WOMEN FOR SCHOOL OFFICERS.
The time having arrived for the consideration of the bill [H. R. 140] authorizing the election of women to school offices, Mr. KENNER demanded its consideration.
The House resolved itself into Committee of the Whole [Mr. CARTER in the Chair] pursuant to previous order.
Mr. KENNER--This arbitrary withholding from women, because they are women, certain rights under the laws of our State is fast breaking down. There is a feeling now fast gaining ground that women should be placed upon the same plane legally as men. They can not by law be contracted with, either married or single. They should be subjected to the legal liabilities with the male sex. This a move in the right direction. This bill is the same law that has been in force in Illinois since 1873, as has produced favorable results there. Women ought to have the right to hold school offices from the fact that under our law, she is not exempted from paying her full share of the taxes levied to keep the schools in operation. Ladies who have taught in the Public Schools for years are fully as capable to perform all the duties, both as teacher or officer, as men. Woman is peculiarly fitted to judge of that which goes to make up successful schools better than man. When woman has shown herself to be competent, I say, she should not be discriminated against on account of being a woman. When St. Paul said "it is not right that women should be exalted," he had reference to their place in the Churches. I think that was a prejudice of St. Paul. That saying has been referred to as very high authority, and has kept men from exercising their judgment upon this question. Why should we point to that Holy Book, and say we must discriminate and belittle page: 170[View Page 170] woman, when her qualifications are as high as man's? I hope the bill will pass.
Mr. MITCHELL said it was generally conceded that woman is in many respects man's equal, if not his superior, especially so in the primary department of education. He did not believe that woman should be allowed suffrage in all its phases, because the law of nature would not permit it. He considered this a good bill, and favored it passage.
Mr. FULLER asked the consent of the House to permit Mrs. Gouger, an advocate of the woman cause, to offer arguments in favor of the passage of this bill.
Mr. THOMPSON interposed an objection to any one speaking but members.
Mr. COMPTONN thought woman being the guardian of the young, gives her greater opportunities to study the desires and necessities of children. She ought to have greater privileges and be able to hold official positions that would entitle her to have something to say, at least, in the affairs of our school work. He favored taking a step in advance and giving woman a place on School Boards, that she can dictate, persuade and encourage by all proper means the education of our children. He considered women as capable of assuming responsibilities as a majority of men and hoped the bill would be favorably reported upon and passed by a large majority.
Mr. BERRYMAN thought where woman was man's equal and, in many cases, his superior in many things; when it comes to business tact and those things that man has to do in every day life, she is not capacitated, for many reasons, to perform them, and therefore he opposed this bill.
Mr. WILSON, from Morgan, believed the women of this State will calculate to look to the educational interests of this State, and that places in the school-room have been given to ladies who have filled such positions with honor and credit. It is but a matter of justice, if ladies are qualified and competent to fill these positions, to give them the privilege. There are many fields open to the male sex which ladies can not enter. It is to the interest of our State and to the welfare of our school system that we give them this privilege.
On motion by Mr. KENNER, the Committee arose and through its Chairman reported to the House the bill [H. R. 140] authorizing the election of women to school offices, recommending that the same be engrossed and passed to the third reading.
On motion of Mr. CAUTHORNE, the report was laid on the table.
The bill was ordered engrossed.
