HAVE WOMEN A CODE OF HONOUR?

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 82, 7 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

HAVE WOMEN A CODE OF HONOUR?

In support of the contention that women have no sense of honour, writes a lady in Woman, the following accusation has been made : — That a woman who breaks with a man after an intimate friendship will not hesitate to betray the confidence reposed in her during that intimacy ; whereas the average man would rather cut his tongue out than divulge even a trivial confidence made to him under the sacred bond of friendship. That there is a good deal of truth in the illustration cannot be denied. But it is exaggerated ; and, perhaps, something may be said, if not in extenuation, at any rate in explanation of the fact, by pointing out that, whereas with women there is an inherent desire to be communicative, with men there is a natural reluctance to " tell things," almost as great. For instance, how much would the above argument against women be weakened if the case of the exploded friendship were reversed. The man's welfare is at stake ; and the revealing of certain facts, compromising to the woman, can alone rescue him. In nine cases out of ten she will^speak out, while under similar conditions the man is less likely to do so. Still, this reversal of the position does not speak powerfully in favour of the woman, as it is to be feared she will more often sin against honour, through her tendency to " blab," than the man is likely to do through his somewhat lazy preference to holding his tongue. What is the cause of this inferiority ? It lies not in a moral but in a social defect. Among women the code of honour is wanting, the natural sense is as much there as with men. They are, compared to the other sex, in this, as in many other respects, still barbarians, with both the advantages and disadvantages resulting therefrom. For men there are laws of honour as clearly defined and as jealously guarded by rewards and punishments as any criminal law. A man with but little natural sense of honour will behave honourably from custom and the fear of bringing shame on himself, and many noble deeds are done without any corresponding virtue in the doer. A woman of a parallel standard will act less honourably, not because she has less nobility of nature, but because her sex is not bound by the same laws. i The condition of Dr. Cornelius Herz, 'whose name has been so often mentioned iin connection with the Panama Canul I scandal, has become more serious. He rei mains in his room at the hotel at Bourne1 mouth, where he was arrested about a -year ! ago. Nearly all the Hebrew leaders of Europe have united on a definite policy regardiDg ■ the colonisation of Palestine.