Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-08
JUDGE ROBERT
GRANT ANALYzES
FUTURE WOMEN

What will the woman of the future be
like? What sort of a person does she
really aspire to become? These ana
many other queries are propounded by
Judge Robert Grant, who has written
a brand-new article on women in gen.
eral.
But Judge Grant, while he has drawn
many conclusions in regard to the OPP
posite sex, does not answer these queS-
lions He leaves it to the readers inn
agination in the interesting story which
appears in the current issue of Serb
ners.
1T is the vision of the future" writes
Mr.. Grant. lin the mind of every inter
ligent woman that is the most vital fac
tor in her chronic restlessness. For She
knows that she has renowned the static
condition of the slave, drudge, parasite,
or playthng to which society. accord
ing to her sphere in life, condemned her,
vet she is still a little at loss as to
exactly what she has developed into
and as to where She is coming out
For while it seemed as though the
millennium was in sight by reason of
the fervent impulse to eradicate those
evils most obnoxious 20 feminine sensi-
bilities-poverty, sexual vice. and the
rule of physical force. The hope was
cherished that the day was not far off
when the creed of the brotherhood of
man and tho sisterhood Of woman as
promulgated by American democracy
would provide a living wage for every
body, abolish the double standard OF
sexual morals, and put an end to war"
Then womankind was thrown back 100
years by the dynamic European trag-
edy Her restless energy was turned in
to the old-fashioned duties of mother
ing, nursing comforting and bearing the
load of sorrow
In tho light of this Judge Grant asks
if women, especially American women,
should not feel sobered and little less
positive that they have discovered the
path to the millennium, and whether,
with the great war as reminder wo-
man should realize that in attempting to
cope with human nature she has under.
taken larger task than she antici-
pated?
At any rate he indicates it is appro-
pirate time for the American woman to
do some serious thinking, to summarize
the progress she has made, and to de-
the future.
OF her grievances Judge Grant Is nor
as sympathetic as a high-strung fem
mist would find especially appealing.
But he says: THE point of view of
those to whom the word 'feminism is
chronically irritating because they are
satisfied with woman as she used to be
and as they choose to believe she still
to- f,,@ bot Of =
contents who would cure the short
comings of democracy by reimposing
property test. The repugnance in either
case comes too late. The position of the
modern woman is parallel tic that Of the
automobile; we meet her at every turn.
and whether we like her or not, If we
get in the way we are likely to be run
over.
with the exceptions of offences
against chastity, which somehow still
seem to hale a woman into court while
the man is allowed to slip through tn.
net in which they are both taken, ac-
cording to Judge Grant, Determinations
Of the statute law against the weaker
sex are rare indeed.
In the United States, least Of all.
where woman is INDUCED as no other
women in the world have ever been. the
writer can see little cause for woman
to complain of being penalized on ac-
count of her sex. Women to the pei.
centage of rs are the beneficaries of
our liberal divorce laws. And admitting
that he is mot among those who re-
gard liberal divorce laws as an evil
Judge Grant points out that the eman>
cipation of women and frequent d.
yorce have gone hand in hand in
America.
Judge Grant hurts three accusations
at the heads of American women: That