our androcentric culture-第23部分

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the　church　has　always　been　helped　by　womenthe　men　have　preached　and
the　women　practised！

Charity；　as　a　vocation；　is　directly　in　line　with　the　mother　instinct；
and　has　always　appealed　to　women。　　Since　we　have　learned　how　injurious
to　true　social　development　this　mistaken　kindness　is；　it　might　almost　be
classified　as　a　morbid　by…product　of　suppressed　femininity！

In　passing　we　may　note　that　charity　as　a　virtue　is　ranked　highest　among
those　nations　and　religions　where　women　are　held　lowest。　　With　the
Moslems　it　is　a　universal　lawand　in　the　Moslem　Paradise　there　are　no
womensave　the　Houries！

The　playground　of　a　man…fenced　〃society〃；　the　work…ground　of　a
man…taught　church；　and　this　〃osmosis〃　of　social　nutrition；　this　leakage
and　seepage　of　values　which　should　circulate　normally；　called　charity；
these　are　not　a　sufficient　field　for　the　activities　of　women。

As　for　those　limitations　of　the　〃feminine　mind〃　which　render　her　unfit
to　consider　the　victuallage　of　a　nation；　or　the　justice　of　a　tax　on
sugar；　it　hardly　seems　as　if　the　charge　need　be　taken　seriously。　　Yet　so
able　a　woman　as　Mrs。　Humphry　Ward　has　recently　advanced　it　in　all
earnestness。

In　her　view　women　are　capable　of　handling　municipal；　but　not　state
affairs。　　Since　even　this　was　once　denied　them；　and　since；　in　England；
they　have　had　municipal　suffrage　for　some　time；　it　would　seem　as　if
their　abilities　grew　with　use；　as　most　abilities　do；　which　is　in　truth
the　real　answer。

Most　women　spend　their　whole　lives；　and　have　spent　their　whole　lives　for
uncounted　generations；　in　the　persistent　and　exclusive　contemplation　of
their　own　family　affairs。　　They　are　near…sighted；　or　near…minded；
rather；　the　trouble　is　not　with　the　nature　of　their　minds；　but　with　the
use　of　them。

If　men　as　a　class　had　been　exclusively　confined　to　the　occupation　of
house…service　since　history　began；　they　would　be　similarly　unlikely　to
manifest　an　acute　political　intelligence。

We　may　agree　with　Tennyson　that　〃Woman　is　not　undeveloped　man；　but
diverse；〃　that　is　_women_　are　not　undeveloped　_men；_　but　the　feminine
half　of　humanity　is　undeveloped　human。　　They　have　exercised　their
feminine　functions；　but　not　their　human…functions；　at　least　not　to　their
full　extent。

Here　appears　a　distinction　which　needs　to　be　widely　appreciated。

We　are　not　merely　male　and　femaleall　animals　are　thatour　chief
distinction　is　that　of　race；　our　humanness。

Male　characteristics　we　share　with　all　males；　bird　and　beast；　female
characteristics　we　share　with　all　females；　similarly；　but　human
characteristics　belong　to　_genus　homo_　alone；　and　are　possessed　by　both
sexes。　　A　female　horse　is　just　as　much　a　horse　as　a　male　of　her　species；
a　female　human　being　is　just　as　human　as　the　male　of　her　speciesor
ought　to　be！

In　the　special　functions　and　relations　of　sex　there　is　no　contest；　no
possible　rivalry　or　confusion；　but　in　the　general　functions　of　humanity
there　is　great　misunderstanding。

Our　trouble　is　that　we　have　not　recognized　these　human　functions　as
such；　but　supposed　them　to　be　exclusively　masculine；　and；　acting　under
that　idea；　strove　to　prevent　women　from　an　unnatural　imitation　of　men。

Hence　this　minor　theory　of　the　limitations　of　the　〃female　mind。〃

The　mind　is　pre…eminently　human。　　That　degree　of　brain　development　which
distinguishes　our　species；　is　a　human；　not　a　sex　characteristic。

There　may　be；　has　been；　and　still　is；　a　vast　difference　in　our　treatment
of　the　minds　of　the　two　sexes。　　We　have　given　them　a　different
education；　different　exercises；　different　conditions　in　all　ways。　　But
all　these　differences　are　external；　and　their　effect　disappears　with
them。

The　〃female　mind〃　has　proven　its　identical　capacity　with　the　〃male
mind；〃　_in　so　far　as　it　has　been　given　identical　conditions。_　　It　will
take　a　long　time；　however；　before　conditions　are　so　identical；　for
successive　generations；　as　to　give　the　〃female　mind〃　a　fair　chance。

In　the　meantime；　considering　its　traditional；　educational　and
associative　drawbacks；　the　〃female　mind〃　has　made　a　remarkably　good
showing。

The　field　of　politics　is　an　unfortunate　one　in　which　to　urge　this
alleged　limitation；　because　politics　is　one　of　the　few　fields　in　which
some　women　have　been　reared　and　exercised　under　equal　conditions　with
men。

We　have　had　queens　as　long　as　we　have　had　kings；　perhaps　longer；　and
history　does　not　show　the　male　mind；　in　kings；　to　have　manifested　a
numerically　proportionate　superiority　over　the　female　mind；　in　queens。　
There　have　been　more　kings　than　queens；　but　have　there　been　more　good
and　great　ones；　in　proportion？

Even　one　practical　and　efficient　queen　is　proof　enough　that　being　a
woman　does　not　preclude　political　capacity。　　Since　England　has　had　such
an　able　queen　for　so　long；　and　that　within　Mrs。　Humphry　Ward's　personal
memory；　her　position　seems　fatuous　in　the　extreme。

It　has　been　advanced　that　great　queens　owed　their　power　to　the
association　and　advice　of　the　noble　and　high…minded　men　who　surrounded
them；　and；　further；　that　the　poor　showing　made　by　many　kings；　was　due　to
the　association　and　vice　of　the　base　and　low…minded　women　who　surrounded
them。

This　is　a　particularly　pusillanimous　claim　in　the　first　place；　is　not
provable　in　the　second　place；　and；　if　it　were　true；　opens　up　a　very
pretty　field　of　study　in　the　third　place。　　It　would　seem　to　prove；　if　it
proves　anything；　that　men　are　not　fit　to　be　trusted　with　political　power
on　account　of　an　alarming　affinity　for　the　worst　of　women；　and；
conversely；　that　women；　as　commanding　the　assistance　of　the　best　of　men；
are　visibly　the　right　rulers！　　Also　it　opens　a　pleasant　sidelight　on
that　oft…recommended　tool〃feminine　influence。〃

We　now　come　to　our　opening　objection；　that　society　and　state；　home；　and
family；　are　best　served　by　the　present　division　of　interests：　and　its
corollary；　that　if　women　enlarge　that　field　of　interest　it　would　reduce
their　usefulness　in　their　present　sphere。

The　corollary　is　easily　removed。　　We　are　now　on　the　broad　ground　of
established　facts；　of　history；　recent；　but　still　achieved。

Women　have　had　equal　political　rights　with　men　in　several　places；　for
considerable　periods　of　time。　　In　Wyoming；　to　come　near　home；　they　have
enjoyed　this　status　for　more　than　a　generation。　　Neither　here　nor　in　any
other　state　or　country　where　women　vote；　is　there　the　faintest　proof　of
injury　to　the　home　or　family　relation。　　In　Wyoming；　indeed；　divorce　has
decreased；　while　gaining　so　fast　in　other　places。

Political　knowledge；　political　interest；　does　not　take　up　more　time　and
strength　than　any　other　form　of　mental　activity；　nor　does　it　preclude　a
keen　efficiency　in　other　lines；　and　as　for　the　actual　time　required　to
perform　the　average　duties　of　citizenshipit　is　a　contemptible　bit　of
trickery　in　argument；　if　not　mere　ignorance　and　confusion　of　idea；　to
urge　the　occasional　attendance　on　political　meetings；　or　the　annual　or
bi…annual　dropping　of　a　ballot；　as　any　interference　with　the　management
of　a　house。

It　is　proven；　by　years　on　years　of　established　experience；　that　women
can　enjoy　full　political　equality　and　use　their　power；　without　in　the
least　ceasing　to　be　contented　and　efficient　wives　and　mothers；　cooks　and
housekeepers。

What　really　horrifies　the　popular　mind　at　the　thought　of　women　in
politics；　is　the　picture　of　woman　as　a　〃practical　politician；〃　giving
her　time　to　it　as　a　business；　and　making　money　by　it；　in　questionable；
or　unquestionable；　ways；　and；　further；　as　a　politician　in　office；　as
sheriff；　alderman；　senator；　judge。

The　popular　mind　becomes　suffused　with　horror　at　the　first　idea；　and
scarcely　less　so　at　the　second。　　It　pictures　blushing　girlhood　on　the
Bench；　tender　motherhood　in　the　Senate；　the　housewife　turned
〃ward…heeler；〃　and　becomes　quite　sick　in　contemplation　of　these
abominations。

No　educated　mind；　practical　mind；　no　mind　able　and　willing　to　use　its
faculties；　need　be　misled　for　a　moment　by　these　sophistries。

There　is　absolutely　no　evidence　that　women　as　a　class　will　rush　into
〃practical　politics。〃　　Where　they　have　voted　longest　they　do　not
manifest　this　dread　result。　　Neither　is　there　any　proof　that　they　will
all　desire　to　hold　office；　or　that　any　considerable　portion　of　them
will；　or　that；　if　they　did；　they　would　get　it。

We　seem　unconsciously　to　assume　that　when　women　begin　to　vote；　men　will
stop；　or　that　the　women　will　outnumber　the　men；　also　that；　outnumbering
them；　they　will　be　completely　united　in　their　vote；　and；　still　further；
that　so　outnumbering　and　uniting；　they　will　solidly　vote　for　a　ticket
composed　wholly　of　women　candidates。

Does　anyone　seriously　imagine　this　to　be　likely？

This　may　be　stated　with　assurance；　if　ever　we　do　see　a　clever；
designing；　flirtatious；　man…twisting　woman；　or　a　pretty；　charming；
irresistable　young　girl；　elected　to　officeit　will　not　be　by　the　votes
of　women！

Where　women　are　elected　to　office；　by　the　votes　of　both　men　and　women；
they　are　of　suitable　age　and　abilities；　and　do　their　work　well。　　They
have　already　greatly　improved　some　of　the　conditions　of　local　politics；
and　the　legislation　they　advocate　is　of　a　beneficial　character。

What　is　the　true　relation　of　women　to　the　state？

It　is　precisely　identical　with　that　of　men。　　Their　forms　of　service　may
vary；　but　their　duty；　their　interest；　their　responsibility；　is　the　same。

Here　are　the　people　on　earth；　half　of　them　women；　all　of　them　her
children。　　It　is　her　earth　as　much　as　his；　the　people　are　their　people；
the　state　their　state；　compounded　of　them　all；　in　due　relation。

As　the　father　and　mother；　together；　shelter；　guard；　teach　and　provide
for　their　children　in　the　home；　so　should　all　fathers　and　mothers；
together；　shelter；　guard；　teach　and　provide　for　their　common　children；
the　community。

The　state　is　no　mystery；　no　taboo　place　of　masculine　secrecy；　it　is
simply　us。

Democracy　is　but　a　half…grown　child　as　yet；　one　of　twins？　　Its　boy…half
is　a　struggling　thing；　with　〃the　diseases　of　babyhood〃；　its　girl…half
has　hardly　begun　to　take　notice。

As　human　creatures　we　have　precisely　the　same　duty　and　privilege；
interest；　and　power　in　the　state；　sharing　its　protection；　its
advantages；　and　its　service