OF msaIDs snos
which was conferred on me with nposnal
grace and courtesy by the commlttee OF
young lsdies and your learned Presloent.
endeaVor 10 perform.
- THE NEW WOMAN.
America wss discovered by Christopher
Columbus in 1882. In the beginning OF the
docirinaire, diteovered-Womap. For thou
sands of years before Columbus, clVllized
mankind bad known what ts DOW called Inc
Old World, end It called this Western hem, D.,
years before last century mankind had oeen
acquainted with helpmate, who as
"Motber. daughter, wife.
Snewed with fresh flowers the
Narrow way OF life."
But 1t WIS left tc the wiseacres of the
nineteenth century to discover the New Wo-
mana femsle with rights, with a sphere,
with mission concerning whom men ana
women write and talk al iargt-aoout eman'
cipatiop OF woman subsection OF woman;
the higher education oil woman woman's
rights womap's suffrage; and we hear. TOO,
OF Woman's Congresses. snd Female SUI
frage Conventions, and the like. And PAM
phiets and paper and books thereon are A.
plentiful as pinestraw and, alack as dry.
Has the New Woman been recognized sno
established in her proper place? Uullke
the New World, there would seem to bs still
not little terra incognla about her. 10 tpe
majority OF nankiGd sne is as Gsd nisie Ano%H s%n
doubt her existence, her own sex, IN mosl
Instances, repudisting her-mapy ridicullng
her as q mere woman OF straw.
Her discoverers come forth as her champi-
ops and announce that she is mans equal in
all respects, and fitted TO cope Win hlm 10
the battle Of life, and entitled TO Tree trade
with him In all the work, avocalions, and
Her de,Iactors meet them boldly and offer
to prove that she Is mentally mans inferior
as she is In physical strength; that nef
brain Is by some ounces lighter 'asp sih 9m hsi
lord and her MASTER" because In the wise
plan OF Providence,
"It was not intended that she should be
looking
Beyond her four walls, and her babies and
cooking"
THAT one truism says 1t ALL" quoth one
doughty disbeliever IN the New Woman-
.that women are msde and meant 10 be, not
m en-, but mothers OF men. A noble mother, a
noble wife-are not these The designations in
which we find the highest ideal OF noble
woman hood? Woman was formed TO be
mans helmste. not his rival; heart' mol
head; eustalner, not leader
Ano at this point II Is customary 10 quote
from Milton his fine antithetlcal description
Of Adam and Eve:
"For contemplation he. and valour formed
For softpess she, and sweet attractive
He for God only, She for God in him,
His large lair front and eyes sublime de-
clared
Absolute rule"
And then the roet tells how Ewes very
physique
"Implied
Subjectiop, but required with gentle sway
Anu by her yielded, by him best received,
Yielded with coy submission, modest pride.
md sweet, reluctant, amorous de!ay.S
For IL is usual to regard Milton as great
as q man, not only a. the author OF Paradise
Lost, but as the much experienced HUSBAND
OF three wives.
And thus the wordy war goes on, until
yomsn;s sphere is made fat by frequent
handling and woman's rights hid fair 10 be
accounted by her own sex as wrongs Anc
still as a woman-doctor, woman law! er, wo,
man. preach Tarlsslma sVls. II "ouo
seem thatifa woman be slave, as John STU
art Mill tried 10 prove, the dear creature mugs
her chains and will have none OF your emap
cipation. She will have nothing 10 90 VIII
this New Woman.
Then, why discuss hel? For truly. hel
time is not yet. When that time does come
when woman Is willing and eager and deter
nmee,e inee 20 WITH man In ali The Calm gs Of lie
mans opposition will be futile.
"Where il the man who has the power ane
To stem the torrent of woman's will?
For II she will, she will, you may depend on
Anu III eDc WOh tb.ohS WSa =, oS tASAS o ~A Wv
ont"
After all, is It not the simple truth tha
there Is no New Woman any more than there
As Nep South? Human nature 10 the sam'
now as IL always was, and wonan's nature
has undergone no change. The term Is
mere catch word. There Is no New Man, apt
there is DO New Woman. Mankind Is max
ing progress apd woman as well as man II
sharing in that progress and advancement
only That and nothing more.
Let us then on this occasion eschew th
thraadbare theme and leave the last phase o
tbe irrepressible conflict TO be settled be
tween Glover Cleveland and the Federation
OF Womsns Clubs,
HtGaRR EDUCATION OF WOMAN.
But" says some one. shave you noihin
to say in behalf of the higher education Q
woman? 2" Assuredly have While decliD
ing TO take part In The vain debate ABOUT IN
difference in the mental capacity OF men an
womep-whether men be logical and Wome
emotional-whether men be governed oy rea
son, woman guided by iptuition-question
the discussion Of which Ia as prohtles
as twisting ropes Of sand-I gladly tax
nv stand side by side with the advocates {
the education Of woman. For believe tina
! Heaven has been as bountiful in gifts to VIC
man as to man In all that pertains to tn
! mind and the brain. And rejoice TO se
how marvellous has been the progress mad