The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-06-03

Philadelphia, June 2-President
Taft in his address to the graduates Of
Bryn Nav today on "Woman's Col
lege Education spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Young Ladies of the Graduating
Glass:
Your able and distinguished presi-
dent has asked me at this commence
ment to say something in respect to
the higher education of women. It is,
of course, theme most relevant and
germane to the occasion, but it Is one
of which l 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 marvellous progress in mate.
rial and other ways made by the
world in the nineteenth century is
only less wonderful than the ease and
rapidity with which we forget the
steps in the progress, the difficulties in
its attainment, and the conditions
that existed prior to It's coming"
The president reviewed the ad.
vances made in educational advan-
tages for both sexes since 1900 and
said: Il dissent from the view that
an academic education units man or
woman for business. It 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 now of assistance in business
transactions in which the highest
quality of the mind are acutely in ac-
ton, can hardly be true.
AS TO MARRIAGE
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 women who have
competency or who look forward to
marriage andsmotherhoax as the chief
end of women.
''It Is even suggested that the high
er education of women rather units
them to discharge the duties of a wife
and mother; that in some way or
other it robs them of a charm and
gives them an intellectual independ-
ence that is inconsistent with their
being the best wives and mothers.
utterly dissent from this view. TIE
companionship Of married life is the
chief charm and reason for its being,
so far as 1t relates to the two persons
concerned. The enjoyment of the
home, with the children and the train.
ing of them, Of course, are among the
most important duties and pleasures
of married life; and It certainly does
not detract from the power Of a wo-
man to make good companion or to
teach and train her children UP to
high ideals that she should have the
advantage of higher education. 1t is
not essential that a woman who
1xD
attractive manner and ways of the con-
ventional blue stocking; that sne
should make the extent of her knowl-
edge a source of discomfort to those
with whom she associates, or that she
should lose her interest in the senti-
ment and emotions of life, or fail to
have an appreciation of beauty and
romance.
Il am quite ready to concede that
marriage and motherhood are a nor
NAL status and other things beicg
equal, she is happier in that condition
than in any other. But this is far
| from saying that woman's life is a
failure because she had not married
and that her life may not be failure
because she had married.
INDEPENDENCE OF CHOICE.
zone of the great advantages of the
higher education for women, in my
| judgment, is in the independence that
| it gives her in the choice of the kind
of life which she is to lead"
Speaking of the salaries paid women
teachers, he said:
Il presume that the salaries are af-
| fected by the law of supply and de-
mand, and as there are more female
| teachers than male teachers and as
the common opinion is in many in
stances that there ought to be some
men teachers, the men receive higher
salaries.