North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-04-24
WHOLE No. $40.

raj courage. Especially If one has convi-
vial tastes and desire for the pleasure of
art and luxury. But men must be helped
to do this by sensible wives, or the bank,
the till, the easy conversion of bonds to
money has thousand invitations to tempt
them into one trouble, to escape another.
Finally, feminine extravaganza drives men
to the commission of crime. It contra
diets our assumption of republican sim
plicity. 1t creates envies and discomfort.
1t fosters a spirit of class aristocracy, con-
trary to the spirit of true religion. 1t
destroys devotion in the house Of God. 1t
hardens the heart and seduces Virtue.
1t creates every where domestic ruin and
infdelity. 1t depletes the public purse and
will call down upon US the righteous in
dicnation Of Heaven. Is not this enough
to cause us to ponder seriously upon what
we see of this abounding evil. Many are
calling clamorously for larger spheres
of action for woman. We have reformers
enough of one kind at work. They are
not those we need. We want women who
have the courage to do right-to regulate
their expenses hy their incomes-and to
eschew all French fashions, whose designs
are subversive of purity, and morality.
Women who can he heroes in peace rs
we'll us in war. We want true, earnest
women from the higher walks of life, to
whom the avenues of good society are
open, to expostulate with women upon the
suicidal prolus;on of money-spending
which is not our own. In my childhood,
/ used often t. hear it said that we needed
war to chastcn us. If six years war,
with holocaust of tombs filled with our
best young braves, has not humbled the
American people, how many more wars
will it take to prepare us for the millenni-
UNI?
do not consider the right of suffrage
to women, essential to salvation. Neither
do we need that, so much as the right to
be free from the trammels of fashion and
popular follics. We do not need protec-
ton from tyranical husbands SO much as
from the tyranny of arbitrary usagcs which
outrage nature and defy God. We do not
need exemption from taxations and crosses
because We are women, when we lay upon
ourselves the terrible burthen of keeping
in line with the incoming train Of phantom
fashions. JESUS, the great founder of our
religion has done more for our sex than
political demagogues can do. Out of His
own reverence for the oppressed he lifted
her from serfdom to an honorable position
in His church and conferred upon her the
sublime distinction of being ''last at the
cross and earliest at the grave" Wemay
ridicule the weakness of Mary, weeping
over the tomb of the Saviour, but to my
mind, she is far loyelier prototype of
our sex than those restless zealots batter
ing at the door of the Senate for the
"Rights of Women Larger fields of
action for Women," they cry Tell me
what greater license do we need than that
which public opinion tolerates to-day.
What good will it do us to govern others
if we can not govern ourselves? This right
is already ours in the possession of a ''meek
and quiet spirit If we have it not, no
Of political favor, can make
US true servants of God, or successful re.
formers in the world.
In conclusion The extravagance of
American women to-day is an alarming
feature Of the times. 1t inficts upon one
class of our sex the greatest disabilities
under which they labor. By introducing
habits of enconomy, in the highest society,
fashionable women can help more efectu-
ally in alleviating the miseries of the poor
er classes than those who are seeking for
them the elective franchise. The gentle
men are waiting for us to take the initia-
tive in this great Moral Reform. Lavish
expenses threaten them with financial ruin
but they have not the moral courage to re-
sist it. We talk about the perils of the |
country and cast about for expedfents to
save it. Where can we find better than
in returning to the quiet simplicity and
homely virtues of the mothers ofthe Repub- !
lie. l have hope for my country yet-and
that my country women will save it. Not
by noisy caucuses and ballots. Only this /:
BY setting their faces against every inno-
vation of Partisan scarlet, which contra
venes our ideas of republican principles
and womanly chastity. And. by and by,
when this frail bubble of national credit
bursts as burst it will, under the pressure
to which allude, there must be an
end Of this reckless spendthriftness, and
out of its ruins will rise the fabric of
truer, purer womanhood, sanctiied to
Christ, not only in outward forms but in
inward and Spiritual praces