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16 Woman's J. 1 (1885)

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5ke


Vol. XVI.


NV.


  The Woman's Journal.
  A eekly  Newspaper, pubilhed every Saturday in
  BosroI, devoted to the lterests of Womian-to her
  educational, industrial, legal, and political Equality,
  and especially to tier right of Suffrage.
    LUCY  STONE,
    II. i. BLACKWELL,            Editors.
    ALICE STONE   BLACKWELL,
    JULIA WAD 11OW,
    MARY A. LIVEROREL
    Mrs. II. it. T. CUTLER,
    Louni nM. AI.corT          Occasional
    ELIZABETH SwAntT PHELPS,   Contributors.
    MAtY  F. EATrAN,
    LILLr B. C. vYMAN,
       SUSAN C. VOGL, Business Manager.
   TERMs-$2 50 a year, $1 25 for six months, 5 cents
 for three months, in advance, 6 cents for single copy.
 CLUn  RATE-5  copiles one year, $10.
 BOSTON  OFFICE-No.  5 Park Street, where copies
 are for sale nud subscriptions received.
   The Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Associatioh at
 Philadelphia, 700 Arch Street, have coplies of the
 WOMAN'S  JOUNAL  for sale.
   Specimen coples sent on receipt of two-cent stamp.
          NEWSPAPER DECISIONS.
   1. Any person who takes a paper regularly fiom the
 post-ofilce-whether directed to hile name or another's,
 or whether lie las subscribed or not-is responalble
 for the payment.
   2. If a person orders his paper discontinued, he must
 pay all arrearages, or the publisher may continue to
 send it until payment is made, and collect the whole
 amount, whether the paper is taken from the oilce or
 not.

             NOTHING  IS LOST.
    Nothing is lost: the tinest seed,
      By wild birds borne or breezes blown,
    Finds somethig stilted to its need,
      wherein 'tis sown and grown.
    So with our words; or harsh or kind,
      Uttered, they are not all forgot:
    They have thdr influence on the mind,
    Pass  on, but perish not.
    So with our deeds : for good or ill,
    They have their power, scarce understood.
    Then let ius use our better will,
    To  make them rife with good.

    The movement  begun In this State some
 years ago, to secure municipal and  presi-
 dential suffrage for women  by  statute, Is
 being adopted very  generally  by all suf-
 f rage societies East ind West. The legis-
 lators can secure this measure  of justice
 without  submitting it to the voters. Let
 all sufifragists try for it.

   The  proceedings  of the  Pennsylvania
 Woman Suffrage   Association  reported on
 our eighth page  show a very encouraging
 advance  of public sentiment  during  the
 past year In the Keystone State.

   At  Newburgh,  N. Y., Dec.  29, Justice
 Brown,  of the New York  Supreme   Court,
 rendered an  interesting and very Impor-
 tant decision, which the lawyers have been
 looking for with great anxiety. The ques-
 tion at issue is whether business partner-
 ships between  husband  and  wife are au-
 thorized by  the statutes of the State of
 New  York, and whether  contracts entered
 Into in the conduct of such  business are
 enforceable against  the  wife.  It is a
 question that the  Court of  Appeals has
 never decided  in that State, nor has the
 general term ever passed upon It. Justice
 Brown  holds that the courts of th State of
 New  York have  settled the question that
 a wife may nQtonly  contract a copartner-
 ship with a person other than her husband
 and carry on business as a member of such
 firm, but that with reference to her separate
 estate she may contract with her husband
 thie same as if she were a fene sole; and
 he thinks that it necessarily follows that
 husba&   and  wife have  the capacity to
 enteWto  a contract of copartnership for
 the purpose of carrying on a trade or bus-
 iness, and that contracts made by such a
 firm are enforceable against  the  wife's
 estate.

   If the New England  Women's  Club ever
 let Its right' hand know what its left hand
 dbes, or vice versa, it would be a great
 pleasure to report the beautiful observance
 of the birthday of Professor  Maria Mit-
 chell, last week. Also we  should like to
 give the unqualifled testimony of Profes-
sor  Langley, of Michigan   University, In
favor  of co-education, which he presented
to the Club last Monday.   The  only com-
fort in silence in regard to it all is, that
one  body of women,  at least, do not make
haste to proclaim all they do.

  A  Boston Woman   and A Boston Man
  in the Daily Transcript have been endev-
  oring to cast the responsibility for the de-
feat  of Miss Peabody   and  Mrs.  Fifleld
upon  the women  voters of  this city. We
must  remember   that the women  were ie-
feated by a very  small vote.  Of course,
when   a man  is drowned      it matters little
whether  it is In water only six inches over
his head, or six fathoms. But  the fact re-
mains  that a few more votes  would  have
elected the  ladies whose  loss from  the
school committee  is so  justly regretted.
The  direct responsibility for their defeat


I


Digitized from  Best  Copy   Available


BOSTON, SAT-URDAY, JAN LTARY 3, 1885.


  rests upon the men and women  who  could
  have cast those votes, and failed to do it.
  The women   who   oppose woman   suffrage
  profess to believe that political rights in-
  volve political duties. They had the right
  to vote for Miss  Peabody.   If they had
  done  so, they could  easily have elected
  her. They   would  not take the  trouble.
  Now  they try to throw the blame  for her
  defeat upon the women   who  did vote for
  her, and who did  all they conscientiously
  could to secure her re-election.

    Grant, for the sake of  argument,  that
  the majority of the women  voters did not
  act judiciously. Was  that any good  rea-
  son why   the two  women   on the  school
  committee,  who  did act judiciously, and
  whose excellent work Is universally pras-
  ed, should be put off? If all the men were
  put off the school committee whenever  a
  majority of the masculine voters of Boston
  acted unwisely, it would make  sad havoc
  with the committee.
                    I I I
   The  direct responsibility for the defeat
 of the women  lies with the party managers
 who,  without any  good reason, refused to
 renominate  them,  and  with  those legal
 voters who  could  have elected them not-
 withstanding,  but  neglected  to do  so.
 Lamentations  over the defeat of Miss Pea-
 body  from women  who   did not lift a fin-
 ger to help to keep her on the committee are
 laughable.  Criticism of women  voters by
 the women   who  neglect to vote is in still
 more questionable taste.  When Dr.  Chan-
 ning was blaming the harsh language of the
 Abolitionists, and what seemed to him the
 unwisdom   of their  methods,  Samuel  J.
 May  said to him,  Dr. Channing,  if per-
 sons like you, who could do  this work so
 much  better, leave it to ignorant men and
 foolish women, you  have no right to blame
 them  for doing It as well as they  know
 how.   Dr.  Channing  was  so struck by
 the remark   that he changed his   course
 from that hour.

   The opponents  of woman   suffrage claim
 to be the best descended and the best edu-
 cated women  in Boston.  They  also claim
 to be the vast majority. If they had per-
 formed  their admitted duty, the loss which
 we all lament would  not have befallen the
 school board.  If they leave it to suffrag-
 ists, and temperance women,   and similar
 fanatical persons, to perform their politi-
 cal duties for them, they have no right to
 complain  of the way in  which those  du-
 ties are discharged. .

   An anonymous correspondent   In  the N,
 Y. Evening  Post of Dec.  29, accuses the
 WOMAN'S   JOURNAL   of billingsgate and in-
 delicacy. In proof of the first charge, the
 correspondent  cites an extract quoted by
 us from one of the  papers of the Pacific
 slope more than six months ago;  in proof
 of the second, no quotation is given. It is
 a matter of acute regret to us that the op.
 ponents  of woman suffrage,   who   boast
 such champions   on their side as Senator
 Vest, of Missouri, and  Mr. Sayward,  of
 Boston,  should  consider  the WoAN's
 JOURNAL   guilty  of indelicacy. It  is a
 matter of almost equal regret that persons
 who  write denunciatory  anonymous   let-
 ters to the papers should find us abusive.
 They  should remember   that an ounce of
 example is worth a pound of precept.  If,
 instead of pouring forth floods of vituper-
 ative admonition, they had only set us a
 good example, who  knows  how much  good
 it might have done us?

   The argument   of Mrs. Lillie Devereux
Blake  showing  that  Woman's   Franchise
is  constitutional in New York,  is one of
singular force and ability. It deserves the
careful perusal of'all suffrngists. We pub-
lish it in full this week. It seems  to ps
absolutely  conclusive.  Much of it is
equally  applicable to other States. The
friends of woman   suffrage have been  al-
together  too timid hitherto in failing to
petition their Legislatures for statutes en-
franchising women. Every State has an
undoubted   right to give woien   suffrage
for Presidential electors by statute, under
the express provisions of the United States
Constitution.  Indeed, it is only by stat-
ute that this right can be conferred upon
anybody.   Every   State has also a right
by common   law to give women  municipal
suffrage by  statute. The   words  nale
citizen used in a permissive  sense in a
general  suffrage clause  applies only to
State  officers, and even there is not re-
strictive of female citizens unless the words
and  no other, are added. Principle and
policy alike dictate that this bogy of un-


  constitutionality should  be  put  aside.
  Let  suffragists everywhere  claim every.
  thing.  Let them  not confine  themselves
  to a  premature effort for amendments  to
  State constitutions, but also demand, as of
  first importance, woman  suffrage legisla-
  tion by statute for all oflicers and in all
  elections from which  women   are not ex-
  pressly debarred by  the language  of the
  State constitution. Chief Justice Marshall
  compressed  the  whole argument into a
  sentence, when   ie  said:-Silence    and
  blank paper  never took  rights from  any
  one.

    The  WOMAN'S   JOURNAL   congratulates
  Harper's Bazar on its good fortune in hav-
  ing secured the very valuable accession of
  Col Higginson to its staff of contributors.

    The Congregationalistcalls the attention
  of the WOMAN'S  JOURNAL   to the fact that
  the foremothers were remembered   in con-
  nection with  at least one celebration of
  Forefathers Day.   At  the festival of the
  Boston  Congregational  Club,  held Dec.
  22, the sentiment, Foremothers' Day, was
  responded to by Rev. E. N. Packard,  who
  paid a warm  tribute totheheroic and high-
  souled women   who  were the  partners of
  the forefathers In courage and  suffering.
  He said, We men  take too much  glory to
  ourselves for the early settlement of Nw
  England, an utterance of which the audi-
  ence showed Its earty appreciation. It is
  a good sign when the foremnothers begin to
  be remembered.

  The   cholera scare  has suddenly put  to
  flight the fear so often expressed lest the
  coming  of  women  Into  politics should
  compel them  to face  filthy pools and
  other disagreeable conditions. Now, con-
  fronted with a common  peril, and with the
  -ure knowledge that men alone are unable
  to make the thorough preparation necessa-
  ry to avert the dreaded pestilence, women
  are summoned to garbage heaps, to
  slaughter-houses, and to filth  deposits,
  and are urged to  form  themselves  into
  committees to see that all kinds of offal
  and refuse do not accu   late. There  is
not  the least fear thatr   aen   will un-
sex   themselves  or lose their bloom and
modesty,   or  depart  from  their  proper
sphere.   They  are praised for having or-
ganized  and set themselves to the disagree-
able  duty.  It seems  so easy to welcome
women to this unattractive task. and so
hard  to share the power that resides in the
ballot!

   The  Vassar graduates  living in Boston
 and its vicinity met for their annual lunch
 at the Hotel Vendome,   Wednesday   noon.
 About  thirty ladies were present.  After
 the social repast a paper was read by Dr.
 Emma   Culbertson entitled, Physical Cul-
 ture the Necessary  Basis of the Highest
 Intellectual Development.   An Informal
 and animated discussion followed the pres-
 entation of the paper, upon the necessity
 of securing for women-students  the bene-
 fits of a systematic physical training.

   The  eightieth birthday  of Mrs.  Mary
 Thompson   Willard Is celebrated to-day by
 Miss Frances E. Willard and Mrs. Mary  B.
 Willard, her daughter   and  daughter-in-
 law, who  give it reception in her honor.
 Her children rise up and call her blessed,

 Dr.   and Mrs. J. P. Mann, of New  York,
 give a reception January 5th. In honor of
 the seventy-fifth birthday of Oliver John.
 son. The  editors of the WoMAN's  ITOUR--
 NAL  send their congratulations, and sin-
 cerely wish him many   happy  returns of
 the day._

      TE   NATION  AND  THE FAMILY.
  My  attention has been called to a notice
of an article by Mr. Edward  Stanwood   in
the July Andover Review, entitled The Na-
tion to the Family.  Without  being  pre-
pared  to enter upon a full discussion of the
subject at present, I wish to say how Im-
portant the point appears to me, and how
appropriate the time of comparative quiet,
after the excitement of the general election
has passed away, will be to open up these
really grave issues.
  The  evils resulting from the great  di-
versity in the laws of the States respecting
both  marriage and divorce are sufficiently
evident to call attention to the subject, but
the practical remedies for those evils are
not so clear. While  the condition of the
States varies so widely in regard to popu-
lation, education, and industrial condition,
it is hardly possible that !aws passed by
the general government   in regard to de-
tails will be well suited to the condition of


  the people.  It is equally clear that ther
  Is danger thata question which ought to b
  treated purely as a moral one will be seize
  upon  ias a factor' in party politics and use
  to elect a president rather than to reformna
  people.  All the  legislation in regard t
  the evils of Mormonism  berit this charac-
  ter, and thereIs quite its much anxiety tha
  the consolidation of the Mormon   Church
  will enable them to control elections, and
  capture  the  oftiecs, as that polygamy
  will sap the morals and health of the comn-
  munity.
    The State cila only deal with marriage as
  a legal  question - declaring what  shall
  Iake  it valid. The tendency of legislation
  on this subject is to make marriage  laws
  more  stringent, either in requiring public
  formalities for its sanction, or guarantees
  for the support of the family.   Such re-
  strictions work directly to the increase of
  illicit rather than lawful unions, and ex-
  pose the Ignorant and  unprotected to the
  arts of the selfish and cunning. Even the
  law now   generally prevalent in Europe,
  and  of which  I highly approve.  making
  the civil marriage the only one necessary
  to a fully recognized union, has  proved
  very dangerous  in Italy, where long ages
  of submission to the church have  led the
  people to believe that its sanction is para-
  mtoutnt to every other. The pretty Story
  of Ida gives an illnstratioa of tls fact.
  TIhe proaile of mari-ige, freely entered
  Into by both  parties and brought  to its
  natural consummation,  should be binding
  both in morals and law, but there are grave
  practical difficulties In establishing such
  facts and in reconciling conflicting claims.
  It is, therefore, of the greatest value that
  public record  should be  made  of every
  marriage, and that every person assisting
  at any ceremony of marriage without proof
  of such record should be heavily punished,
  and still more that all the people should be
  educated to an understanding of this pro-
  vision, and to know that they have failed
  in their duty to society if they allow any
  religious observance, or any sentiment of
  romance or delicacy, to prevent them from.
  obeying the legal obligation.
  The civil service requires only that
  couples should put on  record before the
  appointed magistrate, In the town hall, or
  other prescribed place, their names, ages,
  etc., and their resolution to become hus-
  band and wife.  Certainly no one  who is
  upright in Intention should refuse so much
  concession to the good of society, and It
  every child should learn to regard it as in-
  dispensable, It would become a test of the
  sincerity of any one promising marriage.
  But even  a failure to comply  with  this
  reasonable provision should not invalidate
  marriage, where either patty has ettered
  into it In good faith. This point is ncom-
  passed with many difficulties.
  The   subject of divorce Is too difficult for
  a newspaper  article. The point at which
  I wish to arrive is this. Do we not need
  much  more  education of  public thought
  and sentiment before we can have uniform
  legislation In regard to marriage and di-
  vorce? and  would not  that education be
  better advanced  by  discussion of these
  questions by the moralists and lawyers of
  difterent States, meeting together, before
  we bring it into the political arena, and try
  to make it serve party ends?
  Far  below it all lies the great evil, in the
  moral want  of purity and chatity,  tem-
  perance and self-control, and we might as
  well expect a pure fountain from a polluted
  stream as good general legislation fronm a
  corrupt community.            E. D. .

          HONOR  TO SENATOR  IDE.
            BARNET,  VT., DEc. 30, 1884.
Editors Woman's Journal.
  Some   good friends have claimed for the
  Vermont  Woman Suffrage Association
more  than is justly its due in a' late issue
of your  paper.
  The  Married  Women's  Property  Rights
Law   of Vermont  was secured by  the per-
severing, noble effort of Hon. HI. C. Ide,
senator  from Caledonia  Co.  A bill siml-
lar to the new law was introduced into the
Vermont   Senate  by this gentleman   two
years  ago, passed that body, but was lost
in the House.  This year the bill was again
introduced  by Senator  Ide, and has  be-
coie  a law.  The  Vermont  W.  S. A. may
have  helped make  a public sentiment  fa-
vorable to such a law.  Such would  natu-
rally be the result of the work of the or-
ganization.  But  to Senator Ide  belongs
the honor  of  securing for the women  of
Vermont  this wise and just act of the Leg.
Islature, as the plan was the creation of
his brain.          LAURA  MOORE,
                      See. Vt. W. S. A.


    CONCERNING WOMEN.
e
d    Miss Lucy  LAuicon  is the guest of Miss
d  Charlotto Hawes, of Hotel Berkeley.
S   MIsS   SUSAN  FENIMORE   COOPER   is edu
ocating   orphan children in industrial occau
-  pitions in Cooperstown, N. Y.
    tIss  FLORENCE  MARRYATT   has  recover-
    ed health suftlieutlyto resume her mus.
  cal aod dramatic recitals.
    Mfus.  MARION  MOBIE, of the Boston
  Post,  will have charge  of the WOMAN'S
  sJoURNALi at the New  Orleans Exhibit.
    LADY   DU FFERIN raised 10,000 for char-
    Ity in a singie year, and managed its dis-
    tribution. She devotes much of her time
    to work for the poor.
    Ms.   HELEN  JACKON has gone to Los
-  Angeles for the winter.  Her  story as-
   anona Is everywhere recognized as a no.
   table achievement in our literature.
   Mus.   MATILDA   JOSLYN  GAGE  lately ad-
   dressed the Political Equality Club, of
   Albany, N.  Y.  She  was  introduced by
   Mrs. Mary Seymour  Howell,  the president
   of the club.
   Ms. P. L. PICE, of Albina, Oregon,
   has been appointed a special agent for the
   Pacific Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co., of
   California. She will give particuar atten-
   tion to the Insurance of women.
   MRS.   MARY  L. LEONARD   has  been ad-
   mtted to practice in the courts of Wash-
   Ington Territory, and Is said to be the first.
   woman  who has pursued  the study of law
   in the Northwest.
   MRS.   J. ANDERSON   and Mus.  ELIZA  A.
   FORBES  Were  elected  Justices  of  the
   Peace for two precincts In King County,
   W. T., at the recent election. Quite a con-
   test was made  against Mrs. Forbes,  but
   she defeated her opponent, Mr. Langland,
   by eight votes.
   VIOLET   PAGET,  who, under  the name of
   Vernon Lee, is well known among  English
   writers, was born near Boulogne, in 1850.
   Although her parents are English, she has
   passed most of her life in France,  Ger-
   many, and Italy, and writes the languages
   of those countries with perfect ease.
   . MS.  RTIEn  (Miss Thackert) says
   that the two letters recently published as
   having been written by her father are for.
   gerles. One, of them  was a reitiuke to a
   supposed young author who  had asked for
   advice; the other began thus: Dear Ned,
   you asked me  for a recipe to restore the
   eyesight.
   MRs.   HELEN M. GOUGAR has been
   speaking in Wisconsin  since her  return
   from Iowa, and will continue until the end
   of the month. January  fifth she delivers
   an address before the Indianapolis  Suf.
   frage Club on How can the Civil and Po-
   litical Rights of Indiana Women  be En.
   larged without  Constitutional  Amend-
   ment9,
   MISS  STELLA  A. BRONON, of Torring-
   ton, Conn., lost a canary recently, that
   had lived to the great age of twenty-five
   years. For the last five years it had been
   kept alive by the best care, some of the
   time being fed from the  hand.   It was
   blind and had  lost the use of its feet.
   Just a few days before it died, the bird
   sang its mistress a song.
   PRINCss KRAPOTKINE is said to be, it
 possible, a siore ardent socialist than her
 husband. My father, she remarked,
 was  a rich gold mine proprietor, and I am
 a princess.  Look  at that man   there-
 pointing to a wretched street-sweeper. I
 wonder   he  does not come   and  cut my
 throat.  What  right have I[to be living in
 luxury  while he is working in thee old and
 dirt, and living probably in some wretched
 garret or cellar, with not enough to eat?
   MRS.  SARAH  M.  KIMBALL,   started the
 Western   Reserve  School of  Design,  in
 Cleveland, 0.  It was founded for women,
 but several young menhave  been admitted.
 MRS.  HARRIT J. KEsTo, of the Phila-
 delphia School of Design, is the principal.
 Monthly  receptions are given by the hun-
 dred or  more  founders,  who  gave $100
 each, and thus the good  work Is popular-
 ized. There  are aiready over fifty pupils.
   THE  EMPRESS  oF   AusTIA   has  had a
 marble  slab fixed upon a rock in a ravine
 near Murzsteg. on  the Seminering, bear.
 lug a relief of St. George and the Dragon.
 The slab  bears no inscription, but it is in-
 tended to express the gratitude of the ouw
 press for her narrow escape one year ago,
 while riding over a bridge that crossed this
 ravine. One  of the boards of the bridge
 was broken by the horse's weight, and his
 fore legs were  aide fast in the opening.
 The animal  became  restive, but the em-
 press had dismounted  before he :ould do
 any harm.


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