192 
THE ETHICS OF SOCIOLOGY. 
is full of noxious weeds which choke healthy development. 
Those who cannot see them are incapable of assisting in the 
work of social improvement. They belong to those requiring 
the attention of Sociologists. They are to be found in every 
section of Society, but most often amongst the extremely 
poor and the self-indulgent wealthy. 
High thinking has ever been pretty closely associated with 
plain living. The pampered body is not a congenial home for 
noble sentiments. 
The prancing steed is more likely to kick than assist the 
overworked of his species. 
I will not insult the intelligence of my hearers by attempt¬ 
ing an enumeration of social problems calling for solution. 
Each Sociologist worthy the name believes one or more of 
them to be of first importance. It is his or her duty, as a 
member of a Sociological Society, to acquaint himself or her¬ 
self with the facts of, or relating to that subject. These, after 
due collation, should be brought under the notice of, and 
discussed by fellow-workers. 
Here let me say that I should view with as much distrust, 
discussious and decisions exclusively confined to my own sex, 
and not participated in by lady Sociologists, as I should if 
men were excluded from the consideration of such matters. 
I will go further, and say that of the two evils, I would prefer 
subjecting myself to the Sociological decisions of ladies only, 
rather than to such as men only would be likely to impose. 
Notwithstanding the fact that woman has hitherto had little 
or no training for public work, she has very conspicuously 
displayed a more than average ability for its duties on school 
boards, and in the administration of the poor laws. 
I would therefore urge that we do what may be neces¬ 
sary to induce ladies to join us in discussing questions of 
a Social nature. 
Socially, numerically, and individually, woman is at least 
as important as man. 
When on one occasion I was the guest of Professor Draper, 
of New York, I expressed my admiration for the position 
which woman holds in the United States, and remarked that 
I considered woman’s position in any country to be the most 
sensitive test of the civilisation of that country. 
To this Mrs. Draper remarked, that from what she had 
seen and learnt of English society, she thought that we 
ignored the fact that woman is mother to the man, and is 
pretty certain to transmit to him her defects, whatever they 
may be. That this must be so, a moment’s reflection will 
convince us. If only for selfish reasons, how anxious then 
