WOMEN AS SLAVES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 441, 25 February 1909, Page 3

WOMEN AS SLAVES.

•, 'P° nsu elo, Duchess of Marlborough, is writ- 1 mg a series of articlos in the "North American. Review.' dealing - with tho position of' women in all ages. . Judging, from' her- first articlo,: .she .intends!,to; deal with her subject ■> she^^'proposesin' theseries of articles /to follow tho woman from nomauio days, :which '"acknowledged'her to ho supreme, through "tho gradual narrowing and restricting of ,her:'sphere." to- the present'day., ' 1 "Such a brief review, will," she says, "make rt clear to us that women, were not in tho first place looked ; upon as. the .weaker or more negligible quantity. True, they wero not the .portion ol i-ho' racej ■but t-hoy v,"ero the,..organisers, custo<liaiis, iguar'diah's, and householders;T-transmitters 'of name and ifor-tunej-apdj in; many :casesj.folectors arid lawgivers .as well." 1 The article makes sarcastic reference to •; >hqse. ladies; who - are sacrificing their frte-for;a-cause they, have not 'evon' the- satisfaction i i that tho whole - of-womankind up-+-6m'; ! , c ' os es ■ with;' the suggestion tftot. Aspasia .may;- liavo been ,tho -firsfr'suffrai of-' other > V:Greik-. husbandsfianC6 <,£ - all P recede^

•1 • .sho .-teach .these poor -prisoners lih n^ nV ?'j - n * ;o 7? v^oln or m^ssa s o of JL.m'l iiTi' must havo :^L U - of somfl sweet/harmony u x ¥ d not keynote? Was Bhs-abt© to, show their hesitating minds J'" : &uidf > tbem'. -' sll ? do 7 B 'to . the eliilgeiico-of understanding she and Pericles .had;found? as her influence berit only 011 P !S !?S^ them from the status of vhtiusemves to that of companion wives? Or did she venture further and point out where wohoirie ai sho. the.first suffragist -and did her political ambition include women '-as well as men. iri the'sphere of her influence? There ls littlo doubt' some of 'tlieso 'theories must' have, actuated hef teachings or she worild not liave : been tried :for impiety and only acquit ted . through the impassioned pleading of lericlts,- who on -this one. occasion . accompanied .his entreaties ,'with' tears. There'is >rio' doubt;:.that ; 'Aspasia'- , foresaw ; 'that a 5 city.;in : whitli;,the;-mothers iwero .held; iii. so'.little iregunl, and woro.allowed to;wield none of that liimrenco'childhoodrequires.'must'sooneror latei retrograde." .It. 'is, in my opinion, tho necessity to V'adjiut htfrsell-.to.man, .to-.bo judged:by his inqiv.nlu.il.slftndanl and.to.conform.her whole P|''S!ynility.-,to .hjs'.ways that has. rol'licfl.: woman ; 'of. :the:' power/ strength,.-: and; influence.■ she could, otherwise • have- exerted. ■■ W s "' n . l ' c ! wonien hay;e'a standard,of : right; the; happen to belong "£ ;4S iri: earlier.days—by'^.marriage," as ; ,)i modern. How can any logical sequence in jnind. or. action bo : expected of woman uiifLer buch prevailing conditions? -In nearly all the. Oncntal.nations faithfulness' is tho only.; virtue extelled'-'in'-wdmari,- the only one expected of her or-seriously impressed upon her.jjrinsciousness,; and • yet even that one ; stronghold - of' her; soul: could 'be' destroyed' at hor husband's command, though she would be punished by death.if she destroyed it without her . permission. : What moral sense can be born; of.such an anomaly? .Surely: blind obedience is not tho ..school to produce a sense of responsibility, or a moral code fit for others;.than slaves, and is pernicious . in, the; fajai dearea to a waitient and thinkirie. beine."