HONOURS WHERE HONOURS ARE DUE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 11

HONOURS WHERE HONOURS ARE DUE.

What ■title can an English Sovereign con-1 /er ( l up(jn :i a'.Troniau equivalent ..to tho knight-.' hood bestowed upon : the man v whom he chooses to-honour? - The Melbourne "Age" has a leading .article - uponrthis subject-,., in which it points out that the women who have' earned ;distinction in- various professions .or arts;Myho have, served" their.,country brilliantly, have no . possible chiirico of being rewarded with the nor,<jurs. that• fall to the. ]q»t of men:.'. It points out that' "it says a. good deal for. the'patience of tho suffragettes that they have neverthrown this grievanco in the faces; of His- Majesty's advisers. -It-ia not as if titles 'arid honours were'' specially, reserved for-services-in which. : men alone can distinguish, themselves. .Men: who as >'pjiilan-i thropists ■ have rendered.'' great ''services. to humanity come within',-tno : reach of the fountains of honour. . .Great scientists do the samp—-chemists,. doctors, poets, 'novelists, singers, players. •••" But it • never dawiis upon Ministers who advise ; the Crown' that women have won'distinction'ill any . of these walks of life. And. yet; it is beyond all question that they,have done so, and that they are constantly outshining mori even' in feats of heroism, of self-sacrifice, and in tho, brilliant achievements of .art. There was. no • servant of. his country 'in the Crimean War/ who rendered'more conspicuous and valuable service than did Florence' Nightingale. .-V The world has agreed as-with one voice to honour that' name: Florence Nightingale has received .'the' unstinted praises not alono of her countrymen and-countrywomen. She is not merely tho heroine'of Anglo-Saxoridom. Sno is one of; the illuminati of the human race,' as was"; Grace Darling, - Had either of these women been-of the opposite sex there cannot be a doubt that they would have rc: ceived a decoration at the liands- of. Royalty. BuUthe disability of sex excluded , them as far; as the advisers of the.Crown are concerned. , It is' just the: same in the, world of letters and of art and'of song. John- Hare, the eminont actor, - and-.Charles. Santley; the eminent. English .' were- made' 'Sir John'• and 'Sir CharlesV at . the last-issue of-Birthday honours; .That was. alt 'right. But nobody..can. say i that, .Sir. John Hare stands in his; profession.as high as Miss Ellon Terry does. The' world's; estimation-of Mclba and'.of. several. others, as measured by the gold it pours into their treasuries, is, beyond everything thatSantley en joyed in his'palmies.t days. -There may. be queens of song,;crowned by.thQ.world at large, but never- .v titled . songstress. by the., act of. Majesty: • ■~.- '■ . ■ ■■'/,

"All thinkoVs -.have: enlarged :on the : confluence of Opportunity iii "the" production of great men.lf : this bo so, how'many scores of. female geniuses of the very' highest order niay have been crushed' bendatli' the social hand banned the rise of .woman, just as tho' King' bans' them when'titles of distinction are being scattered on wbrtliy men. If women's share of .tho world's>.work were 'suddenly brought to.a standstill',' iih'6 ! b Utiis ,in. effort and the paralysis in public life • would be very little less than woujd be the case if a similar]fate overtook the work of man.' 'Nor are the higher grades of the one •inferior in kind and scarcely m. dogrea to those of the other. How -comes it .' about that masculinity manages to secure most' of ■ the social distinctions offered-as a reward to the worthy ? It is' true that- in the .schools, where-, competition decides" the prizes, the •cirls hold; their placcs pretty- level with the boys, -but as soon as the class days are over the pushing male elbow's aside; bis" sister. In Hie. republic •of letters, v the woman often forftfes her way to the -front in spite of; sex 'discouragmridnts'; but- whether in painting, sculpture,: dramatic art', .or ' literature, she .'Works ; with» tho. consciousness.: t-hA.t for her, ■ whatever successes genius may -win, from the • multitude, rank, and : distinction, have no place. A 'prince may mak' a belted; knight, a marquis, duke and a' that,'; but he "may riot make a titled lady, though she were- • equipped with the'talents of a-whole Cabinet ■of statesmen."

All this is perfectly true, but there is certainly a difficulty to be overcome. The King or his Parliament would have to in-vent-a new title, a new rank, and he would find trouble in the way. So far wc believe tho Baroness Burdctt-Coutts is the solitary example: of an Englishwoman who during a great many dccados has been accorded a titlo for her moral qualities and the services rendered by her to the nation, and it is not elaimed that King Edward should raise niany other women to the same rank, but simply that women who deserve equal honours with man should receive theru.