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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 1908)
IN ANOTHER WAY AMERICA LEADS ALL THE WORLD United States Almost Alone in Free dom and Opportunity That Is Afforded to Gentler Sex n, i i MM Tholr Ideas In business, law, medicine or education arc not despised, for tholr share of tho national activities and responsibilities claims recognition ami respect. A natural nceompanltnont of wom an's Inferior share In the industrial mid social Institutions of a nation is lior subordinate position In (lie home. She Is not living In a world wliuro lior wishes are accorded much considera tion. Hellgltm. education, politics and business are in the hands of men, who give to the other sex such quantity and quality of each as seem to them fitting. Old Idea of "Ownership" Gone. In America, however, as Is outlined by Mrs. Commander and Is observed by all observers, the old relationship of owner and owned Is Riving place to one of euuallty and comradeship. Man does not marry with the Idea of secur ing a patient chattel with enough In te llgonco to work for lilin. wait on him and minister to his physical de sires, lie seeks a friend, a conipun ion. a comrade, a woman of Independ ent personality, who will bo congenial In lior tastes and habits, but who will live a llfo of her own, not be absorbed in and lost by his. American husbands are proud of wives who succeed in the business. professional, artistic, literary or dra JnAmopica Women Ape. tha Avowed Zfedera of Jocictv- T IS In the United Status that women rovol in bods of clover and walk on vel vet and roses, an ample reason, no doubt, for their celebrated wit, charm and beauty. For they are free to develop their mental faculties, free to enjoy social life and frco to work. In America women who want learn ing and Latin have fowest restrictions placed upon their place and manner of education. In America and in Amer ica alono they aro the avowed leaders of society. And In America they havo the largest liberty In choosing a pro fession. Although In Hussla clubs are only beginning to be lawful, and In France and Germany conditions aro llttlo bet ter, In America -1,000,000 wives, moth ers and spinsters aro organized Into clubs and societies; and of the 300 oc cupations recognized by tlio United States census women are represented in nil but nine. Carroll D. Wright, commissioner of labor, declares that it is plain that "woman Is In open rebellion against tho traditional curse, against the doc trine of the Paull estimate of women's sphere; thnt she has determined to assert her equality in many directions and that she has entered and occupied the great Held of remunerative em ployment." American Women Not Humble. Tho woman of America Is charac terlzed as "Independent, forceful, capa ble and far from humblo. Obedience is furthest from her thoughts. Civil marriages rarely contain tho word obey; some of tho churches have dropped It; when It Is uttered it Is either regarded as a joke or explained as a deslro to please, prompted by love something which would bo equnlly applicable to tho husband. "Self-sacrlllco, formerly a cardinal womanly virtue, is no longer In high favor. Self development is rapidly taking Its place Tho Antorican wom an has Imbibed a new doctrine, that of freedom and happiness. Sho does not bollcvo that she should be sub missive, that her life should be hedged with limitations, or that sho Is fore doomed to suffer for tho sins of others. Foreigners coming to this country never nro kndwn to comment upon the American woman as clinging, timid, humble, dependent, submissive self sactitlclng. without conlldcnco In her abilities or Inclination to protect her rights and convinced of the su periority of man." On the contrary, as Mrs. Lydln Klngsmlll Commander testifies In her scientific study of American woman, sho Is always remarked for lior self reliance, force, freedom, Intelligence and capacity. She Is Intent upon be ing herself, not tho palo reflection of sorao one olso, and upon developing tho possibilities of life to tho utmost. Sho has groat respect, and sho com mands tho rospect of others. Sexes Stand on an Equality. Naturally women sustaining such al tered relations to society and so changed In character hold a different relation to men. The sexes are more cm a parity, says Mrs. Commander. Their lives aro more closely associ ated, they havo more in common, nnd they understand ono another as never before. Tho women nro not something npnrt from the national llfo. a sort of annex to the race, kept entirely for domestic service nnd reproduction; they aro becoming people, hnlf tho na tion, nnd growing to bo consiuoreu and respected as such. Tholr opinions on public Quostjons are not Ignored ,ng a sick husband or being left n widow, she work for bread. In n recent editorial of a conserva tive nowspaper It was argued that "Marriage does not rob a woman of tho right still to be a wage earner un der approved conditions. Many wives are Justly proud of the ability to main tain their own resources and even con tribute to the household fund." Tho well-worn maxim has It that the treatment of women Is nn Index to a nation's rank In civilization. And un deniably truo this adage proves to the traveler who tours the world and finds In tho most primitive states tho most debased and Injured womankind, and In tho most advanced states the lofti est and freest women. Herbert Spencer wrote mournful and great words when ho observed that in the history of humanity us written tho saddest part concerns tho treatment of women. "And if we had before us Its unwritten history wo should find tills part still sndder. 1 say tho snddost because though there have been muny things more conspicuously dreadful cannibalism, the torturing of prisoners. the sacrlllclngs of victims to ghosts and gods these have been but occa sional; whereas tho brutal treatment of women has been universal and con slant. "If, looking first at their state of subjection during the seml-clvUlzod, we pass to the uncivilized, nnd observe tho lives of hardship borne by nenrly all of them, If wo then think what must havo gono on among those still under peoples, who for so many thou sands of years roamed over tho uncut tured earth, wo shall Infer thnt tin amount of suffering which has been and Is borne by women Is utterly be youd imagination. Utter nbsonco of sympathy made It Inevltnblo that women should suffer from the egoism of men. without any limit as to their ability to bear tho en tailed hardships. Passing this limit tho Ill-treatment by rendering the women Incnnable of rearing a dm number or children brought about dis appearance of the tribe; and wo may surely assume that multitudes of tribes disappeared from this cause, leaving behind those In which tho 111 treatment was less extreme." Australian Does Not Love Wife. In Australia Sir .John Lubbock found llttlo real affection exists be tween husbands and wives, and young men value a' wife principally for her sorvlco as a slave; In fact, when asked why they are anxious to obtnln wives, their usunl reply Is that they may get wood, water and food for them and carry whatever property they may possess. Tho Australian women aro treated with tho utmost brutality, beaten and speared In tho limbs on the most trivial provocation. "Few women will bo round upon ex amination to bo Tree from frightful senrs upon tho head or the marks of spear wounds about the body," says he. "I have (icon a young woman who, from the number of these marks. peasants cost rrom five to six uniiar". a sum, "which it was pleasant to re celve but painful to expend." The dnughters also are freely sold. and the brothers of each family bought common wife whom they rented without hesitation to strangers. In New Zealand, according to Moerenhnut and Ward, a fathor or brother. In giv ing his daughter or his sister to her future husband, would say; "If you are not satisfied with her, soil her. kill her. eat hor; you are absolute master of her." Women of Tahiti Half Starved. Almost nt the origin of society, writes Letournonu woman wnB sub jugated by her companion! we havo c EEEr The Kiteologist r -- By Don Mark Lemon that I know about the professor, but boforo wo go u step rnrther let nie warn you that 1 don't believe a word of what the newspapers printed about seen her become In succession beast 1 "! No. lr. I won't and can't bellevo ol burden, slave, minor, subject, held that such a truo gentleman as the pro- aloof from n free, active life, often fessor always showed himseir to up maltreated, oppressed, punished with ' U havo deliberately set out to rob flirt- f.... .w.lo II. nt III... I, ml,. MU-llliP 110 UOVCrillllOlll OI Or?. 4 .iUU. IV n would commit with Impunity before her eyes. In the Soudan, where the removnl of i clothes Is a sign of obeisance, women (Copyright, by Slmrtitory l'ub. Co.) .lust come up on the roof. sir. and 1 that ho nover came back, even for his I'll show you tho cage and tell you all I clothes. You see, Just across the street from hero Is tho stthtrcasury, and every lit tle while a wagon drives up to tho door tilled with big canvas bags full of gold, and tho clerks will como out 7f liln thel7niferfc7tat&sfhat(V&men. lvaJ la Beds of Cloven. mutlc world; who attain positions of prominence In philanthropic, oducn tional, or reform organization, or who are possessed of any special ability or knowledge. In the conservative countries mar riage is all important to u woman and of secondary Interest to a mnn. Tho stories end with the wedding of tho heroine, for it settles her career. Sho Is now merged in her husband nnd no more is expected or heard of her Meanwhile the man pursues tho oven tenor of his way, his mnrriago being but a more or less Important Incldont Hut the American womnn's growth of Interests outside of marriage has Increased the Importance of marriage to men. Tho more developed woman of tho United States touches her bus baud's nature at many points nnd fills a larger place In his life. Ho discusses public affairs with her, confides In hor the details of his business, asks hor opinion, and frequently follows her ndvlce. In matters of common Inter ests hor wishes carry equal weight with his. In brief, the American wife holds a position in the respect, as well as the affection of her husband that makes the American man a proverbial matrimonial prize. Of course, all American women are not free, respected and happy. There aro wives in tho United Stntes who aro bullied and bossed, treated with contempt, beaten and oven mnrdored. Hut In these also are many instances where, so far from the wire obeying, the opposite extreme almost holds true. There are ninny American hus bands who, lnstea'd or exacting self- sacrillce of their wives, yield it to tho fullest measure, men who make a fetich or their wives' wishes and work unceasingly nnd uncomplain ingly to gratify even their whims. And tho every day American hus band recognizes Ills wife ns u person with tastes, desires, ambi tions and Interests of her own, and acknowledges hor tight to their de velopment and gratification. He con siders her us a human being, analogous to himself. Women for Clubs and Societies. Kven the most conservative of Ameri can husbands allow their women to Join a W. C. T. U a missionary so ciety, or a woman's club. Nor Is there objection to tho wife turning nn honest penny In her spare tlmo. Sho may do dressmaking or give music lessons In tho Intervals or housowork. It 1b oven generally conceded that she may under stress of necessity enter the Industrial world without prejudice of hor femininity. Tho most domestic housewife Incurs no disgrace If, hav- may only como unclothed Into tho prespnre of the sultan or Melll, ami even the sultan's daughters must con rorm to this custom. At tho court of Uganda stark naked, full grown wom en are the valets. Indeed, throughout the primitive world women are beasts or burden, servants, slaves. Not only tho wire of the negro, the Hindu, and the Kelghls, but also the wife of the present slav of the llalknn peninsula and of Russia, Is the mis- . used slave of her husband, and as tho result of the effort to oscnpo labor, we see the unwholesome Interchange of wife and child labor In the factories which would make greater gains rrom the laborer at tho expense or wire and child. Indeed, In Its origin the family Is held to havo been "simply an Institu tion for the more complete subjugation and enslavement or women ami chil dren, for the subversion of nature's method In which the mother Is tho queen, dictates who shall be father, and guards her offspring by tho In stinct or maternal affection planted In her for that purpose." Japanese Widows Blacken Teeth. In India the subjection of women has had Its headquarters. The suttee or the burning of widows on the funeral pyres or their husbands Is not yet wholly extinct, although forbidden by law; and the remarriage of widows Is only beginning to bo permitted. Tho widow at best loads an Isolated ex istence, cut off rrom hor natural asso ciates, condemned to base roods and a lire or practical servitude. In Japan tho widow must blacken her teeth anil shavo her eyebrows. Throughout the orient women aro taught to address their husbands as tnnutnr m- lord, whereas the men i .1. ... M...I.. ...I...... .... ulnoiku tttwt t servants. Tho oriental prover.bs de clare that "woman Is like a slipper, mado to order; wear It tr It fits you, throw It away If it does not." "Woman Is like a snake, charming as well as venomous." "Woman should always bo In good humor and rovere her husband, even though unfaithful, as a god." preposterous to think or, hut It's Just like the newspapers to make the mat ter as sensational as possible. Take care you don't tear your coat on that nail. I'll have my boy pull It out when he conies home rrom school. Now, sir, step this way. and you can see for yourself how Innocent tho pro fessor was of any evil Intentions. Look! Ho you think this tint tin roof I looksllko a robber's roost'.' It's ti-1 dlculous; yet to resd the newspapers you would think that wo landlords are tho ftlends of robbers, and all manner of thieves. We landlords have a hard enough struggle to live, without the newspapers making It any harder for us. Yes, sir. this Is the cage where the professor kept his three big eale. and now I'll tell you how he came to Htop with me. and why he had such strange-like pets. You see. I had Just lately taken this house and had spent the last dollar I had In the world In furnishing It, and was glad enough to havo such a nice gentleman as the pro lessor come along the second day after 1 put up my sign and ask If I hadn't a furnished front room to let, with running water and a good deep closet where lie could keep his clothes. Well. sir. I snapped him up at once, as I could see ho was a gentleman, i and, besides, he looked neat and pros perous, and 1 rolt 1 wouldn't havo to In the. United. .States Jlart Bows Down, to VVb:marj. When Nerves Are Jangled. "Diseased nerves play queer pranks," said tho specialist. "I had a patient who onco spent five months In a hospital, taking a rest cure. Ho sur rored rrom Insomnia constantly. To reach his homo It was necessary to spend a night on tho cars, and he looked forward to this with great dread, liven when well ho had alwaya slept poorly on a train, and ho looked forward to an absolutely wldeawako night. So ho supplied himself with a powder In the hope that It might help a little. He didn't need tho drug, however. Ho slept eight solid hours, far better than In tho quiet of tho hospital. Now a little coffee or smoking or any ex citement In the evening will give him insomnia. Yet when he once gets to sleep he Is the hardest person In tho house to awaken. The firecrackers on the nights of .Inly :i and 4 hu never hears. A big lire on the block, with all the noise of tho engines, didn't arouse him. "Then there was a woman who had nervous prostration so badly that sho was confined to bed and had to havo a LI 111 III in j t 1 gW j-il - They Grabbed the Dags of Gold and Flew to the Roof. appeared to have been almost riddled with spenr wounds. If nt all good looking their position Is, If possible, even worse than otherwise." Paul dn Challlu during his ndven tures In central Africa round two dis tressing cases or apparently wanton torture or women. Among tho Kafllrs, t relates Herbert Spencer, besides her domestic duties the woman has to per rorm all tho hard work; sho Is her bus-1 band's ox. a Kaffir remarked to n traveler; she had been bought, he argued, and must therefore labor. Chieftain's Wife a Complete Slave. Prof. Ward observes that tho com plete slavery of woman to man Is i shown by the account of a Mnlagary chief who had scarcely seated himself at his door when his wife came out, crawling on her hands nnd knees till j she came to him, and then licked his foot. All the women In the town sa- i luted their husbands In the sanlo man- j trained nurse. Hurly one evening her nor. AlmoBt everywhere In Arrlca. re- family were startled by an awrul com ports Letourneau, womnn Is tho prop- motion ami shrieking in her room, erty or her husband, who hns tho right ' They rushed up to find hor In a corner to use her as a boast or burden, and killing a mouse with the back or a hair almost always makes her work as he ! bniBh, while the nurso stood In the In India, Man Reigns Supreme. worry about him not paying his rent on tlmo. Hut before ho took the room ho asked If he couldn't go up on the roof and seo If It would suit him ror a certnln purpose. I was somewhat sur prised at him wanting to rent tin roof, but thinking him a photographer or something like that, I brought him up here and ho was real pleased. So ho told me his business, and I rented this roof to him without any hesitation at all. It Isn't every day ono can rent a scrap of roof for more than a good sunny front room, and you can't blame mo for doing so. Well, sir. ho was a klteologlst, as he told me. He Hew kites to study the winda and the temperature nt a great height. Ho wasn't In the employ of tho government, but was studying on his own account. He took his silk hat off and.snt down right over there and explained all about It to me. His kites weren't like those that the boys lly, nor were they like I have seen pictures of in the papers great big box-like things but they were eagles real live eagles. He had three of them, and he would attach a strong string to their legs and let them lly up Into the heavens with u thermom eter and barometer attached, or some such-like scleutlllc Instruments, nnd when ho was ready, he would gently . draw them down again. Well, sir, It was a pleasure to hear him talk; he knew everything about eagles and kites and the heavens, and of course I consented for him to bring his birds and fly them from my roof, not supposing the landlord I gel the house rrom would care at all. Which I can suy, ho didn't. So the next day the professor came with his three I eagles and placed them up here on the roof in that big cage, and It was good to Bee how he did love those birds, nnd play with them, and teach them all kinds of tricks. My gracious, but they wero strong! 1 really think the small est of the three could have lifted a big child in its claws; and the professor explained how thut they must be strong to carry Ills scientific- Instruments so and get the gold and curry It Into tho vaults. Well, on Tuesday morning, Just after I had llnlshed some washing and was going out to get a now hnndlo to my Irons, which had got broken, tho wagon drove up before tho subtrensury door and the clerks began to take out the Fiick of gold and carry them Into the hunk. 1 can truly say that I'm not by na ture a covetous woman, but, naturally, I paused and watched tho men a mo ment or two, thinking what 1 could do If I had what was In Just ono of thoso sacks. Why, there must have been an much us $1,000 or $5,000 In each sack, and there wero dozens of them, I be lieve. Suddenly, as I was standing there, a darkness seemed to come over tho sun. nnd at the same time a strango Hying sound made me look up, and thete wero the professor's three eagleti broken loose rrom the cage I foil real sorry for the professor, to think thnt his birds had got loose and down they camo and lighted on tho wagon full of gold. 1 lifted up my apron to shoo thorn hack to tho roof, whon If those throe mischievous birds didn't settle tight down Into tho bags full of gold, and ouch ono grab a bug In IiIh claws, UUo I saw them grab a bag with a dead rabbit In It on tho roof ono day. and no sooner had they grabbed the bags of gold than up they Hew again to the roof. 1 was astonished beyond measure,' but the cleiks who wero carrying In the gold were simply dutnfounded. And no wonder! Supposing tho englesi, should spill tho gold or lly away with, It, why tho poor clerks might have to; return It out of their salaries, and hear they don't get paid so much, though they are employed by tho gov eminent. Well, sir. the moment 1 could collect my scattered hoikus, I rushed back Into the house to tell the professor what had happened, for, as I hadn't seen him on tho roof, 1 supposed ho was In his room. Of course tho clorkn followed mo, and wo nil hurried up hero where you aro standing now. Tho three eagles wero gone, ami tho professor was nowhoro to bo found. Poor mnn, ho was out somewhero in the city, nnd I felt llko running down and warning him not to return, for rear they would hold him responsible ror the gold. I saw that tho oagloB each had lately had a long cord tied to Its legs nnd I thought nothing of It moro than , proper, hut the clerks acted llko n lot or wild mon. They vowed thnt tho eagles had been let down to Htcal tho gold, and when thoy Baw that thl roor leads over to tho next building yonder, they said that tho owner of tho birds had taken tho gold and cllmboil through au open window In that build ing Into an empty room, and thnt wny escaped with tho $1C,000. Of course I saw at onco how drend rully dishonest It all might bo made to look, and 1 sat down mid almoiit cried. At first the clerks and tho ofllcorH paid no more uttentlun to mo than If I had been u sick kitten, but when they learned that 1 was tho landlady and know all nbout the eagles and the pro fessor. I hey asked mo a thousand ques tions, and I was dragged off to court like a criminal, and tho poor profes sor's nnino was mixed up with robbery and thieving, and I don't know what else. Hut, somehow, ho lenrned about the mischief his eagles had got Into, and never roturned. , Of course the oagloB flow away with the gold bags- poor blnlB, I don't blame them a bit for making tho most or their liberty and I wouldn't ut all be surprised ir tho police should find thut the birds had dropped tho gold on some roor, wuon tnoy uiscovorou that the bags didn't contain rabbit, nn they had Imnglned. Ethereal vs. Mundane. Two men sat on a park bench ono starry evening recently, HiiyH tho New York Times. Through powerful glasses they wen! examining the firma ment. It was apparent that unci of them was an enthusiastic astronomer. He seemed sufficiently familiar with the smallest slur to call It by Kb first name that Is, If BtarB havo first names. Drawing his companion's attention to a particular star In close proximity to the handle of tho Dipper, ho said: "Perhaps you may bo able to appre ciate the Immensity of distance be tween that Btar and our earth when r say It would take moro than 100 yearn for a lOhorsepowor automobile run ning at full speed to reach It." Hy tho qunllty of awo In his friend's voice, it was plain thnt ho was un usually Impressed, as ho said: "No? A hundred yenrs? Why, man. thing of tho gnBolIno bill." does his oxen. In certain Himalayan regions the women aro a veritable merchandise vvhloh Is bought und sold. At the tlmo of Frnsor's visit n woman among the center of tho bed, screaming." Weight of Human Heart. The weight of tho human heart aver axes from nlno to 1 1 ounces. high in Iho air, Willi n week iiumhciI iiiiiI 1m illiln'l I flv his eaules. for ho was waltlnir fori First Woman to Win Chauchard Prize. them to get accustomed to their new locution, so they would return like car rier doves in case the string tied to their loga got broken; and ut the end of tho week, before the professor could try his experiment at all, that dreadful accident happened, which the papers mado so much of. ami which frightened tho professor, who was timid, llko all real hoIouUHc men, so Mmo. Jeanne Marnl baa jiiBt won the Chauchard prize given by tho So ciote des (lens do Lottres of Frnnce. This Is the first tlmo that It Iiiib been awarded to a woman. It wns given for the general excellence of Mine. Manil's work. Among tho noted re cipients of the prize hnvo boon Guy do Maupassant and Camlllo Lemon-nler.