246 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the laws relating to women. Without tliem we do not know 

 when " man's own sense of equity and right " would have im- 

 pelled him to annul the obnoxious statutes. Even here in New 

 York we come occasionally upon instances which betray the 

 defects of a masculine code ; * while in the civilized countries of 

 Europe the laws generally discriminate in man's favor. 



Outside of unjust enactments, the former subjection of woman 

 is stamped on our customs, our literature, and our language. It 

 is hardly possible for any one to investigate the origin of many of 

 our conventionalities, titles, terms of obloquy, without coming 

 unexpectedly upon proof of man's injustice to woman. 



It is not intended to reproach the present generation of men 

 for these or any other sins of their forefathers, as I hold all an- 

 tagonism of the sexes as unnatural and vicious. Had women pos- 

 sessed the physical force, I think it very likely they would have 

 acted as badly as their male ancestors. Yet it is instructive to 

 note the tendencies and results of abuse of power, and an exclu- 

 sive manhood suffrage is in this age and country a retention of 

 power unwarranted by reason. 



In primeval society, our antisuffragist allows that " the male 

 and female were more nearly balanced in what each was called 

 upon to endure." He adds that, although civilization has im- 

 proved the lot of man, it. has not "redeemed woman from the 

 primitive sufferings by which she consecrated her motherhood." 

 As to what sufferings primitive woman had I do not feel quite 

 sure, but can agree that civilization has not yet accomplished a 

 physical redemption for woman, although it is now alive to the 

 fact that she has a physique to be developed. On the contrary, it 

 has hitherto distorted her and artificially increased her weakness 

 under the pretense of differentiating her from man. Her own stu- 

 pidity and vanity are occasionally at fault, but man is not guilt- 

 less, and if another distinct grievance is wished for, it is here. 

 Nature is not cruel; according to the words of the old hymn, 

 " only man is vile." Let us say instead, man is a blunderer. 



Our opponent reaches at length his principal tenet: women 

 are a privileged class. Their privileges consist not in the minor 

 courtesies of life, but in various immunities and exemptions 

 which are " a generous attempt on the part of men to make for 

 their mates and yoke-fellows an easier pathway through a rugged 

 world. . . . Having in the right of his strength the opportunity to 

 determine the customs of society, he has exempted his mate from 



* A woman appointed administratrix refused to pay an exorbitant bill. Her arrest for 

 contempt of court resulted in the death of her babe. The surrogate said it was a case of 

 great injustice, but the code made it mandatory upon him to issue the order (New York 

 Times, June 11, 1890). 



