Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-12-27
MIR. TAFTs VIEW ON MARRIAGE.
Young Women Should Be Free from
Necessity Of Matrimony."
(From An Interyiew,)

Il wish mat every girl In the
world were SO situated that she would
not think it necessity for her to
marry unless she really wanted to.
II would like to have the scheme
Of things so arranged that women,
when they come to decide as to mat
arimony, should have a full, unfetter-
ed choice. This they can have only
when they are absolutely independ-
ent. Then if they decide to marry,
they can turn their faces toward the
new life with the reasonable hope Of
years of unmixed happiness.
Now tho question arises as to how
the girls Of the country can reach this
position, which is their due. | be-
lieve that the most important educa-
ton possible is that kind which may
be called industrial vocational edu-
cation, the kind that puts young men
and young women In position from
which they can, by their own efforts,
work themselves to independence.
And few things give me as great
pleasure as my convictions that this
view is being more and more widely
accepted throughout the country. 1t
Is the main chance for our young
women.
Il know that 1t Is common belief
that those who inherit wealth stand
the best chance for happy life and
for enjoyment. This Is the opinion
held by both young men and women.
But l do not agree with It, The best
thing you can give young man IS a
good education and that sort Of am
billion which will lead him to carve
out his own career and to make his
own position In the world of men AMI
events. This is no less true with re-
gard to the girls OF the country. The
great trouble has been that we have
never given women a fair show. We
have not opened to her all the means
Of livelihood that she Is able to fill.
In fact, / believe that women to-day,
are kept out Of some sorts of work
that she Is better able to fill than
men are.
Il have said in some of my speeches
In various parts of the country that
am very glad, indeed, that I shall
have no property to leave to my
boys. TO my two sons I shall ouly
leave a good character, a good edu-
cation and pride in themselves, but
for my daughter ! intend to scrape
together as much as can to give her
and train her In such a manner that
she shall take In the great fact thai,
Tor the sake Of her own happiness,
she shall marry when she chooses,
and not because Of circumstances.
Il am not one Of those who be-
lieve that matrimony Is a necessity
for women. There Is too wide an
impression among our people to-day
that II girl deos not marry she Is
not success in life. I do not think
1T can be too strongly impressed on
girls that matrimony Is not a neces-
sity. There can be, as matte of
fact, cases when exactly the reverse
Is true. mean by that, some wo-
men would have been greater sue
cesses unmarried than married.
What / particularly want to see
Is such system Of education, sucn
liberal view by the men, such
series OF opportunities that no wo-
man can be harrassed and hampered
by the old belief that marriage is
necessity-that even an unhappy
marriage Is better than no marriage.
There are women-and 1t Is diffculs
to pay fitting tribute to the cour-
age Of all women-there are some
women who struggle through life
whose husbands are worthless. 1t Is
impossible for woman so situated
to have life that can be called really
happy. She may try to find happi.
ness anew In her children, but this
Will be only partial, only half the Joy
to which she Is entitled. And she
VIII pay an incessant tribute Of suf-
fering to that viewpoint which led
her to accept man unsuited to her."
------SeS-
1t seems that girl babies are born
taller than boy babies. Yes, in these