South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-28
WOMAN QUESTION
SPEAKER TOPIC
Unrest is Worldwide Says
Mrs. Anthony Frank Merrill.
Started With Industrial Rev.
OIution About Year 1870.

The worldwide movement known
as the Woman Question, distinct
from the suffrage question, was the
topic Of the talk given by Mrs. An
thony French Merrill Of Chicago in
the red room of the oliver hotel to
a. delighted audience Saturday after
noon. The unrest among women,
Mrs Merrill declared, was similar to
that in the world of labor, not local
but worldwide, not peculiar TO any
nationality or class, but TO the women
of every class and of every nation.
For examples she cited the part which
the women Of Russia Finland, Persia
and China have taken in the strug
giles Of their respective countries for
reform and progress and, as she
pointed out, none Of these countries
are considered as the progressive
countries of the world but rather the
laggards in the progress of civiliza-
ton. In the recent election in Chi
cago. she stated, the foreign women
were noticeably more enthusiastic for
the ballot than their American born
sisters.
What is the reason for this spirit
of unrest ?" she asked Perhaps the
question is best answered by a study
of economic and historic events of
the world preceding its rise About
the year 10 ~ the great INDUSTRIAL rev
olutiOn in the manufacture OF home
products began. The preparation of
food, textiles and household supplies
was taken out of the home, where
from time immemorial it had been
prepared, and placed in the factory.
The wives and sisters that formerly
| in the home were obliged to follow
| them into the factory.
1.-The war of the Rebellion threw
countless women out of their work as
! housewives into the industrial world,
/ because self-suppOrt was thrust upon
/ them. If so much was the result of
/ that war" continued the speaker, lit
/ is hard to imagine the changes that
will undoubtedly result because of the
women left without support through
the angency Of the war now raging in
! Europe
| AT that period in the world the
numbers of educated women were
very few, so Few as to be hardly rec
| Ognizable as a class. Emma Willard
/ in 1920 founded her school in New
England. Her example was followed
/ by Mary Lyon in 1897 in the foun-
dation Of Mt. HolyOke. Vassar open
ed it's doors in 1865.
| "Owen Johnson, the author of the
I Salamander attributes the present
attitude of women as a class 10 a de-
cline in the influence of religion. A
man he considers a far more law
abiding individual than a woman.
! Her only safeguard. according to him,
was religion, and now that is declin-
/ ing in its restraining influence woman
! is losing her balance, as il were, and
| is in danger to going to far greater
extremes than man is capable of fall
! ing.
while the era of freedom has been
dawning for the whole world, women
i s,1O Of nc
| the last to be benefited by it. Ber-
nard Shaw's opinion is not that wOm-
an wants equality with man, but she
wants privilege, freedom without re-
! spOnsibility. By experiment it has
! been found that she is capable of do
| ing a mans work, If she is willing to
! take the same training. In different
cities she has been successful in prac-
| tically every public office, from school
| boards TO that Of mayor"
! Mrs. Merrill spoke in detail of the
work done in prison reform by that
| remarkable woman, Katherine Bee
| man Davis. DIT Catherine BlackfOrd
has found herself unique in her self
! created profession as a reader of char
acter for employers of men in the
| business world.
1t is just recently, however, Mrs.
Merrill asserted, that woman has
Weakened up to her own job, namely
as efficient homemaker, an efficient
spender. a manager a home econO-
mist In this she asserted, woman
/ found her greatest work and the mod
( ern woman is thoroughly alive to it,
! evidences of which are to be found in
J the numerous schools she has estab-
| lished for the study of household
/ problems. In some one of them, the
wise young woman prepares herself
| for matrimony, her duties in the
/ home, the care of the children that
may be intrusted to her, the cOmpan-
/ ionship Of her husband.
| BY her greater opportunities she is
/ mourning greater responsibilities
which she is not Sinking but prepar-
| ing herself to carry efficiently. The
woman as a spender, she pointed out.
I had greater effect on society than
man as the earning unit in the family.
/ An intelligent Spender was of equal
I importance 10 a good provider The
time is fast approaching, she asserted,
/ when eXtravagant spender in the
person of a woman Of wealth in
community would be considered a dis
grace The medieval world found the
/ solution OF its problems by renuncia-
ton. while the modern world will find
| its peace in the interest taken in pub
! lie service by its women.
Contrary 10 Mr.. Shaws opinion that
I religion is losing its hold on women,
/ Mrs Merrill feels lit is gaining for, TO
quote the good St. Dominic. Work is
/ prayer
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