The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-17
The Romance of Modern Girls Right to KNOW

the world SO gross and ugly that they
should be hidden from the future
mothers Of the race, and they fear that
the process of education may remove
from the girl some of that innocence,
that Winsomeness and that holiness
which is her God-given heritage. One
might present dozen answers to this
objection, but one may rest the case
with single reply: look at the women
who to-day are being graduated from
American colleges and universities;
in them anything unwomanly, untrue,
or dangerous, then keep your daughter
from college. Judge the tree by it's
fruits, the system by its graduates!
Education Not Suffragism.
Again, in the present-day agitation
for suffragism, conservative parents
sometimes have the fear that to educate
their girls may be to give them false
ideas Of 'womens rights" AS one good
father expressed it not many months
ago, i should rather my girl would
never know political science than to
have her dabbling in politics."
Upon this point, Of course, there
may be two opinions, but there can be
but one legitimate conclusion The
colleges of America to-day are not in
politics, nor are they recruiting stations
for the ranks of the suffragists. They
are rather institutions where the
highest possible standards of womanly
grace and culture are maintained
Education and suffragism are by no
means one!
Objections Withdrawn
Twenty years ago one might hear
another objection raised to the educa-
ton of young women-that they might
go to colleges where the moral stand
ard was not Of the highest. But this
feeble objection has long since died, as
our people have come to see that there
is not college in the South where
girl is not as safe as she is in her own
home To-day such an objection is
never heard, and is altogether un
worthy Of consideration. With some Of
the best and noblest minds Of the South
devoted to the training Of girls, one
need not fear for their welfare
The same fate has befallen those
other objections to the education Of
girls-the idea that they might acquire
undesirable knowledge, or have
awakened nonfeminine ambitions, and
the like These have all been consigned
to the oblivion they deserve
Against the scanty objections which
are raised against the girls right to
know, what clear advantages can be
shown? One is puzzled in answering
the question to know where to begin, SO
manifold and SO important are the
benefits to the girl whose right to know
is conceded, and whose opportunity to
know is unlimited.
The Greatest Advantage
But if one must choose a few of
the many as among the most important
advantages of educating a girl, one may
reasonably say that the greatest single
advantage is a correct view of life.
This, if anything, the girl gets at
college,
Consider it for moment. Most of
us would love to think that the girl
could pass through life with the dreams
and ideals which were hers in child
hood, and we should be happy to keep
the girls world as beautiful as she
pictures it. But, from our own expert
ence, we know that this cannot be.
Sooner or later the castle in Spain will
be undermined sooner or later comes
cruel contact with cold facts
With such fate inevitable in the
case Of every girl, there is resting upon
her parents the responsibility of giving
the girl the correct view of life and
of equipping her for that spiritual
struggle which is before her For this
purpose there is no agency in life
mother-love excepted which is more
efficient than the college. There are