New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-20
DK MARY WALKER INTER
VIEWED.

DK MARY WALKER INTER-
VIEWED.
-xaer ideas Upon Women'a Dress-The
Right Of sunrsRe-WOmen Josors-
The "Aedicnr' View of the Thing.
etc.
TBY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.
Our special reporter had an interview
with the renowned DR.. Mary E. Walker the
other day, during which he propounded a
number of questions, to which she re-
sponded with feminine promptness and pro-
faseness. She had an answer ready fer
every proposition, and would have favored
him with one of her able lectures entire,
had the occasion seemed to demand it. The
following is the substance of the converse
4AoA:
Reporter-I have called to ask you if you
would give me some of your ideas on
several questions have to PROFOUND.
DR.. W.-Certainly; if by SO doing the
cause of woman can be in any way ad-
vanced. Your simply asking for my opin-
ions show an amount Of progress in our
cause that is ominOus AID gratifying.
Reporter-'Whatd do you think of the wo-
nenwho did not agree with the rest of the
jurors, and were locked up in Wyoming for.
q couple of days and nights, just as men
Dr.. W think that decision
the facts of the case, and without
reference to preconceived opinions
or of prejudices. l am proud of those noble
women jurors, who have been honored with
the first duties Of the kind in this great re-
public (beg your pardon-hdf republic)
They have not rendered their decision
hastily, and thus given our opposers room
to croak over the same, but they have
weighed all the material evidence calmly
and deliberately, and the high sense of their
responsibility would not allow them to be
unjust.
As to women and men being locked up
all together to talk over cases of justice and
Injustice. life and death. fail to see why it
lis not as respectable as it is to be locked up
in q suit Of dressing and dancing rooms,
where women wear low bodied dresses,
short sleeves, and all other absurdities OF
fashionable helplessness.
Reporter-There is an attendant at the
deer to unlock the same, and they are not
Obliged to stay all night unless they choose
DIR. W.-There is bAliff at the door of a
iury.room ready to unlock the same when
ever it is desirable, and they are not
-obliged", to stay all night ifthey will agree.
In the ball room, delicate attentions are
yiven and received, and both men and
pose of winning the affections of each other,
displaying fine clothes, getting upj ealousies,
ANNOYING rivals, ETC., while in the jury
room, self and sex are forgotten, and the
Jurors, as intelligent citizens, are seated
around table, where everything but the
business matters before them are forgotten,
Just as it should be,!ands will be in the
different business relations, when woman &
Acknowledgement is established.
1t is perfectly disgusting to see the ideas
Of sex dragged into everything, where
sex has nothing whatever to DO with the
case. Women and men should regard each
ether as human beings and not simply as
men and women.
You will find that the enfranchisement Of
women will do more to elevate the mora
condition of the country than the masses o.
the people have ever thought of, and that il
just the reason why bad men oppose oul
cause. They are not afraid that the womeI
will be degraded, but they are afraid thai
men will be obliged to lead purely mora
lives, or they will lose their respectable posi-
tlon in society not only, but will never bt
elected to any positions of trust, whatever
Reporter-Do you expect to have all thu
Dtates enfranchise the women?
DIR. What all the women in Americ'
will be enfranchised is a fact that will be re-
allied before many years, and that, too, il
spite of the ignorant or selfish, or sordid, o.
immoral, or illogical. | have been for owe
twenty years working in the cause of VIC
mans equality with man, and the more
have been oppressed, the more jealous have
become in the cause; and were every wo
man who is leading this movement to dit
tomorrow, the children of those who ar,
depressing us, will come forth in power an(
finish our work,
kepOrter-Excuse me for referring to you
style of dress; for have long thought tina
society would be the gamer if all womel
1txy L. l.
rights" that but few exercise in this direc
ton, and / think that your cause woult
progress much more rapidly if they woul.
do SO.
DR.. W.--You are right; am glad of al
opportunity of telling man he has arrive
at correct conclusions. (Said in a goo
hnmored manner.) Had all of the Othe
exercised the right to. dress in hygieni
manner, the cause would have been mucl
further advanced than it is today. Tn
Dress Reformers have welded an infiuenc
in stirring up the people to think upon tn
helpless condition Of women generally
habited in their health destroying styles
that the talk Of others in their inconsisten
dresses have failed to do. Every time
Dress Reformer is seen, q sermon
preached that is not soon forgotten. Yeal
before the war, our conventions were NOR
largely attended, and more interes
ing than any Otner women's meeting
where then was only talk will
ont q practical demonstration ths
~ believed the doctrines We preached wit
orr mouths about women being capable
enterirg well-paying professions and avoc'
lions. where unhealthy and cumbersom
dress would annoy others, and unfit oul
selves to be as successful as men.
We have been as far in the advance of Ii
long dress takers as they are in advance
tie masses.
Ignorance of the great principles of
hygienic dress for women, or a want
moral courage to live the same, have bee
Che reasons why they have not also adopte
= costume that We, % medical women, hav
perfected, and given the strongest proofs {
Cur approval of and necessity for. We ca
not SO ignore our knowledge of cause al
eject as to be guilty of setting bad exam
pie in regard to the dress of womel
We would lose our self.respect by caterir
to what we know is destructive, not ON
TO tho body, but to the high moral sent
ments and the intellect, when = t1e noDie
portion of Deity over wlsch @ortais nh'
any control.
A majority of the most thoroughly educa
ted medical women have long since adopte
this dresS, and not one physiciant woman
mm nan. can be f6und who ID well iEfornet