Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-02
FOR HIGHER ONE FOR WOMEN
Dissents From View Is InConSlSt-
ent With Being Best Wives
And Mothers.
Not Essential That One Who Knows
Much should Become a Con-
yentional Biuestocking.

fhliadclpnld, June 2.-PreNdent tart
IN his address to the graduates OF
Bryn Mawr college today on woman's
college education. spoke in part as
follows
Your president has asked me at this
commencement to say something In
respect to the higher education OF
women. II is OF course, q theme most
relevant and germane to the occasion
but II is one Of which | hesitate TO
speak in the presence Of those who
have made It their life study and whose
opinions in regard To the matter are of
so much more real weight than my
own"
The president reviewed the advances
made In educational advantages for
both sexes since 1900.
Continuing the president said:
Il dissent from the view that an
academic education UNITS man or
woman for business. 1t may be that
the tastes that lead one to an academic
education are not those which insure
business success but that the mental
discipline, the power of reasoning, the
cultivation and comparison Of Ideas,
are not OF assistance I'm business trans
actions in which the highest quality Of
mind are acutely In action, can hardly
be true.
WOMEN AND PROFESSIONS.
But It is said that women are not
all going into the professions and so
that the education necessary as basis
for a professional career Is not needed
by those who believe in a competency
or look forward to marriage and moth
erhood as the chief ends OF woman.
TT g even suggested that the higher
education of women rather units them
10 discharge the duties OF wife and
mother; that in some way or other II
robs them of charm and gives them
an intellectual independence that Is in
consistent with their being the best
wives and mothers.
IL utterly dissent from this view.
The companionship of married life is
the chief charm and reason for ITS
being so far as II relates TO the two
persons concerned. The enjoyment OF
the home. with children, and the train
ing of them are, of course, among the
most important duties and pleasures Of
married life and IT certainly does not
dctract from the power of woman TO
make a good companion or to teach
and lead her children up to high Ideals
that she should have the advantage OF
tho higher education.
1T Is not essential that woman
who knows much must conform to the
unattractive manner and ways OF the
conventional blue stocking: that she
should make the extent Of her knowl-
edge source OF discomfort to those
with whom she associates or that she
should lose her interest i'm the senti-
ment and emotions of life or fail to
have an appreciation of beauty and
romance
II am quite ready to concede that
marriage and motherhood are a normal
status for woman and. other things be
ings equal. she is happier in that con-
dition than in any other. But this j.
FAR from saying that womans life ~
a failure because she has not married
and that her life may not be failure
because she has married The home
and the family are the nucleus OF tho
highest happiness but II Circumstance
are such as 20 force women 10 ACCEPT
husbands whom they do not respect
and love and whom they would not
marry except to escape llfe or pow
erty. the home and the family are not
likely to be model or To furnish an
ideal.
GIVES WOMAN FREEDOM.
zone Of the great advantages Of tho
higher education for woman. IN my
Judgment. Is In the independence that
OF life which she is TO lead.
"In the profession OF teaching the
women already have the advantage
over the men in point OF numbers. II IL
true that they do not receive the same
compensation as men. don't Know
how this can be remedled' ! presume
that the salaries received are affected
by the same law as that which controls
nr.lces in other markets. to wit: The
law of supply and demand. and as
there are more female teachers thnn
male teachers. and as the common opin-
ion Is in many Instances that there
ought TO be some men teachers, the
men receive higher salaries.
1--WE cannot be blind 10 the general
movement in favor OF opening more
and more occupations not dependent
on physical strength to the female sex
II don't think We can estimate the
enormous damage that tho present gen
.ratIon has enioyed. and that the fu-
trre generations are 90 profit by In the
ircrea singlv sound and thorough edu-
cation OF the mothers OF families
II don't think we can estimate the
'ncrea sed happiness that men and
,voron have experienced who as hus-
hands and wives have enjoyed the high
er sense OF companlonship that Is mace
nossible by the Intellectual sympathy
and association ~ ideas between two
thoroughly educated people.
''The higher education OF woman
should be sought wholly without re-
gard 10 n professional or matrimonial
future The mental discipline that II
affords, the mental pleasures that u
makes uossIble; the enjoyment NJ read
ing and study that II invites are
enough in and ~ themselves to he
connpensation for the EFFORT In securing
It,
CAS- life wears on and the active
wears wear away with youth ana Young
vomanhood and young manhood dis
appear and the time Of the quiet leisure
extends itself In ones ife the purely
ono has a mind trained for use in
solving intellectual problems and in
reading the philosophy of history, in
the study OF science. the pursuit Of
art, her life IS richer. her means Of self
larCeav Increased and