The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-08
P resent Day Evolution
Demands No New Right

| day evolution should be known as thu
new woman's movement This new
| woman is supposed to be a gaudy.
| butterfly creature bursting out from
| tho wallis of her chrysalis and inau-
| gurating n doubtful departure, an un.
| sound creed that destroys her power
for usefulness in her former sphere
| of being and marks her invasion Of
] the province of man, superior hui.
man entity who--nappily for hints
| Chased as sphereless.
The new woman--only she cannot
| be properly called so--has certainly
arrived and is undoubtedly making her
presence felt. But is the doctrine she
advocates different in any way from
that which women have always
preached? Have not American women
always stood side by side with men
in every period of this country's his
tory, and taken equal part in the dam
gers and responsibilities OF those pes
RODS?
Helped to Found the Nation.
Certainly in the founding of the
American nation women proved them
selves to be important factors. Aftet
men had flown at each others throats
and wrangled for supremacy at James
town until the pioneer colonization
scheme was on the verge of failure.
the help of the feminlne--not the
weiker-sex interviewed and brought
order out of chaos. The Jamestown
brawlers. who had been in the NUM-
Der OF those claiming the right to eat
without work, whose swagger not
even tho savage wilds OF a newly dis
covered country had been able to sub
due, were speedily set to rights by
being transformed into benedicts and
householders. Their good wives struck
the pace in thrift and management and
REQUIRED these hitherto recreant colon
lists to live UP to 1t. From being
nightly frequenters of taverns, they
they were busted in the raising and
curing of tobacco, the planting and
harvesting of corn, on their grants OF
land along flames River, and In Its
vicinity. Even then, however. they
were held to steady work by the WOO
men of their households After the
earliest colonial years the supervision
of the fields 1t Is true. came under tho
superint endence of the man. But other
manifold industries, the apportton-
ment OF tasks to maid-servants the
weaving, spinning and sewing, all the
varied machinery by which large
plantation was regulated. fell to the
women's share and was quite as I'M
nortant as the out-of-door occupations.
Interested in Politics.
The women Of the American colonies
and of the Revolutionary period Were
not only active sharers In the work
which men did, but they had an intel
1igent comprehension of early Ameri-
can notifies and were lively partict-
majors In the political contests ana
discussions of their day. IT mas neeh
said time and again. that Lady FRANCES
Berkeley could sway the imperlous
viii of her tyrannical husband, ana
that she was the real player VINO aic-
tated his moves in the game OF poacy
dealt out by him in Virginia. 1t is a
known fact that Nathaniel Bacon .
Young wife WAS alienated from her
lord by his pursuing political course
a, variance with her ideas OF ioyaily
and duty. He was finally defeated, NOT
"a much by the men in league against
him. as by the white apron brigade
whose ire was aroused when he moVea
on jamestown under Its cover
A century later found the women OF
America as staunch rebels assAli i
English rule, as Were American men.
In the long years of conflict between
the Continental and the British armies
II history has not failed to do justice TO
some Of the women who Were heroines
worthy Of mention. The histories OF
others were written perhaps. only IN
tho memories of those for whom such
women wrought and prayed sinking
nil thought of self in love of countr"
ond The nassionate desire to uphold
~
that country's rights.
New Social and PolIticn' Era
The adoption of the ConstitutioR ana
the administration or WasHihss on a.. 90
president ushered in new era OF
American social and political Ire. GER
tain1v the politico-social atmosphere
- of the presidential administrators IN
New york, philadelphia, and aleer-
ward in Washington was sehslnis -,
factaa nv the agency of tho wives Oh
y 40 president and his Cabinet ofhcers'
ana nv many other less noticeanle hs
M ives who filed homes in the diHeteh.
en- states Represented at the centres =.
lor governmental influence. IN VI $50 Luz,
~ and Richmond one reaas o. 49,
~. who were directly concerned IN De ,nt..
~ cratic rallies and Wing muster Gays.
10 Tb.se women were said to be greatly
avc}ted over the presidential cam
-, naien of 1910. and SO pleased at a''
- address made to them by ioanieil ~ ~
"a SER In October of that year "tie'ts
u tba rreat orator was in Rlchmonu'
tba+ +hey ordered his speech 10 De
au' nrinted on satin and kept as q souvenir
ed OF the occasion.
During Confedernsc War.
Where were the descendants OF cary
OIL ,,netaenth century women during, the
-. Confederate War? Having sent their
~. rathers. husbands and brothers TO the
'e1 front as soldiers, they took up the
work. OF the men at home. They man.
7sl aged the planting and the Ietspi,is -
.ls the army might be fed. They KNITTED
' ~, and wove and spun that 1t might 20
~ clothed They went unnurmuringN
me o , -, orts ~ nriyations be-
the tnrous., -, a,.a ,irsnired nv courage
md cause .nes ,a,a,a and transcendent
md po!h y .1,a,r ratiye country. What
have they not accomplished since the
OK, Confederate War in the upbuilding OIL
ght Nv. Nv $50 anew in the education of
aus - ,s,,s !, ava in the training OF
ess men 10 erect a political structure Tor
az the future on a surer. SAFER io.'haa -
eA- ton than in the past?
The change distinguishing me We
ur- t ia - merely a change of attitude.
ne, not Of opinion Women think and Zee,
sed now as they have always thought anu
I q felt. But like Mary OF old they for-
err merly carried what they thought ~
ou htheir hearts. Now they give sNpl l,ss