The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-03

institutions. But as society is con.
Quoted today the disadvantage Is pal.
pable.
Women cannot In most walks OF
life achieve intellectual distinction
and bear children. There is a tremen.
dous negative relation between the
two. The barrier arises before wo.
man reaches maturity, in anticipation.
The mother must devote too much OF
her time to the mechanical care OF
her children. To make this relation
positive instead of negative should be
one Of the greatest and most earnest
efforts Of modern society.
II am not yet in q position to offer
any constructive plan, for that would
require great deal OF study" Mrs.
Hollingsworth smiled, for she Is very
young to have achieved the interest.
ing results already accomplished by
her. "But in two modern institutions
a solution has been found. On the
stage matters have adjusted them.
selves SO as to allow woman to have
any number OF children and still rise
to the height OF her profession. How
many singers and actresses OF fame
there are WHO have been successful
mothers in addition!"
And In the most recent OF strug-
giles, that Of the teacher.mother, Mrs.
Hollingsworth sees another indication
OF what conditions might be in fu.
ture and better ordered social system.
In the public school system 1t Is now,
by the latest ruling, made possible
for the mother to continue in her
work and not drop out Of the race. /,
AS the profession and children stu.
alton has been worked out In these
two fields, it might also adjust itself
to the demands of other pursuits in
which the intellectual woman finds
herself, thinks Mrs. Ilollingsworth.
"rhe idea that the child is at home
is a myth" she began again. ut is
at homo only when 1t Is an infant,
and anybody might take care Of it,
when mother love means nothing
more to 1t than physical comfort.
When the child 10 older 1t is at school
most OF the day. The care Of the Chill:
drcn should be relegated to experts.
When this Is accomplished, and when
the bearing of children may be an
inspiration instead of fall, the In.
tellcctual woman may continue both
careers more satisfactorily than she
generally fuliills either one.
THE fifteen or more women who
have achieved intellectual distinction
in this country at the present time,
and, IN fact, throughout history, have
he'd far below the average number Of
children. This is wrong. Women who
can do things Should be allowed by
social and economic conditions to have
children, too"
The subject which first moved Mrs.
Hollingsworth to scientific inveStiga.
ton was the theories held by mon as
to the cause OF women's lack OF intel
lectual distinction. The first theory,
that women innately are less intcllec.
tualT than men, has been laughed
away. When colleges were coveted
by women men OF sciences said that
no woman would graduate. Then,
later, that II she did she would be
merely nervous wreck. M
Women men like Professor Sedg.
wick make positive statements to the
effect that women by original nature
are SO conditioned intellectually that
indefinite limitations should be set
upon their activities they make such
assertions entirely without basis In
scientific fact" Mrs. Holllngsworth.
in presenting her thesis for the de.
gree of Doctor OF Philosophy, has
shown that there is no basis sclentti-
cally for the theory that women be.
cause of functional periodicity are in.
tellectually less capable than men.
ut should be understood that when
Professor Sedgwick asserts the bio.
logical ineptitude and inferiority OF
women he is merely giving his per.
sonal opinion. Professor sedgwick is
us much entitled to his personal opin.
ion as any one else is, and not doubt
he would admit that II he were called
upon to prove all his statement be.
fore his peers In science and to tell
upon exactly what pieces Of research
he basis his conclusions, and to pre-.
sent the data in full, he could not
do So"