The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-01-09
By n, L. HAYWOOD.

AS in yesterdays article l must be-
gin by asking the reader to bear in
mind that 1 give not my opinion about
the woman movement, but those en-
tertained by representative feminists.
With some tenets Of the creed | am
in complete sympathy, but with 9th
ers | have very little patience.
AS said in the previous article there
is a distinction between Woman's suf-
frage and feminism; the former is
woman's attempt TO gain an equal
share in political rights and respon-
sibilities, the latter a worldwide move
men to Hberate woman from the laws
and conventions which depress her
below the status Of man
At the very base Of feminism's phil
osophy Is the dogma that there is no
biologic chasm between the sexes.
Woman's body is as it is very largely
because of the conditions in which
she has been kept. Her soft muscles
her unbalanced emotional system, and
her ntuitiveness merely reflect the
environment in which she has been
detained for century. Confront her
with the same realities against which
man pits himself, and she will de-
yelop the same hardy and efficient
powers
But as it is, argue the feminlsts,
woman is nothing but mans serf; his
slave, in fact, in a spiritual sense:
parasitic growth that hangs upon him
TO- support at every point, and suf-
fers degeneracy which inevitably at
tends parasitism This dependent
condition is manifested in more ways
than one can take account Of.
1t shows up in the present unjust
method of giving women unequal pay
for equal work. Just because man
happens to be in control Of the indus
tries he is in a position to set wages,
discriminating, naturally, in favor of
his own sex.
The same discrimination, they con-
tend, is seen in our educational sys-
.em. More and more it tends to
pc designed to meet the need of boys.
il is shaped by men superintendents
and male educational authorities. This
shows how really hypocritic is the
conventional male contention that
woman should find here sphere in
caring for children. Man does not
actually believe this to be woman S
sphere because he has taken charge
of II himself More than that, how
many fathers are as willing to lavish
as much on their daughters education
as on the sons,
against unjustIy by being debarred
from many Of the most lucrative en-
ployments How many women bank
directors are there? How many fnan-
ciers. or factory superintendents, or
railway presidents can we name? de-
mand the feminists. And when the
critic replies that woman is shut out Of
such positions because she is not
fitted by nature" for such work, the
champion of feminism snaps back,
What do you know about nature? a?
Does anybody suppose the present fe-
male animal to be natures crafts
manship? She is what she is because
the male sex has kept her in constant
subjectiOn for so many generations.
Relcc.se her and you will at once dis
cover she has abilities equal to man 8. -
Not being enabled by training or
permission to enter the trades and
thus produce that which she must
consume, woman has become an eco
nomic parasite She depends on man
for living Her husband controls
the sources of her existence: and
what. demands the irate feminist, is
that if not slavery?
Reduced to such conditions she is
compelled to bid for a man supporter.
But with what will she bid?
AS explained in the previous arti-
Gle feminists hold that woman is com
PEELED to resort to her sex attractions
in securing a husband And 1t is be
cause she is obliged TO marry for
economic reasons rather than for love
that marriages so often result disas-
trously How can such a condition be
remedied?
The feminists have an elaborate
program, very consistently worked
out At the forefront of this plan Is
the declaration Of a sex war, Indeed,
this war s now on. The suffrage
riots and depredations in England are
the first scrmmage in a deadlier com
bat than the Hundred Years war.
These deeds but herald the approach
OF titanic struggle which will throw
into the shade any other contest
known to history. 1t will. In truth,
be verftably war between the mem
bers Of one household because 1t will
pit man against his wife, and faith
er against his daughter IF this war
causes suffering hardships to men
and ruin to their now pleasant hom es.
thu stern feminists beg to remind him
that the entire destruction of civil
liza ation or a whole generation OF men
would by no means atone for the cen
turtles of oppression and slavery which
women have endured at the hand OF
the male.
Because it Is sex war rather than
political war which they have on
hands the leaders Of the woman g
movement have been careful to enter
the political arena Of struggle with a
woman's party and not with party
annexed to some mans organization
They will fight as women and not as
Democrats or Progressives, Tories or
Liberals
One end of this struggle will be TO
revolutionize the home. This, they
argue, IS now the very core and cita
del Of that serfdem from which WON