| Show NOBLE WORK AT the rational national capital during the closing week of march there was a grand and unprecedented gathering of women among them were representatives from ten different differ eat nations and from nearly every part of the united states these were representative women in a high sense of the term they voiced the views sentiments and aspirations of their sex a on the leading questions of the age they were not simply imply advocates of woman suffrage but laborers in the field of womans comans advancement socially intellectually physically and religiously as well as politically for eight days at two sessions each day baughs Al spacious and elegant opera house was occupied dy by audiences of from 2500 to persons chiefly of et the fair sex while the stage was tilled with delegates aad invited guests active workers in the cause of human freedom and improvement no such a scene was perhaps ever before presented to the public on this revolving planet preparations for far this council had bad been an fn in progress for nearly a year invitations had been sent to various parts of the world to ladies who were known advocates of reform and re spouses came by letter and by personal representation notable ladies from the leading nations of europe sailed over the sea to the council letters of t endorsement of the movement were received from crowned heads and titled dames and delegates were so numerous that only the national international and most moat important local associations could be represented utah was duly recognized and her delegates given places in the theroun Coun cil on the platform and in the published dished official reports of the proceedings Ms mrs elizabeth cady stanton was the nominal president but mrs susan B anthony actually presided and she gave credit for the chief work in arranging the whole affair to modest miss rachel roster foster a young lady of rare ability and attractive appearance the business was conducted with uncommon com mon skill and good executive talent was prominently exhibited speakers were limited to periods of from ten to twenty five minutes and the rule was sternly enforced except when the audience by continued conti aued applause app p ause demanded the remainder of a speech when to use the language of miss iss anthony they were permitted to have their own sweet will Recel receptions Wons were given to the dele flutes my leading society ladies in washington and b by I 1 the president and mrs cleveland the the tone of the press was wa 8 compliments complimentary a and instead of rid ridiculing buling the women who took an active part in the movement their views on important questions were given ivan 1 to the public by the reporters ah this is was a new departure and is one of the most pertinent erti nent signs of the times denoting a change in public sentiment regarding nR womans comans work and womans comans powers the disabilities under which women have labored and now endure were pointed out in ia powerful language and in many instances in a most touching manner but the changes that have been wrought during tile the past forty year Years the improvements that have been secured and aad the brightened prospects which are open to the sex ex in all civilized na nations eions were duly recognized recognized and the hand of divine brov providence dence was acknowledged led ged in it all there was a religious element through the whole proceedings though the delegates differed materially in denominational particulars and some had reached almost to lo the line of agnosticism all united in adoration of the tae great first firs t cause and in the fatherhood of god and the brotherhood of man the principle of motherhood in deity too was often referred to the notion action of it seemed rather vague and its true signification to a latter day da y saint had bad evidently not reached the minds of the speakers but the tact fact that god made man in his own image male and female and that each sex was imperfect without the other 0 was put forward with an air of faith which through not reaching to correct knowledge showed that ideas advanced by our oar elders and ridiculed halt half a century ago ag 0 bad ha d lallen fallen like good seed in soil that t t was W anything but stony ground the work of women in science art manufactures philosophy theology philanthropy temperance and in various lous industries was shown to be extending throughout the world nearly all avenues of labor are thrown open to their competition but there is one grievance which it will take further time to remedy work equal in quality and quantity to mans in the same line does not yet command the same flame remuneration this is a manifest injustice prejudice against woman has not yet been overcome in some colleges and institutions of learning and selfishness is likely to influence men in this direction for some acme time to come but it is bound to give way at last and woman will yet have an equal chance with man in v overy every department depart meat of education and of labor the laws which discriminate against the fair sex need revision the statutes of different states which are still irio aller the katein of toe corn com mon law sinking ghe the legal identity ol of the woman into that at of the man ought to be changed if not repealed so go with those enactments chica forbid girls to marry under a certain age but P permit ermit them to consent to the their ir own ru ruin in thus protecting the seducer and condoning crime they are shameful to women and a reproach to civilization of such laws women have cause to complain and they thet have the just right to priclar proclaim against them in public as well as in private legislation is needed in many places in this country as well as in europe to tb protect the property rights of married women and their authority over the oll spring of their own bodies the logic which argues that in order to obtain legislation needful to preserve and perpetuate the rights of women the elective franchise must be iven to them is irresistible particularly when it is considered that women are amenable to the law and subject to taxation they are abony the mature and the governed therefore they should have a voice in the government they are liable to taxation therefore they should have something to say in regard to the assessment and disposition dis position of the public revenue zane one session was devoted to the subject of social purity parity and women only were admitted the minutes how ever were published in the I abune hune and it was still further manifested that in order to obtain the passage of laws for the preservation of social purity womans comans voice and work are essential and therefore womans comans vote must enter into the campaign against corruption such a gathering of intellectual and influential ladies as those who composed the international council cannot fall fail to be productive of good in ic the world there were some fallacies advanced of course but the truths that were spoken and the spirit of good will to all alf that was manifest aut weighed the errors which here and there showed like small specks among the multitude of facts and noble thoughts presented it is pleasing to know that in utah many of the evils complained of and to rectify which those able women are devoting their lives either have no existence or are recognized in such a way that they are sure at no distant time to be re here the personal and of women are respected and also protected by law husbands and wives are equal before the law in this eiffer regard re ard if there is any advantage on en either side the woman has it ft until deprived of the suffrage by a power outside the territory women were equal with men at the polls misrepresentation and misconception led bathis act of injustice lul ustice consistency ency would have taken the ballot from the men if the excuses offered tor for taking in g it from the women were valid the th e disposition of the majority of the male sex here is to give to women evely evel y right and aad privilege which belongs rightly to humanity io in the mormon I 1 system woman is the companion and aad associate of man in every department of society every adams eve becomes part of himself bone of his bone flesh of hit bis flesh to be truly one and have dominion together over everything that the creator places beneath their dominion in this world and in the world to come she is not his slave nor yet his ruler god placed him at the head bead but not as an autocrat their interests hopes de beatres atres g es prospects family kingdom ana lory glory for ever are identical they are no more twain womans comans true sphere is not separate and apart from mans the sexes go together now and evermore whatever she is capable of doing she should be tree free to do that she should have a voice in all things that affect her as an individual or as the partner of her husband must be evident to every clear an and unprejudiced thinker every argument that has been used against woman suffrage has equal application to some men woman should be socially and politically as tree free as man and community good sense will determine how much power she shall re calve and exercise in the midst of the body politic in some special lines and places man is superior to woman in others she is superior to him she wash was not designed to be a ruler he was not cut out to be a mother it is the bight of folly to jangle over the question of superiority perio rity there is a radical difference between toe the sexes that no BO amount of argument can overcome and that essential difference will remain while existence is per gone equated petua ted the work needful to be done for the emancipation of women from unequal laws should be participated in lif by the fair minded and lust just of both sexes and the equality of woman with man before the law must come as the result we think the lady advocates of woman suffrage make a mistake in their endeavors to obtain an amendment of the national constitution to establish it each state under our form of government has the right to establish its own qualifications for the exercise of the elective franchise the constitution confers that privilege upon no one an amendment requires that colored people shall not be denied the rights conferred upon white people but it does not pretend to prescribe what the qualifications shall be the efforts of those who agitate this question should be directed to some state where victory is probable and when oae one or two states are gained over to the cause others will follow and soon all will swing into line and the polita political cal disabilities of women will become things of the past in the work wo r k ot of womans comans emancipation from the thralldom of fashion folly gossip and all things that will tend to ennoble her and prepare her tor for her high destiny we wish tile noble and talented ladies of the council success we bid them godspeed god speed in the labors for temperance the suppression of vice the diffusion of useful knowledge and the spiritualization of humanity where animalism now reigns and we believe that god is wor working kling in and through them in their way and time towards that universal redemption which will one day come to the race as sure as there if ie a divine father and an ever enduring eternity |
