There was a time when woman had no voice in government, when she could
not hold property in her name, and when she was regarded as very much
the intellectual inferior of man.
Within a century there has been a growing tendency to admit women to
all the civic privileges enjoyed by men, even to vote in political
contests. In some advanced communities women now vote for officers of
the school department and serve with distinction in school boards.
Women now enjoy complete equality in four, and partial political
suffrage in twenty-three of the United (?) States of America.
Since it is recognized that woman has _some_ place in politics, it is
well to consider what is her _especial_ sphere within politics.
* * * * *
It is by a wise division of labor that great ends are attained, and
the blessings of civilization are only possible through the most
economical division of effort which assigns to each unit of a
community that duty which it is best fitted to perform.
Woman has always borne more than her share of the burdens of life, and
her lot has often been ill apportioned. In primitive conditions of
society she was considered merely as the bearer of children and the
servant of the stronger sex by the same argument that made slaves of
conquered foes or weaker neighbors.
In the division of government, if woman is to participate in it, she
should serve with unhampered freedom in the departments where mother
intuition, mother wisdom and mother skill are needed.
The development of kindergarten and college-settlement work has
demonstrated that women are wonderfully efficient in the
establishment, management and development of these character-forming
institutions, and if they were sufficiently extended so as to begin a
Perfect Social Quarantine the sphere of woman's usefulness would
almost be unbounded.
If woman has been the means of establishing the value of public
free-character institutions, and they should come to be appreciated as
the _most important function of government_, as they must eventually
be appreciated, because they are the _nurseries of good citizenship_,
why should not this be recognized as the special sphere of the gentle
sex in administration, and why should there not be a Mother
Organization to serve in a special Department of Character Schools?
By this apportionment woman would win all the advantage that could be
desired and ample field for her usefulness, for a vigorous and
thorough administration of the Mother Branch of Government would
insure generations of good citizens to whom administration of all
executive branches could be entrusted with confidence.
Apropos of the German _Lied_, some one has said, "Let me select the
songs of a people and I care not who makes the laws."
There is also an axiom of similar import in the Catholic Church, "If
we have children under our influence until they are seven years of age
we do not fear other influences they may be subjected to for the rest
of life."
Both of these assumptions are proven to be wise by the wonderful
solidarity of the German race and of the Roman Catholic Church.
"Juvenal it was who said, 'The man's character is made at seven; what
he then is, he always will be.' This seems a sweeping assertion; but
Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, Lycurgus, Bacon, Locke, and Lord Brougham,
all emphasize the same idea, while leading educators of a modern day
are all united upon this point."[7]
[7] Sarah B. Cooper.
A Mother Organization in politics or administration might safely and
appropriately adopt the following assumption and promise for its
propaganda:
"_Let us manage all of the institutions relative to child care and
child training during the period of formation of child habits and
character, and whatever means are necessary to maintain a perfect
moral and social quarantine to supplement the family institution and
furnish the requisite models of profitable suggestion, so that no
child shall escape the best care known to the Science of Child-Life,
and we will promise to save, within a single generation, one-fourth of
the present cost of government, including the cost of our own branch,
and add to the taxable effectiveness of production a measure that
cannot be estimated. We will also immediately reach cases of
shiftlessness and depravity that are a menace to the peace of the
community and effect in them reforms that present methods cannot
accomplish. We will also promise, through our unofficial Unsectarian
Associated Charity Societies, intimately connected with our crèches
and kindergartens, to search out cases of silent and modest distress,
relieve them without an offensive show of patronage, and at the same
time throw a search-light of enquiry upon perverse idleness and
beggary that will render them impossible to flourish on the credulity
of unorganized charity._"
* * * * *
In suggesting a name for an organization to take charge of character
institutions the word "Mother" seems to be the only one that suits the
purpose and aims. It would escape the imputation of "old-womanishness"
by the very wisdom of its purpose and aims, and it might appropriately
include in its membership both men and women who approve of the
proposed apportionment of woman's sphere in the division of government
administration and recognize its civilizing mission, without breaking
affiliation with chosen parties in the established lines of political
competition or mission work.
And is there not good logic in the suggestion of a mother organization
to manage an important branch of government, wherein woman has proven
her superior wisdom and efficiency?
What has woman to do with war if not to furnish brave soldiers and an
incentive to heroism?
What has woman to do with correction and punishment, if not to make
them unnecessary by seeing that children are not bred to idleness and
crime?
What has woman to do with vexed economic questions, if not to rear the
sons of productive toil and furnish an incentive to civilized living?
What should woman have to do with politics, if not especially with
that branch of administration which deals with training the tender
shoots of humanity to be chivalrous, honorable, self-respecting and
orderly as a foundation of good character on which to build a
structure of good citizenship?
And, on the other hand, what has man to do in the sphere of mother
efficiency, in keeping with the demands of a rational division of
labor, than to furnish the support required, and, in himself, show a
worthy example of the potency of mother influence?