ARE WOMEN CIVILISED?

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5804, 23 January 1906, Page 3

ARE WOMEN CIVILISED?

).M I’.\ KI.SDN .AND C (.NTKA.'T. ("1 •» tlm Ldiior ‘‘N.Z. Tunc-..".) Sir. -- iPTicrally speaking, how mah rnofu pure, tender, delicate, irritable, affootioiialo, tlezibfo, and paD«*nf is irmn than man! The pmnajy u.an*T m which they an* conol if:u’ed appear.-* to <>•' mure Jlcxtblc, irritable, and eia.-tm tnan Unit of man. They an-. lurm«-«l to maternal mildmvis and nlii-c’ion. They an* thu counterpart oi man, Inkr-n out M Inan, to he Hiihj'ct ii. man; to comPu’ him Jik« anged;, and t<» !t;'lit* , n l.i • Thin tenderness and -<-n-i b: li ty, tlm voiiitllrt.y of fee-ling. render tlmni 100 ea.-,y to conduc t ami i*» i*- "Wi < «<i to the erileipu-e and power Df man; hut more powerful through Ujm aid ol their eimrire, than man. with ah hm strength. Woman n being <’aj♦ i* *!*‘ oi being formed to the purest. nobb-}. •nurft seraphic virtue; hi 'everythin;' which can d‘v.erv.> prai “ <>r afTee'iun. Sim thinks not profoundly; pndound thought n the power of man. b“‘D Kior«; sem-ahibty is tin* j*«»v. er oi women. They ulten rule mot.* effectually, moie sovereignly Umn men. Iloy rule vom (.eiider looks, teal'.-*, ami high*. hut not with pti «uon and lineal ,; Jnr jj they ;-o rule they are no Jongei women. They uro capable »d the -.wr.-w-l .-emsibilily, the n»o*t propound emotion, the utmost humility, mid the enthusiasm. What'hotter can tamper manly rude, net's, or .•drengtlieii and t»upuori Hm ivejiknesd of mau/ U lint mj ;.oou can ttdsUrtgo the rapid blaze of wrath - \\ ha* inuro charm masculine power? h hat quickly du-eipale peevishness and 1 11 - temper? What t>o well can while away the insipid tedious hums of hk* as Uu* near and affectionate look oi a nubia, beautiful woman? What is hi strong as her soil dedicate hand? Wind ;><> p'*rluasivo as her -tears restrained? U ho hut beholding her mud (c.i-e to ran? Thoro m more imagiuai ion iit male ; -t**n. saLion, m the female more heart. WIo n communicative, they are more commuuicalivn (linn man; when M-cpd, umie Hecret, In general they are more latienr,, long-su IT*‘i Irig, ereduiou-a. i-em-vo-lent, and mpdr it. Woman m nut a Joimda'ion on which (0 huild. She U> *he gold anil rUUci. sjorcki. wooi/, hay, Muhhle, I lie mate! inkfor building mi the node hmmUvioji. Him is the haven, or. tame mcpre-n.uy the oil to the vinegar ol man; too -ceomi part to the book m Man. Man nugly hi but half a man, at burnt b„l hall hitman; a kituf n i'lmut « '.inyooia. Woman who feels properly what sue is. whether still or in motion, res!., upon tho man; nor is man what he may aim (flight to be but in coiijum : , n ,m u woimvn. Tli«refor« “it mint k'jikl hull mat. thotild bo nlonc. hut thin lia In iwhither niai umtlN-r. nml fleiive » D'a wife, ami that they Dm -Hall Do "»;• I’orhapa tins will set u " ml ; tbinking, if ho is, ot course, capable or tliat art.—l am. etc., January 13th.

"IN I 1 RAISE OF "HUAII.” j (To the* Editor "N.Z. Times.") j Sir.—With many oT yimr subscribers ' I have to thunk "Omnr for Unit thoughtful letter whirli introduced to your ’columns this instructive contro- > rerav upon woimm. nnd in noing ro. ■ ! regret that some of ihe writers m reply 1 sluniM have indulged in personalities. j However, t was pleased to y'■ tiiat ’■(limir 1 ’ is much too old a hand to adopt their stvio or retaliate in the same obieetionulile spirit. Though 1 diiter from , him in my estimate e! the heaitt md barbarian. I must eoninb incut "Omar up- 1 on having cleverly laid a s;tu| that him drawn so many of Ino Dunking and. writing pack after linn. .May he he eipiullv successful when introducing other 'educative stibieets to the notice oi your numerous readers. —I am. etc.. A. 1!. C. ; Haicomiie. January 17th.

THE BIGHTS OF WOMEN. 1 (To the Editor "NX Times.’’) Sir,—Allow mo to add my opinion to those already expressed concerning the question. are women lit to vote. -1 miskin said: —‘‘This earth fceems to have passed through its highest state, ami,' after ascending liy a serins of phases, culminntini! in its habitation by man. I man seems to bo now gr.muali v making j it unlit for that habitation.’ In my j humble opinion this is tine, although in I fnirnnw to Kurkin 1 must fctoto thut J.iiOr ronU».tt loads ono lo bcliovo that Kurkin thought dillorontly. Bushin also Bind:—. '■.Man's duty to his own homo is to sc-< euro its maintenance, progress, and dc-| fence: the woman's to secure its order,; comfort, and loveliness.” Here we have, in the main the duties of each sex de-: lined ns the duty of carrying on the btisi-, neon of living. We now pass on to duties ; allocting tbo whole, namely, the duties connected with the government of the Btato. All through history we note Hint man has exalted himself to un nnwairan table position. There is a tendency; in common life to value all things in ; proportion to their use to man. .Han's supremacy in taken ns a matter of coarse. Uy the Dye. who gave man this pro-; eminent position? In rending "Omar's" | first letter 1 recalled with pleasure 111

remark, made tu my presence, by one of the moot cultured men in Australasia. When thin old philosopher was asked by a Btudont of biology what portable use tame harmless little insect could be, the sago replied:—“Well, well; if that particular insect has sufficient sense it is probably miking itself what pccwitHe uso is that ugly, gross animal, man." Now, wo have been placed on this •arth without being consulted as to what form wo should take. Man, in so far as bo cohabits with woman, draws taxes from hor, admitas that she is part of the State, and has accepted woman ns his social equal. I shall not bore dmenus the morals of woman compared with those of man. " Omar” has scored hero: Mark Twain could not have done better. The only subject that requires much discamion is the main question of woman’e franchise in voting. The governing body of the State, when it forms laws, expects that woman us well as man shall obey its dicta leu. Then tat rely a woman knows bettor than a man what tho State ban a right to expect from her 1 Ought nhe. then, to bo unable, politically, to exproai hensolf with regard to her needs and wishes ? I think it impertinent that man should presume to hedge in woman with a barbed-wire fence —us he du«« bis cows. Does lit* really, meanwhile, let hi« bullocks roam about as. fancy moves them, and say, ‘‘There now; tho home is your sphere; you may come out to gra’xo on other pastures only when f permit you?” Is it not reasonable to suppose that woman has tho name right

to Bay to man, "Your business in life is to provide for your home; it is nil you can do—in many coses it is mur ;. ho manages to do—therefore kindly leavo politics to me ?” This would load to unwholmomo strife, tho result of which would bo disastrous to both sexes. Wo ennnot preserve our kind without her companionship. I should, tboroforo, nsk those who dispute the right of woman to veto to turn themselves round three or four timon and then nsk themselves if they do not recognise that they arc more thnu tolerably presumptuous in wishing to disfranchise women ! By what reasonable authority arc they warranted in claiming a proprietorship over women jn r wat, and removing them of nil re tr ’'■■'tty— -i relief they have’not the r . - -jh to obtain ? I can soo no ron *'r," (-the pessimistic prediction of "Omar"-c-«r,corning women’s votes. Women have had a veto for twelve years; rtill there ia no evidence of a decaying ‘ttato; quite* the contrary; this State ia known outside of New Zealand for its advanced legislation. I tr * add that X should not rare to see ray ■’MSI or. in the House; but if she doen not know any better’and wants to go there, and moreover can secure the confidence of a constituency. let her go A woman should, when om* comes to think of it. certainly know hidler than a man what is best for her half of tho community; and,

i -mi; wiid in-i, ■ r know." j J.nniarv PDli. I Tin: sciioor. and tiii: iiomi:. I (To the INlilor “N.Z. Tirmr..") i Sir,--.A plea lor fae women and Imp- ! pr-r home I: I "M;r.e heaven in >our ! F.e-e, loving wc.rdk mi your hp>. j;m:ne : nnd truth in voui e.etmn>." S<> mm , v.: I! neves- give a true .vatemeni h- m ; .v«tmi;r. oi writing. under pr.-j ml me. The hi t f I*l -pif/ njani. r M-.ted by "Uiii.ir' nnd tho-e ! i h-irn ml *•.}. i-. on:.or i*« the lasi ot ,tT nnm*'. What rigfit kiv.>ve to go I hrough ‘Tie world trampling on nil that :< Mim-il j*» e nawl dch'eate, wound, mg tlm feelings toj o" hers, [iuining wh**ti wr might !»:«>-*., enuring «.orrovv where we i might «nmloif? Allow me to -av no* h- • ing hut harm will ever come by availing a paisun, or a r-T.ui-a, in an almost ravage manner, losing sigl.T almost of tin* e T .« «>d|en! (iit.i'iiiH tin; wine may i>o-v*.c»-e. , it v.'i* (ltf fc u* to ie-;«i;ia another, then appe»i i«, hi-, gc/od f(u. 1 1 1 1 1 ee», u/id you wi!i g**’ his ear to ii-'vn t<j what \nu curi'ider 'lejceuve. Tjje man or woman never ! lived in whom tome good was not t*> he louml. Love-, arhievcrnents are migldy for improving humanity, ft grows wi»h culture.' (i oi i Wo cannot deny ineif* a;e many uaTaifhful and ineompo lejit women, tindr early training at honm and '.* *<)«»[ hie been very largely at fault. Their ‘Pel-given, finer, emolmnal naiej-M teitinagre.it me.iKiire undi-,<-ip-lined. Om girl- get far too little eoun-e-i and edtn-ation of tindr moral seme, which would, it given, rave from idlcint-s and sentimentality in the tender emotions, deep jasrions. and noble liorm. Kinsley ban saidiiceau-e a w-un.in m so Jim* a erca'uro we wish nothing <U her to he vwt-ded. A preeintiM (i f'HMiif. the eull i rated ( hough tl ul wftmati i; an invalnahie evipilal. or materia! out of which the greatest poteihle to the nation must i,<. mado.’* To Live voung women tailed from little nece'-ei-tns of style to broad and nohlo view* in worth living tor. To thi> end. her idealn would he elevated u the. press would nim to makt* itr; .sit» > hvs i.f blended j list r | je ( lOjj and plea-iiro adapted to form u strong ami pun* womanhood. Too mticli of nor reading is weak; ill calculated to form the das- of maiden and mother Up' world needs; Unit is, a thorough efpHpmem. with good hearl niitun*. Stic* isJ for moral mau't* superior. It n. to he regretted that thot-o who n*'* m* many tions in woman, do uni. admit their own short-comings toward her in girl life, for it vt certainly at that period rue mischief is begun. Abm! tho average home is delinquent, the standard of character i* below par. Moreover, tie* school course in altogether too commercial. more muled to fit the girl to bo r. skihul uceountanl tlian a clever domo--lic witli a groat loving nature. She can be both. To train tho memory whilst tho heart is left wa.-do i« no education. Tho heart loaches the head. To rnnko bolter women as well na men, wo must begin «t: tho cradle. Wo begin nt manhood to reform tlovo who arc wrong-due r>; whore.tfl infancy tho succt't-‘*slul period for producing light doers. Many drift into error ami ism Ticcauso neither (hev nir their parents were ever told what course to steer, nor what equipment would be needed for tho voyage of life. You then, who have navigated tho ocean, we earnestly beseech to give those jus! embarking the benefit of your knowledge of where the rockn amt suallow waters are, and where tin* quiet resting places n.e to be round, “lie kindly affectionate on© to another.'* A reconstruction of cur homes is needed. Our family life is fur from what we could desire. Thero is in far too many cases an unrest ami a* well ;u# a lack of fho*o fine feelings, winch jModuco sunny, sweet smiles, and heartbeating in unison with trustful heart, for which no amount <d material po.-ws-sions will ever In* an equivalent. Homo, to be home indeed, should be rich in *onnea of enjoyment, even though if is. humble. New /ealamJcrs aro not likely to die of (starvation, but, self-indulgence hidrt fair for our degeneracy. There certainly is very great need for reform in l*)th men ami women. Wo, however, feed sure, that with all her faults, woman is the finer creature, and much man owes (o her womanly . influence, nvc, vastly niaro than he is willing to admit.—l am, etc., •tV. BURTON. January I6th. A MISNOMER. (To the Editor “N.Z. Times/’) Sii>“Jwd a line or two to draw the attention of your roadors to the fact that mankind lorn not vet evolved to a state of civilisation. 1 think it was Mr Wells who wrote that to call the present or past slate of the world as one of “civilisati(m**irt a misnomer. We are gradually approaching it. but judging from the letters written on the above subject we are yet a. long way off the goal.— I am, etc., „ , TAEUO E. Mnngnweka, January (Sth.

WOMEN EMIGRANTS WANTED. (To (lie Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir,—l should like to know why the Govot-iurient do not let women in' at a cheaper rate than men. The Queensland Government lets in domestic servants at -I".’ per head and agricultural labourers at -tf; now yon might at least let the women come in cheap. I suppose von have got enough agricultural labourer*. Women who come out hero with X.V) in their pockets, may bo a superior lot, but they don’t want to be domestic servant* nor ordinary workmen’s wives. They rather want somebody to wait on them People who have got .'Can in their pockets can afford to pay tho full passage monev. Hotter let women in at j£2 per head. How can you expect Now Zealand to be moral when there are 40.000 more men than women in it. and tho Australasian colonics altogether are about 2.10,000 short. Yet there arc about 1,000,000 women too many at Horae.—X am. etc.. „ 'AN ENGLISHMAN. January ISth.

HOW TO MANAGE A MAX. I With tho remark “How would this un- ' civilised woman ouit ‘Omar’?” n Wados- | town correspondent, "C.Y.W.,” encloses • tho following lines, which, apparently, j nro not original:— | “How is a woman to manage a man? ; Flatter and fondle as much ns she can: j Uiunmon and grieve when her cooking’s ■ amiss; i Bid him good-bye with a lingering kiss, j Welcome him back with expressions of „ .S !< -'o. I .Smile ail the time he is taking his tea. Baugh at his jokes, though she knows them of old; Never reply when it suits him to boo Id; Nor question his statements, whatever she think. Should 'work in the cifv’ smell strongly of drink. Bear half of bis troubles, and nil of her own; lleprove him at times—in a worshipful tone. I’nwrve her good looks till her figure grows stout. Then gently and tenderly peg herself out, ixviving him free in new bachelor life To mitudle, at times, o’er the loss of his wife— Her tombstone, recording—“ Hero lies Mary Ann. Who died o’er tho effort to manage a man.”

A MIXIATUIIE STATE. (To the Editor “X.Z. Times.”) Sir.—lf "Omar” had been broaderminded in his judgment of a sex of which he is evidently ignorant, ho would not have laid himself open to being misunderstood. It is curious to notice now his sudden shifting of ground and his attempt to sooth milled feelings bv unctuous reference to “the special qualities for which wo all revere womanhood and the 'Vpccinl attribute.-;" with which woman has been endow,-,! "for the high piiri>ose of mothering the race." Surely “Omar's” line of argument is the most extraordinary ever advanced by a man

' 'U'w.H-m’- 1 V’’ dm.vimi' ;.nd ' ug :L ; t:!. in.U :t -h/ed-l i:.iv- ■ ?, it.f J !'(■•:.■ r .1! r-il! ■ >l> !" . ■:; V v...y; -'xVm.rnrg' r‘w y-;> r'-* ;■' Ur ' -d .r-.iimn ;*nd 1 1 ■ 111 iof I r.iiniiig in :in\Ib:n;: except wl*.,t p-naiiu-d U, the bom*-. | >.o v, (v-ncKirrin- uu- ;tdv:in’ag< -. .trui op-* p'»[: unit H-. i h;i • h.ive be. n -iH‘iwi in I ti.ih’v pi'ii'.v.iy, .;m-> not the reproach IP* ; [eflnr witii him. le* i.aa not l"°‘j • orrmn. in q.i!" of her di-advant.tgot'. J -.S.ould have prodm-ed any at all in the riMt'.e!. and i- woof that, tin* depths of woiimnN rajiahih; ics nave not \er been » 1 j1 1* 1 **d. It tie* niiiin* oi* New Zealand li*--. in the hand- of Mich thinkers a"Urnar.” nnd oi >»ieh mol Inus .tf “Omar'* h.i> depict*-*!. tin*n iheoiilloo!: is imieed h!.i*k; bi:f. foilnnalely there an- n* u with mimN n . lair and ]u**t towards woman as towanis their lel’ow man; ami he.j a!,’, ihej** aic * wortny the nann*. v» lio can train lh*dr children and “-till i*nd time to tak*- an inr- lhgent ina-nef in alfairs of .State, lor nil-: all, who i.-> betti r timdihi’d to have a \rae in a gov ein :ut ii t, than a mother, u jeeeov.ii !iou~en«dct is a miniature state, and v, ho | ei.-onal!y holds every ollice from (oak and washerwoman to justice of the peace ami pnvy eounsedoi.— I am.

etc., •VERITAS. Linton, January ICtn. A VUICE ITiOM MATAMAU. (To the Editor "N.Z. Times?/*) Sir. L am very torry to hoar that such a despicahlc' creature as "Mere Man” i.-,5 allowed to breathe in "(Jod’s o.\n country/’ much less come into daily cniaci wait tho geuflo m>x, or, as he terms ilium, unmitigated liars. fie says Aomen are unlit to take a part in public life. Who iri tho unmitigated liar tliere. In this country alone it has been proved over and oVer again that woman can take a very* good partin public life if t>ho only gets u chance, and. duos not get pushed aside by curs or men. Secondly, that "Mere ilan-Tliing" says that tho majority ol their homes are enough to drive a man to drink. All I can say to that is. that it is an everlasting thirst that drives them to hotel:?, mid to hear some of lho<e loud-mouthed animalu like them selves; spout. Now, not far away I know where* thero is a sheep dip, and it would bo capital (sport to lie a rope round "More Man's” big toe, and slush him u sl and down for a while, the sumo «s shwp. Perhaps after that his ideas and thoughts might be clean and kept out of print. I keep thinking ho must be the “missing link/' or some very rare animal, and perhaps it would not be u bud idea to put him in your public gardens— inside a barb-wir© enclosure, and, like lx)t*s wife, if ho looks at «- woman get turned into a pillar of salt. I must confess that in my thirty-two years of existence I have never come into contact with such a despicable thing iiij “M«ri* Man," and some of my best friends aro men wlu>-e esteem I value, •and who are to be looked up to, so I, could not dream of assailing them in general, as it would bo prepewtrous. In iudici* to my male friends.—l am, etc., J •TfCl’TJl. Matamau, lI.IL, January 13th.

another indictment. (To the Editor "N.Z. Times.”) Sir.—l have read with much interest "Omar's” letter m votir issue of the iu‘>i lust., ro the capacity of women to hold a useful iiosiitioa in the intellectual ami political world. To my mind, it appears that there is a great deal of truth in his remarks to the effect that women have not reached such a civilised state ns man, and that they arc alive neither to the responsibilities of the position they hold in this country, nor to the duties that they owe to mankind (meaning also womankind) in other, directions. Women have, as "Omar" has pointed out. a very small sense of honour, as men understand it, to one another. His illustration of their incapacity to. keep a secret, and of their inordinate curiosity stmek mo ns being particularly happy (or unhappy). A woman has also acquired, for tlio reason that man has humoured her as the weaker vessel, a certain degree of selfishness which was evens a hie in the olden days when she laboured under so many disabilities. Now, however, bile stands, legally, tho equal of man in this colony, and in many directions is oven .sneeeivffnlly competing against him. 'i’liis being to, she should not logically expect the consideration which, in the past, she has accepted with, in many cased, scout thanks. As "Omar” points out. if woman is going to attain a high position in a country, it in assuredly in New Zealand that she should do so. Vet, what do wo find? After twelve years of political equality witli man. the average woman of the colony is profoundly ignorant of the more important issues of the day, and lias no desire to acquire knowledge concerning them. The question of freehold v. leasehold is one of no moment, when the* question of the spring hat is concerned: and free trade v. protection is ns completely unknown by her as .Sanskrit or Syriac-CTmlclean. It is impossible to educate a woman up to thpso questions and principles, Her nature is so fickle, nnd her likes nnd dislikes are so founded on personal instincts and not on logical principles, that she will ever subordinate the rights of the many to the desires of this favoured few. This, of course, is not a revelation. The fact lias been traced in history with many sharp, and. alas, dark stains. That there have been, and are, many truly great and noble women is but the exception that proves the rule, am! yet. curiously enough, the spur in most cases to tlwir exceptional achievements has been a personal desire to please a particular person, not a sense of what is due from them ns public- personages. Xu this connect ion Cleopatra. .Semiramis, Catherine of Russia, and Madame de Pompadour may bo mentioned as instances of women acquiring immense power under tlie stimulus of their personal passions. Indeed, it seems impossible to ever get women to look at ihinge from an impet sonal and unemoHor.aT point of view.

It may he argued that women arc now holding positions and engaging in-com-mercial pursuits that they .would not dream of twenty years ago. It would ho unprofitable, as well as futile, to deny this; but the fact does not disprove my contention that the majority of them are unfitted for public life. With the higher education that they are now able to obtain, it ia but natural that they prefer tlie office to home duties, ansi the Civil Service to governessing. hut in the junior capacities they there hold, there is not much room for initiative, and they soon fall into Hie routine that is so dearly shown them. They are excellent mimics For education itself, I very much fear that women have no true rcepcct. For art. literature, science, and logic, they have no abstract love. For the production of art. realisations of beautiful conceptions. they express, and no doubt fed, a real pleasure, hut tlie-pleasnre is akin to animal feeling, if it is anplyeed. F,c their tasto in literature tho least said the better; except for a few really cultured women, they know nothing of the British classics, a'nd care loss. It is. however, not their ignorance that unfits them for a place in tho State ns man’s compeer, but it is their entire and lamentable disclination to learn, that shows tho utter, heartbreaking, hopelessness of any attempt -to truly elevate thorn. With twelve years of liberty, freedom and equality are the women of Xew Zealand better than their, say. English sisters ? Are they lesa the cen-!r-.-i of scandal, back-biting, vanity, and shallowners than they were before ? Have they realised ia the slightest do-

mngld. .i;. *• .'.itd ior, that Will', Mu, 11 ir ll' Aral have N-/V‘ Sry.h h*;n*: the c.»-; ■, T would urge on jf!! v : i *r h hv emotiunal. wiiim*i‘-a! f.-m ini ■**- jaddi-J-. A Arten.tn W.-i.l -a;..-. "Wl.*-* w. man plays t h<- m.:n. f-h»* c'-n ;• “y t U-. s •!;<- Povil.” Si!*jii*!!i*‘ «-i*> j!iret;r*f fh«* < ■unph , ment to k;m»: bee in ;he pcLi ;e-;t we rid. In the hume. ;n 1 filling the dut-c- nature int eniled iiCf ter. nut /ng t n.* -h*k nnd comforting the f*:tl!en *»jjm ean hr* a ministering angej (r.f iigh!. -md th.ank fJcd, in the na-1 s!;e )|n. dimvn lier-elf erip;di ; e U tli*'->e du: and a« genth* in flu* ndnu'rsietr.Ainn of !lie:u ns no man muM over he. I» is clear which i> her sphere.— I am. iK. SENEX, Stratford, January 10th.