Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-20
But for Her Influence the Human
Races Progress Would
Suffer Greatly.

ON consulting a c~yclopedia recently
~ I was quite surprised to find no
reference at all to the subject of prog
ress. Analytical explanations were
made of ''mummifed" subjects and
~personages that were no more useful
than an obliterated inscription on a
tombstone in a forgotten graveyard.
Yet how indispensable is progress and
how inevitable.
1t seems somewhat restrictive to
aseribe a path" to that which moves
In every direction at the same time, but
it Is inimical to clear thinking to try
to grasp any subject from all stand
points all at once, especially a subject
so plainly related to everything as
progress. 1t Is maintained that If we
were born with a faculty that continued
without change throughout life we
would not be conscious of 1T. From
this 1t seems reasonable to suppose
that some people were born under a
high state of progress, or without the
faculty to perceive any change In their
environments.
Progress is generally defined as a
movement in the direction of higher or
better ideals. While not denying this,
would like to escape the obligation OF
explaining what causes such move
ment. l leave that to the dogmatist,
who usually entertains us with his far
seeing discernment while we try to put
some practical conception into effect.
There are many ideals in life, but l
think we can thank woman for the
realization of those that were useful
and beneficial. If we may not ascribe
to her q record for mechanical inven-
ton and Industrial "captainship," we
cannot deny the influence she has
exerted in these relations. And the best
efforts of man that do not tend to con-
tribute to the welfare Of woman and
carr her continued approval may be
considered no part of real progress.
The negative place of woman In prog
ress in many respects has been to her
credit, and If the meek are to inherit
the earth, she is justly entitled to be
the landlord of the human race. To
cite some of the things she has not
done, and which may be chargeable
exclusively to men, would entail an in
ventory of misdeeds which have hin
dered rather than accelerated progress.
She has never yielded to h desire for
possession to the point of excluding
completely any thoughts of justice and
compassion, nor has she adopted the
rule of business is business" for the
sake of gaining a r~eprehensible ad-
vantage. Notwithstanding a low and
cowardly discrimination against her in
regard to compensation rendered for
like services, she has withal maintained
a higher social standing and a more
respectable appearance than her mas
nomical and has a better estimate of
the worth of things than man.
1t may be asked that If the hand
that rocks the cradl rules the world"
was the hand of woman, why the world
Is not better ruled. My answer to this
would be that but for her nand 1t would
be, ruled unspeakably worse. The rea
son why it is ruled as poorly as 1t
is Is due to the fact that men leave the
world, they acquire a wisdom of
their own and cheerfully substitute ex-
p~loitation for education. 1t Is here that
the rule of motherhood loses its sway.
In the heat of enthusiasm over the
prospect of the acquisition of wealth
or power, or qualification of vanity, the
then ruling thought Is. What Is there
in it?" What will I get out of it?"
"Will it pay?" And the 1T has no
regard for man or woman. 1t Is for
tunate that we have this impersonal