Show THE SURPLUS WO WOMAN IAN MRS CHARLOTTE PERKINS-GIL- PERKINS MAN MAN ON ON THE SUBJECT Proper Division of the Sexes in All States and Territories Would Solve Problem and Improve Moral Tone De Declares ares Well known Writer Surplus women or the Uie matrimonially uncalled for have just received d kindly consideration and advice from Mrs Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the Independent Why Is is it less womanly she asks to go to Colorado because ones cues mate be there than to go to a ball because he may be there Donot Do Donot Donot not our young women array themselves themselves themselves them them- selves gloriously and go forth in great eat to all manner of entertainments entertainments entertainments en en- and so social lal opportunities' opportunities to meet the much outnumbered men who may be there Do not car careful ful parents parents' plan and toil toll and pay large bills to this end It is futile to assume that our women do nothing to advance their matrimonial matrimonial nial hopes Really it does seem a pity with so many surplus men that the little local lo 10 cal trifles of surplus women should be so picked upon Every woman who vho ho wished d to could have have have-a a mate and anda a choice at at that with over over a million extras extras' to serve sene as a second helping perhaps in case of widowhood Less than half the surplus women of ot Massachusetts alone alone could so to speak take up up the surplus men in Alaska with an improvement of the then n moral oral tone of both communities If It the women of the eight states that have too many would but betake themselves to the four forty states four states and territories territories' where there are too few tew they would be doing their duty by the community f far r better than now For one girl to wait walt and watch for what never never- never comes without hav ing looked to see whether it could possibly come or not is a small all enough matter for a hundred thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand of them it is larger If they would but recognize their own numbers numbers num num numbers bers their own common common position with its duties responsibilities and possibilities possibilities possibilities the whole situation might be changed They have a right to independence independence independence in in- dependence surely to education on to support self-support to all all' manner manner of freedom and opportunity to full and absolute equality with men in the wide field of human activity but they have also a right to motherhood and civilized motherhood means means marriage There are plenty of things to fo do what is needed is the spirit of enterprise enterprise enterprise enter enter- prise the light-hearted light daring the ability to get up and do something instead instead instead in in- stead of forever twiddling ones one's thumbs inertly Of Of course if one is the sole stay of an orphan family of little sisters and brothers It could not be done so easily but there are plenty of girls who are not sole stays of anything who vho would be quite free freeto to hove if they had but the courage and the strength Gre Great t cities the reports show have the greatest surplus of vi women omen and also al sl the greatest problems of evil Here in New York are are thousands of girls falling failing year by year into hito the ranks of the hopeless vho vh might be rising instead both in Industry and in their womanly peace and happiness if they were otherwise placed |