Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-03-15
The Woman Question.
We have never seen an abler

we nave never seen an ADLER OF
fairer discussion of the woman ques
tion in one of its most important as
poets than the following, which We
find in the Boston Recorder. Most
earnestly do we commend its careful
perusal to all those women who re
gard rights synonymous with duties:
There is one fixed point of depart
ure for any rational discussion of this
question. To ignore it is to make the
discussion mainly worthless. If the
human race is to exist in the future
woman is to be its mother. Thai
point is settled in nature, not by mas
culine arrogance.
Now, motherhood is not the occu
patton Of moment. For months pre-
cedlng the fact Of maternity the body
is controlled by it, taken much out of
its ordinary courses, set aside from its
many of its severer labors. Fol
weeks after the completion of moth
erhood it is laid by for recuperation
its functions absorbed with processes
Of recovery and nutrition. After this
In any right state Of body or society
comes a year in which the child can
not be for many hours at time sep
arated from its mothers breasts. The
body OF the mother is also in the ex
traordinary process OF receiving and
as8imilating nOurishment for two-nc
inconsiderable task.
Not only are the physical power;
fully pre-occupied both before and af
ter maternity, but neither body OF
mind is in regular and normal actor
for life'S common uses. There is al
exaggerated scnsitiveness. Things a
other times hardly noticed become, t.
the keener sensibilities, exciting anC
full of peril to the woman, and to tht
life developing within or at the breast
| The safety of the mother, the physic
al and moral soundness and balance O
the child, require defence against ma
ny otherwise harmless excitements
safeguard from many otherwise health
| full contests.
Aside from the child's dependence
upon her for nutrition, every righ
hearted mother recognizes one absor
bing, supreme responsibility for thc
development and training of the sou
committed to her, not by human inju8
tice, but by divine, constitutional
necessity; responsibility no otheI
can take, and which no true woman
would commit to any other-no, no
to an angel from heaven!
These eXigent duties of maternit,
may be said naturally to occupy a wo
man from twenty to forty five years o
age. The average number ofchildrel
to a marriage fifty years ago, was no
!. less than eight; an average produc
tiveness in each mother at least ever,
third year till past age. We neet
not be told of the immense draugh
of such reproduction upon the system
nor Of the measureless care and Ia
Dor of such a household. That it wa
, fully adequate to the forces of the re
buster woman of a less artificial civ
/ ilizatiOn than ours, all women vii
agree. Yet DR.. Peasely, an authori
ty second to none, says that the live
, of these prolific mothers were longe
= than those of the unmarried womel
OF their day.
The decrease of this productivenes
! Of late is evident. 1t is certain tha
measures are Systematically and YER
widely taken to prevent the natura
productiyeness Of marriage, measure
| reaching up from the abomination
brought to prevent conception, eve
| to the monstrous crime Of fetal mul
der. The endeayor, in marriage, We
l. to be rid of the pains, confinement
} and expense Of maternity, is the POI
tentous fact OF our civilization, tn
! root of immoralities endless, of di:
eases destrustive to men and womer
1t develops mOnstrous lusts; invade
to destroy the purity of home, the he
: illness of the marriage bed; and col
rupts the souls that ought to be mos
spotless. A return at once to tn
, normal idea of the marital relation
! is the necessity of our time, whethe
for morality, religion, or the perpetu
alton of the race. Certain of th
'' best stocks of the world are on th
! high road to extinction, and that b
the fouleSt means ever used to exte,
j, inmate race!
Now for the bearing of woman su
frage on this matter Masculine w
: men on the platform have heaped rit
I ieule on the humble, loving mother
duty. Mad women have exultingl
foretold the day when the unwedde
among women should be the names
honor! But we will not dwell on tn
y strong token of the undercurrent Q
the movement, for the decent wome
Il of the platform now promise that the
will still be wives and mothers.
Woman votes; is in all the profe
= sions; aspires to Office; is pecunial
- y ly independent of man. These a
- the main points sought. The sufras
;. is precious, and demanded because
:. is held to be the root of each of the
! growths. Now for motherhood !
- Will the professions hinder mothe
y " hood ? Professional duties and +
II sponsibilities, the hope of profession
~ ~ success, must forbid frequent mate
> , mites in professional women. II
!, draughts of maternity upon actu
a. ~ physical ability would disable her fro
% % the arduous physical and mental
" " bors essential to professional succe:
u u The delicacy of that estate would /
y. y tire her from public pursuits for We
- ~ considerable periods. The peculi
~ ~ physical cnndition. affecting the sen
- bilities, the peril of the efforts a
30 30 excitements Of public life, would deb
= ~ her from the active duties of her pl
% fession for periods too great to lea
any hope of success. No, man cou
a succeed in the ministry if every fl
to year he must withdraw from it's /;
lg tive service. No physician, with su
an understanding, would hope to
I'd tablish practice. His first {
ar months of absence would destroy su