The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-06-14

We may pass whole lifetime going
through the steps of these elabor-
ate social games without really be
coming acquainted.
Men. further developed in race
functions than We. associate much
more easily. and as we say work
together better than women do
The woman's club movement which
has sprung up in the last quarter
century is one of the most import
ant sociological phenomena of our
time marking the first steps to-
ward social organization. And its
cant Of the fact that little by little
it is being established that human
work is woman's as we'll as mans.
Up to the last half century so
inordinate was the distinction in
the human race that the whole field
of human progress was considered
a masculine prerogative. This ex-
cessiye distinction has laid upon
women handicap from which it
Even now one of the first things
we force upon a child's consciousness
is the fact that he is a boy or she is
a girl and that therefore each must
regard everything from a different
point Of view. The boy we en-
courage to do to the girl we say
don't" When the small boy bangs
about and smashes things and shouts
we say proudly that he is a regular
boy. When the little girl walls in
maternal agony over her broken doll
We say proudly that she is a per
feet little mother already" Why
should the little girl have the in
stincts of maternity more than the
little boy the instinct of paternity?
Childhood is not the time for these
manifestations of difference, and that
We admire and encourage them is
significant of the fact that we put
altogether too much emphasis upon
sex distinction.
Up to comparatively recent years
the economic dependence of women
upon men has been absolute But
now that the time has come when
it is better for the world that this
condition cease it is worth while for
n I'm nd
fairly that We may see what is
happening to us and welcome
change which is to free an entire
half of humanity from an artificial
position.
Social conditions like individual
conditions become familiar by use
and cease to be observed. For how
many ages has the world agreed that
a king must rule because he hap
pened TO be born one? This gen
eral acceptance of familiar things is
what makes it SO much easier to
criticize the customs of other per
sons or other nations than our own.
The Englishman who visits America
is much struck by Americas politi-
cal corruption and in the earnest
about it. That which he has at
home he does not observe because
ne is used to it. The American in
England finds also something to
object to and fails to balance his
criticism by memories of home
When a condition exists among us
which began in the ages back of
tradition and obtains in varying
degree among every people on the
earth it would be a miracle if people
should notice it. Woman's economic
dependence upon man is such Il
1t began in primeval
savagery, it exists in all nations.
1t has been said that women earn
their share of the worlds wealth
as wives. But ii cannot be shown |
woman's work in the home and the |
return she receives for it. If there |
We're, the wife of the day laborer |
should have more than the wife Of |
the millionaire. 1t cannot be denied |
that on the whole the status of |
women individually depends upon |
the men individually-the men to |
whom they are related. Far be it
from me to say that the work of |
women as home keepers and mothers !
has not great and genuine econ
Omic value, but women cannot be |
said to be economically independent !
so long as their labor is neither
given nor taken as a factor in
economic exchange. Now the change |
which is gradually taking place in
position means an enormous
racial advance, but women them
selves must understand and help.
| cannot see that at given day
all women will stand free together.
cannot see that in our generation
Or the next the influence of women
in purely political ways will cause
A marked difference in the admin
stration of the affairs of the world.
Great advances along social lines