The sacrifice,
too, of human life in dangerous employments for the purpose of financial
gain, no less than the frightful slaughter of the battlefield, was
abhorrent to Wallace and aroused his intensest indignation. Life to him
was sacred. It had its origin in the spiritual kingdom. "We are lovers
of nature, from 'bugs' up to 'humans,'" he wrote to Mr. Fred Birch.
By every means he laboured earnestly to secure an equal opportunity of
leading a useful and happy life for all men and women. He championed the
cause of women--of their freer life and their more active and public
part in national service. He found the selective agency, which was to
work for the amelioration he desired, in a higher form of sexual
selection, which will be the prerogative of women; and therefore woman's
position in the not distant future "will be far higher and more
important than any which has been claimed for or by her in the past."
When political and social rights are conceded to her on equality with
men, her free choice in marriage, no longer influenced by economic and
social considerations, will guide the future moral progress of the race,
restore the lost equality of opportunity to every child born in our
country, and secure the balance between the sexes. "It will be their
(women's) special duty so to mould public opinion, through home training
and social influence, as to render the women of the future the
regenerators of the entire human race.
Pages:
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302