Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-03
TAFT TELLS GIRLS
EDUCATION DOES NOT
LESSEN THEIR CHARM
1t Is Not Essential That a Woa
man Who Knows Much Be
a BIueStOCking. Declares the
President in Bryn MaWr Ad-
dress
DOES NOT UNFIT HER
AS WIFE AND MOTHER

! PHILADELPHIA, June president
Taft, in his address to the graduates OF
Bryn Mawr college today on "Woman's
College Education" spoke in part as
follows:
young ladies' Of the graduating class:
Your able and distinguished president
has asked me at this commencement II
say something in response to the higher
education of women. 1t is, of course,
theme most relevant and germane to
the occasion, but it is one of which 1
hesitate to speak in the presence OF those
! who have made ii their life study, and
whose opinions in regard to the mat
ter are Of so much more real weight
than my own.
/ The marvellous progress in material
and other ways made by the world In
-. the nineteenth century is only less won
derful than the ease and rapidity with
which We forget the steps In the pro-
gress. the difficulties in it's attainment
and the conditions that exist prior I'd
its coming"
! The president reviewed the advances
made in educational advantages Tor both
sexes since 1900, and said:
Il dissent from the view that an aca~-
demic education units a man or woman
for business. 1t may be that the tastes
| that lead one to an academic education
are not those which insure business sue
cess; but that the mental
power OF reasoning, the cultivation ana
| comparison Of ideas are not OF assist
ance in business transactions in which
the highest quality of the mind are
he liz he TVTT0
| MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD
But 1t is said that women are not all
going into the professions and lsG that
| the education necessary as a basis Tor
a professional career is not needed by
those women who have a competency or
who look forward to marriage and moth
erhood as the chief end Of woman.
| 1T is even suggested that highef~edu-
! cation of women rather UNITS them TO
| discharge the. duties of a wife and
mother; that, in some way or other 1t
| robs them of a charm and gives them
an intellectual independence that is IN
consistent with their being best wives
and mothers. utterly dissent from THIS
view.
wOMAN'S CHIEF CHARM.
THE cosnpqanionship of married life
Is the chief charm and reason for its
| being so far as ii relates to the two
persons concerned. the enjoyment or
the home, with children and the train
ing Of them, of course, are among the
most important duties and pleasures or
married life; and it certainly does not
detract from the power OF a woman to
make a good companion or to teacn and
train her children up to high ideals that
she should have the advantage or the
higher education. 1t is not essential
that a woman who knows much must
conform to the unattractive manner ana
WAYS of the conventional blue stocking;
that she should MAKE the extent OF her
knowledge a source of discomfort TO
those with VIII ON she associates, or that
she should lose her interest in the senti-
4 ment and emotions of life, or fail 10 nave
an appreciation of beauty and romance.
ct am quite ready TO concede that
marriage and motherhood are normal
status for woman. and other things be-
ing equal, she is happier In that condi-
ton than in any other. But this is far
from saying that a womans life is a
failure because she has not married and
! that her life may not be a failure be-
cause she has married..
zone of the great advantages OF the
higher education for woman, in my Judg-
ment, is in the independence 1T gives
her In the choce of the KIND of life
she is to lead"
Speaking of the salaries paid women
| teachers, he said:
l SALARIESE OF TEACHERS.
IT presume that the salaries are af-
fected by the law of supply and demand
and as there are more female teachers
than male teachers and as the common
opinion is In many institutions that
there ought to be some men teachers,
the men receive higher salaries.
4 I'VE cannot be blind TO the general
1 tendency in favor of opening more ana
more occupations not dependent on
physical strength to the female sex.
IT do not think we can estimate the
happiness that man or women, who, as
Husbands and wives, have enjoyed the
higher sense of companionship, that is
made possible by the intellectual SYM
pathy and association in ideas between
two thoroughly educated people.
THE higher education of woman
should be wholly without regard either
TO a professional or matrimonial future"
PLEASURES OF EDUCATION.
The president pointed out the in
creasing pleasures for trained mind in
purely intellectual pleasures after the
more active Joys of youth have passed.
The friends formed at a woman's col
lege like those at great mans univer-
sity, he said. coming during the time of
life when our natures are malleable."
are more enduring than friendships
formed thereafter; they bear the tooth
of time and the rust of absence"
There is one danger of a college ed
ucation," the president said, that it
seems wise &c warn against. Tt is the
danger of discomfort with the surround
ings OF the home TO which
a college girl goes back after
graduation, and the yielding to
the feeling that her own town or city
does not offer to her the opportunities
which she is entitled to. This is not the
right result Of the higher education. =
"A young lady with a higher educa-
ton has much to learn after graduation
in the homeless details and the druggery
Of ordinary life"
President Taft came to Bryn Mawr coli