Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-10-24

problem again, Hut. really. to discus,
tha1 roflnid;blc topic adequately one
would have TO go back To that blessed
ola paleoiithic age OF oul most prehis-
;cric ancestors.
starting with the irst blow from an
lhiuiiated pal",ii;h of a husband. wom-
m has been degraded to a position but
ih'le removed from that of u slave. She
mas peen Wooed, of course. and adoring
verses have been sung in her honor.
i'di her Status has been clearly defined
as one IN which there was no ~ouuaIitv,
or nope OF equality. with her lord and
master h was distinctly told until,
Wlthin Il quarter of Il century ago.t thar
'here VAS no path open for her in thu
world except the path of marriage. And
ilef marriage. how often 1t Was the
worst ANA of slavery from Which there
WAS no avenue of escape!
ANA. 10 make il worse. i'm many
countries. until quite recently. woman
was not even the mistress Of her CIV.
choice in marriage. She was treated
merely rs the irresponsible party to .
contract in which the PRINCIPALS dis.
posed OF her. and Of an her flIture lile
ana happiness. as thry would some BIZ
of feal estate or household property.
She MAS taught that 40 labo, ey-
eept 'ts Labor allotted ny an oftentines
1'utai husband. was honorable for her
~, only heaven opened to her am.
fH'E' Nf'H ~ ~ iDA4lA! IN IlfH 2tIfttT1
tlpn OF bis Wiims. in the indulgence
Of bis faneies. the patient endurance
OF MS N1Giirirs and possible insults
IN this country the movement
toward emancipation has come soone,
IMAM IN England. and possibly woman
mas progressed |inltiler along The lines
81 hef new destiny than she ha.
there.
II is an extraordinary change.
really. when one thinks of the sh9rf
tiint IN which the enslivement of ie-
nor'ncc Of centuries has beea practi-
callN reversed. Doubtless, it was start
ra bN The FIRST womcn in this country.
VINO gave practical proof that they
were capahlc OF entering successfully
upon mans field of work.
oddiN enough. this Intellectual and
etil'al advance of woman has been ac-
,oinpaiiied by a phenomenal physicaI
Improvement Before the Gibson girl
appeared In this country. or the Greek
types OF Du Laurie appeared in Eng.
Land, the physical development OF
women WAS distinctly lover in both
countries than it is today. I'm, tn.
work oi these two artists seemed To act
IKE a spur To the sex which they ideal.
lzed 50 successfully. Like u miracle al
most the pale. hin. stopping. Iow-stat-
Ircd creatures Of the old poets dreams
ana the ~three-voluined novolists' ran
lures grew suddenly into tan. erect. ro-
Dust women. with eyes alert and in
tslliscnt. hair brushed back in wayes
aboN" the forehead The woman in fact
That one meets o. almost every block
OF q city street. and who impresses one
nj u glance with her beauty. her intellt-
Sehee. her sclf-reliance and strength OF
character.
And the result of all this advance.
physical. mental. moral? Woman has
oeeli. ana is. losing many Of her .ador-
itbie weaknesses: she has been acuuir-
ing some of the strength aud virtues
81 masculinity: she has entered the field
OF man ) activities. and by her triumphs
III that field has shown that marriage
need not be the one Inevitable goal of
her ambition. She has. therefore he
come less woinanly? Is she less cas
pablo as q wife and u mother than sha
vas IN those sacred paleolithic days %
her subju2atiou?
FranEly j All an out-and-out optim-
list IN this as in everything else that
has to do with the evolution of nam
kind. ] believe with all my heart thai.
as Il whole, humanity follows the path
of progress. because that Is the line
of least resistance. and that the good
old days are not half so good az the
good new davs.'