The sun., 1908-01-12

II
ness and femaleness. DR.. Dsusmore holds
on scientific grounds that when We come
20 understand -heredity by sex" and COM
prehend that woman's present day weak
nesses and infirmities are the outcome OF
cramped environment ard cumulative
heredity we shall then see the inadequacy
/ OF all inductions derived from woman's
actual development as well as Of those
deductions based upon theories which have
for their foundation the present artificial
differences between the sexes and the pres
ent general inferiority Of women to men
physically and mentally. When one real
izes that woman has not had the oportuni-
ties and environment necessary to her free
development one sees clearly the futiity
] OF basing a generalization upon traits OF
character that are plainly the effects OF
unjust and unnatural surroundings and
thwarted powers
Wepass from the defensive to the AFFIRM
ative side Of DR.. Densmore's book. Evil
IDENTIFY the question OF sex equality must be
settled not by the man in the street nor
even by men Of letters and so-called phil
osophers, but by men OF science. Let us
hear what is said about it by scientists OF
high authority, Charles Darwin, Herbert
! Spencer and others. Darwin says in his
Descent of Man: with most animals the
greater size OF the adult male than OF the
female is due TO the stronger males having
conquered the weaker in their struggles
| for the possession Of the females, and no
doubt it is owing to this, fact that the two
sexes Of at least some animals differ in size
I NJ irth aNa in fh.A ha
writes; I'VE may calculate that the greater
size, strength, courage, pugnActy and
energy Of man, in comparison with woman.
were acquired during primeval times and
subsequently were augmented chiefly
through the contest OF rival males for the
possession Of the females" Darwin adds
that -the greater intellectual vigor and
power OF invention in man is due probably
TO natural selection. combined with the
inherited effect Of habit; for the most able
men will have succeeded best in defending
and providing for themselves and for their
wives and offspring" A proof that the
superior size and strength OF the males has
been caused by the survival OF the fittesA
in combs.s for the possession Of the females
is forthcoming in the fact that no such
differences occur among mOnogamic species.
Darwin states that amcng the animals that
are not polygamOus the sexes rarely differ
and il at all but very slightly. The common
wild pigeons furnish an illustration. These
birds mate in pairs and for life. Thereisno
struggle between males for the possession
Of the females and consequently no greater
physical development in the male; in a flock
Of thousands Of wild pigeons the males and
-.
ward appearance.
1t is undisputed that during savage and
barbario times women we're confined to
their habitations. their children and their
drudRery, while the men had leisure and
opportunity to'invent tools and implements
for hunting and for war. also to contrive
boats and to tame animals for use in trans
portatiOu. Our author points out that the
navigation OF boats necessitated a study
and eventually some empirical knowledge
of winds, weather, tides and waves.
Systematic observation Of the heavens
inevitably followed, and eventually from
these pursuits and from the diferentiations
which ensued there was evolved some knowI-
edge Of mechanics, physics and the rudi-
ments Of mathematics and astronomy
Logic and philosophy were further devel-
Opments along these lines. All this came
naturally to men as the consequences Of
their division Of labor, while the women,
hampered by confinement and drildgery
and suffering from overstraining and from
inadequate food, had no such opportunity.
Their daughters, by the laws Of environment
and heredity. came thus TO be necessarily
inferior 20 men, as a rule, in invention,
mechanics. mathematics and logic
DR.. Densmore shows, on the other hand
that the environment Of woman in savage
and barbaric times was we'll calculated to
develop the very characteristics which are
recognized as prominently feminine. De-
prived Of the conditions which tend TO
stimulate powers Of observation and in
ductive reasoning. women we're thrown
back on their intuitions and to-day il 10
universally admitted that women are far
more intuitive than men. A woman who
may be totally unable to give any reason
for the faith that is in her is quite as apt
10 hit the truth as the man who prides him.
self upon his reasoning powers. In the
second place, women. confined as they were
for ages TO their homes by their children
and their work. lived a life favorable to the
growth Of patience and the ability to endure
suffering. II is undisputed to-day that
women are more patient, longsunering and
accomplishing than men.
In the third place. it will be acknowledged
that in all ages women have had the care
Of infants. the aged and the helpless In
the very nature Of things such employ
ment would tend to the development Of ten
derness and tenderness is a distinctly
feminine trait. As war and strife cOarsen
those who engage in them, 30 do the quail
ties called out by the spectacle and relief Of
suffering refine. Refinement is to-day a
predominantly feminine characteristic. We
note. in the fourth place. that during untold
generations Of subsection women have
been obliged to compass their ends by
means more or less indirect. They have
found II advisable to make a show OF obe-
dience before their savage masters and
husbands, but they have found ways to
accomplish their ends by management and
craft. Hence tact and hnesse have become
preeminently feminine traits DR.. Dens-
more pOintsSout, what we have never seen
suggested before, that by the necessity
of adopting such methods Of attaining her
desires woman developed histrionic pow
ers. 80 that az actor she is commonly
acknowledged to be mans equal, II not
superior.
Finally as mother woman has through
all ages been accustomed TO entertain her
children with tales and stories Our author
is doubtless right in thinking that this age