The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1908-04-16
MERE MANS LAMENT.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
A dirge of masculine mourning is
sounding throughout the land, not only
the common man, prone to see the
characters rather than the plot of the
play, but also the professor in the col
lege, all of us who ought to view with
purely academic eye the march of all
events, is stirred to the bottom of his
soul
Half century ago it was worth
while to be man. Then a husband
might collect a wife 3 credits, includ-
ing her wages; he could forbid her
to make will that did not suit him,
and could lock her up if she misbe-
haved. 1t was disputed by few cap
tious persons whether he could beat
her, out in 1866 the supreme court of
North Carolina decided that he could.
provided that he used a stick as large
as his finger, but no longer than his
thumb.
Now that is all changed. Some lazy
forefather in his halcyon DAYS, sending
his wife out to work while he stayed
at home and read the newspapers has
caused this to come to all mankind.
Seizing as the gift forth effi ,.:tao
Selling as q gift from the Gods, wo-
man has stuck to it and 1t now taking
man's place. Look at all the trouble
that woman is thus causing us. We
are beginning to wish them again back
safely with their fathers anu mothers,
and husbands and children.
But woman is not going back If the
president of the Bryn Mawr is to be
believed.
The head of an important institu-
tion for woman's higher education has
recently delivered herself in this dis
heartening manner: 1--WE are now
living in the miast of, and, | believe,
On the whole, benificent social changes
which herald the coming economic in
dependence of woman. Everything
seems to indicate that women will
make their way into all except few
of the trades and professions. but they
will be compelled by some economic
condition beyond their control to stay
in them after marriage. Already in
teaching, nursing, literary work, type
writing, bookkeeping, telephoning and
telegraphing they are steadily taking
possession and driving the men out be-
fore them
Against such a clarion call to bat
tie how weak sounds the answering
notes of the college champion. The
most that Professor Elliot of Harvard
can say for us is to say "The higher
education should fit women for the
single operation of bearing and rear
ing children, and it is the most intel
lectual occupation in the world.
Appuye. Appuye. as they would say
at meeting of the French Benovo-
lent society, how is 1t going to help If
women do not take the hint and con-
fine herself to the most intellectual
occupations And Professor William
James, eminent sological professor,
tamely observes: "The purpose of the
higher education of women is to give
them the power of judging men A
college graduate should be able to
Judge human nature. 80 As if
women did mt Judge men, anyway
whether she is q college graduate or
has only bachelor maids degree at
typewriting.
Professor Edward A. Ross Of the
University Of Wisconsin does better.
If the women believe what he says
all may not yet be lost. The professor
knows women, it seems. The vanity
which happily pervades the sex is the
point at which he aims his arrow of
attack. As the rugged soldiers of Cac-
sar were instructed to strike at the
faces of the young Apollos of Pompey,
who would yield their lives but not
their beauty, so the Professor comes
full at women in his vulnerable way.
He warns her that her charms are in
danger.
Scanning the future with Prophetic
eye, Professor Ross sees a great i'm
pending change in large proportion
If the female population One
third of the women between the ages
of Is and Is years he says, Are en-
gagged in industrial occupations, and
as result, he says "there will be n
reversion to the type Of masculine wo-
men, squat, flat chested, broad back
ed, low -browed creatures working in
the fields and factories side by side
with the men, the burdens Of wifehood
cident to the days work.
That's something like. ian woman
contemplate and still continue to take
man s work away from hims Will it
not be back to the cradle for hersf
However, it has to be admitted, that
the Professor it not happy in his com.
parison. The rosy checked peasant
women of some part of Europe and the
not noticeably low-browed creatures OF
American take from the force of the
argument. But the Professor means
well, and that 3 something.