The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29
WHY SHOULDN'T WOMEN
VOTE? ASKS MRS. WFHTEHOUSE
Points Out That Opposition Woman Suffrage Same That Feminine Prog
Has Always MRegardess of Masculine Objections Woman Has
Gained Complete MISUNDERSTANDING to Be Well Informed

. condition" 1t was to be an education
to "ft, not UNIT, her for the normal
woman's life"
In fact women can be made pleas
ing and rational companions to the other
sex without going Into those studies
which have been SO long considered a
the peculiar province Of man." How
ever. there was danger to women in
attaining even this limited degree Of
culture because while "the independent
power Of the masculine mind can regain
Its purity after error the more sensitive
and plantllke nature Of girls loses ito
proper growth forever by one injury"
But in spite OF the Boston high school
being closed in 1928 girls were from that
time on regularly admitted to the gram
mar schools. Before then they were
allowed admittance only In the summer
when the boys were on vacation. In
1887 Mount Holyoke Female Seminary
was established. In 1854 q school COM
mittee In Boston again took up the
question OF . high school for girls and
made q report on II. Public sentiment
was changing little by little. until va
find that "a high education may be de-
sjrable for women but not a university
education. for that would be to assimi-
late the training Of the two sexes, and
any step in such a direction must be
| fatal. as tending to obliterate the nat
ural difference between them"
Also culture for women should never
develop into learning. Only an I'M
womanly woman could try to become
learned. and she would try In vain. as
she has not the mental abilities Of q
man." And there would be some danger
Of exchanging her proper qualities Of
gentleness and dlffidence for arrogance.
self-esteem. vanity and a sort OF rival
ship with the other sex were the sphere
OF education 80 enlarged as to give Q
general acquaintance with the senti-
ments entertained by the classical writ
ers OF antiquity" Nothing Is 30 diff
cult to be subdued as pride OF intellect"
and nothing 30 trying to the spoilt hus-
bands Of hundred years ago.
However. although the progress WAS
slow and difficult. 1t was progress none
the !esa. Vtssir opened it, doors ~
1865. But even then the country was not
at all favorable to women's colleges.
When. FOR instance. the Northwestern
Female College opened In Evanston. not
III any way as part or the Mems Uni
verslty there. II WAS not welcomed by
the trustees OF the university. They
feared anything so radical and un-
scriptural as a female college must en-
danger the reputation Of their village"
In Oxford too one canon found It
unchristian to admit women to the
honor examinations because woman IL
essentially mans helpmate. not his
rival" Another member OF the congre-
cation gave startling statistics Of spinal
curvature from which women suffered
in schools. And liberal head Of a
college stood appalled, at the domestic
influence which would be brought to
bear on academical questions by
women" Nothing would be safe from
them and they would soon monopolize
the ofiices Of the university"
The next step to be opposed was the