Year: 1869

POLITICAL ECONOMY FOR WOMEN.


Miss Kate McKean-the lady who, four or
five years ago, published an excellent condensa-
ton of Mr.. Carey's Principles OF Social
Science n-recently delivered q lecture to q
large audience in Meadvile, Penn. 1t was her
first attempt at public speaking; but thorough
acquaintance with the topics under discussion,
full assurance of the truth and value OF the
views she holds aud an ardent zeal for their
propagation, carried her happily over the
natural embarrassments of the situation. The
largest audience of the lecture season, and
their manifest qualification and approval,
quickly reassured her, and the trial became
decided success. Political Economy is not
theme to attract or enchant popular audience,
when it requires the hearers to do little solld,
hard thinking, to learn little, and to unlearn
great deal more; for the popular lecture sys-
tenn is usually classed among entertainments
under that "head" is invariably advertised Ill
the newspapers, and crowds are apt to feel as
if they were trapped when they are bothered
with elementary principles, and put upon the
defense of the free-and-easy theories oil
economic affairs which are got up without any
thinking and pleasantly confirmed by the open
textured plausibilities of stump oratory.


These are the troubles of Mr.. Carey's dis
ciples, and these are the causes which have so
long postponed the general acceptance of his
doctrines. But time and trial are working for
them, and the new generation, which will have
been schooled by the events of our time as no
other people ever were, will find their force in
their use when all other criticism than that of
hi 70 fho


Miss McKean's attitude to the questions in
social science which are now pressing for prac-
tcal solution is q specialty-their immediate
bearing upon Women; eminently, the great
question of such diversiication of industrial
avocatons as will tend to take the sex, so far
as may be, out of the supported class" of So
ciety. The question of "WOman's Rights is
now forcing itself upon public attention with
the strength of an epOchal movement in the
march of civilization. The impulse must be
obeyed; and just now is the time to give 1t
the right direction. The movement and effort
ought to be in ORDER and its advocates should
know that the first and fundamental right Is the
right to labor, and that the policy which should
take the lead is such regulations Of Commerce,
and such an organization Of Industry, as will
secure to women that distributive share OF
skilled labor which properly and naturally
belongs to them Political rights cannot be
the first in order for the redress of women's
wrongs unless they are the effective means Of
establishing their industrial rights. But they
are not in the condition of the freedmen OF
the South. They are not class in the COM
munity, to whom the ballot is the first and
chiefest defense against the tyranny OF Caste.
They are more nearly in the situation OF the
populace of the old countries, and the old
times who iCOrked themselves into pecuniary
independence, and commanded the necessary
legislation for their we'll being long before they
were invested with the law making power. No
people ever achieved social and political liberty
except those who "trorked out their salvation"
If women are men, in all general relations,
as it is insisted they are, they had better
adopt the order of progress that successfully
served in the advancement of mau in similar
circumstances with themselves in all past time.
Besides, il would be good and safe practice
for them TO make themselves thorough
mistresses of business before they undertake
to be masters in politics To be at once politi-
cal Independents and pecuniary dependents, Is
q queer situation for half the citizens of a
great nation. We do not mean that little
property, n little money in pocket, and little
knowledge of public affairs, should be made
necessary qualifications for tho exercise of
political citizenship; but we do think that a
whole class of people, who acquire none of
these things by their own endeayOrs, diligence,
and individual activities, are not just the per-
sons TO take the administration of public in
terests at time when they are more comDli-
Gated and in more dangerous conditions than
at any other time in the worlds history.


But TO avoid issues of argument which are
in nOwse essential, we may safely insist that
Education should go before Agitation, and we
would therefore commend the study of the
principles of Social Science rs n preparation to
all women who, feeling the woes and wrongs
of their sex in the present order of things, are
compelled to endeavOr the necessary Teforma-
ton. To such, we can commend duodecimo
volume of 500 pages, entitled "a Mammal of
" Social Science, by Kate McKean,h published
by Henry Carey Baird Philadelphia.


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THE METHODLSTS and LAY DELEGATION


The present month will be of great import
ance in the history of the largest Protestant
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