Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1911-05-11

7 Lawrence Iaughlin, in Scribners.
| II is needless to say that q chahSe
| has come over the face of our ecohoIillC
\ life There are, of course, vast hullpel
who are today poor or in very modeEat nc
| circumstances, but it Is known vi ga
| that with the enormous increase III
| wealth has come the creation OF u very
| large lecture class composed OF the rlcn
and the very rich. This Is the most
significant fact Of this generation. Inc
miles of comfortable or even hanuSoIhS
/ houses In every large city, the thou-
sands of automobiles on the streets,
are only few of the obvious evidences
of the wide distribution of riches. Ihe
effect of this economic phenomenon
upon American women is matter OF
the highest import, study OF the nrst
magnitude. 1t touches the very hetlft
OF our social life, and makes for goou
or for i'll on a great scale in our imEne-
date future. This is the test, as mas
been said which a large body or
American women are undergoing-the
greatest test to which human nature
can be subjected-the test of pros
perity and riches. How are they COM
ing out OF 1t?
We may be too close to the events
to perceive the true causes at work;
and perhaps we may not sufficiently
discriminate between the evil and the
ment now before our eyes. We realize
however, that American men are quite
too good-natured, and leave American
women too much to themselves with
an unlimited purse; otherwise we
should not see the startling things done
by audacious women, living in Paris,
while their providers are absorbed in
their business ventures at home.
Moreover life has become much more
complicated and distraCting: so many
more things have to be known, con-
sidered, decided upon, that the unbal-
anced, unframed mind reels in confu-
sion, and neurasthenia gathers in its
legion OF victims. There is, to be sure.
a greater rush for education, but Ii is
a question whether it is accompanied
by a gain of ideals. There may be more
education. but it is possible that it has
come with lower ideals of duty to
others. This matter of dropping ideals,
however, may be only a consequence
of another sweeping current OF change
moving alongside the swelling tide of
riches-the diminishing strength Of re-
ligion, There is no use shutting our
eyes to ii; it is here. Religious dogma
TO longer has the influence upon our
conduct-and many of us, looking to
the future, are wondering what is COM
ing to take its place.
Whether we like them or not we must
teristcS of the modern type of rich
women have changed from those of an
earlier generation, and the consequent
ces which are already noticeable can
not be blinked. The so called indie
pendence of womenkind--the greater
Individuality it may be-shows it's I'M
desirable side as a widespread self-in-
duIg31ce and selhshness. Among the
richer classes. the general unwillingness
TO 90. or even to hear Of anything I'M
pleasant, is so marked as to be a COM
mon characteristic. This phenomenon
of today. however, is only the explana-
ton of a well-known economic gener-
alization in regard to the family. 1t
has long been observed that the birth
rate diminishes as the scale of riches
rises. With the growth of wealth we
must be prepared to expect-what is
now evident about us-fewer children
and weakening Of family ties. AS
much as possible, nothing will be al
lowed to interfere with the pursuit OF
personal Qualifications. The growth of
selfshness, under the name OF greater
freedom. the avoidance of tasks and
hardships, the desire for new and fire.
quent excitements, the personal de-
light in notoriety, have in undue mea-
sure drawn the attention OF such wom-