New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-30
FOR WOMEN ONLY.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cady stanton Discourses
on Marriage and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Ideas on Mairimony, Divorce and
Ro


Ideas on Mairimony, Divorce and
Babies.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
Reaching a seat where we could see and
hear, We gently awaited the result. The
hall speedily filed with women. We never
saw SO many women before all by them
selves. There were big women and little
women: tall women and short women: lean
women and fat women; women with spec
tacles and women with eyeglasses; women
with bonnets and women with hats; ugly
women and pretty wOmen-all spread out
in rows before the admiring glance of one
solitary man 1t seemed to be new to them
also. There were titterings and giggles.
An air of strangeness spread around. One
young lady, with drab silk dress, iaunty
little black basque jacket trimmed with
crimson, and hat and feather perfectly
stunning, who sat just in front of us, re-
marked to her companion that it was the
funniest place she ever was in in her life;
that she could almost swear that there was
a man near her. When she reads this ac-
count she will know she was right. At a
few minutes past three o'clock Mrs. Stanton
came upon the platform, accompanied by
Mrs. Schenck and Miss Anthony. She was
lastly dressed in a blue silk dress, with blue
grenadine overskirt, with goSsamer scarf,
and her hair bound with blue ribbon. She
was introduced by Mrs. Schenck, and in her
clear, musical voice, began:
| have always advocated the ballot for
women, as the first step toward her entire
equality with man; not as an end, but solely
as means TO an end. To-day woman Is a liv-
ing subject to mans desires. In passing
through Salt Lake found that the Nor
mons had made this idea the basis of all
their religious teaching. But how false is
this idea of religion. No being ever moved
on earth with higher and more reverent
respect for woman than our Saviour. No
other teacher ever equaled Hin in the
teaching of purity in woman and respect in
man. These women III Salt Lake believe
that the greater TIE number of their chill
dren the greater the hOnOrs in heaven; that
their mission on earth is simply to Multi
ply and replenish the earth;' that and that
alone; and 10 carry out this law every other
law of nature and of God is violated 1t is
the prevalent opinion, based upon Mormon
books and Mormon preaching, that these
women are cOntented, satisfied and happy.
But my experience has taught me to the
contrary conclusion. They are su1ec to all
the iealousies and heart-sores of their mon
ogomatic sisters. Yet they, for religions
sake, make their lives perpetual
of glory hereafter. 1t is also com
mon belief that woman among the
Mormons is held sacred during the
entire period of her ante-maternity. 1t is
no such thing. Women are there treated in
that matter Just as they are treated else
where-without regard to their nature and
their rights. Girls from fifteen to seven
teen, whose girlhood has not ripened, are
wives and bear children every year Every
where it is so, and none the less so in Utah.
We must educate our daughters in this
N HON 1.-Two nd
bodies and the laws which govern them.
SecUnd-Their duty as parents. Third
Their duty as citizens. Fourth-To supply
life with it's luxuries and fopperies. But
now we reverse this order. Our daughters
learn music and worsted, and silly arts and
accomplishments. but not thought or a
word is given to their development as wives,
as mothers, or as citizens. We who have
reached and passed middle life can not do
much in this matter to remedy it as con-
Germs ourselves; but we can for our chill
dren-so train and teach them that their
coming lives will fill grand positions in their
varied spheres. / would have mothers feel
that their daughters have full and equal
rights in all things with their brothers, and
that they are entitled to be so considered in
the worlds opinion.
1t is divine right of woman that she
may do, and do rightly, whatever it is right
said that what we want is sixty thousand
good cooks, instead of sixty thousand men
voters Well, know we do, and l propose
to educate the men to do it. Applause and
laughter Men are adapted to do this
work. They can stand any amount of heat.
They don't mind any amount of smoke. A
dozen of them will get together and smoke
a room so full you can't see across it, They
like smoke, and cooking will give them
plenty of it. Men are the best cooks. Now
the best book on cooking ever written was
written by man. The quickest cooking |
ever knew of was by man on shipboard.
He only had one spoon which he would dip
into everything, and between havOrs he
would lick it. A woman wouldn't have
done that-she would have dirtied dozen
towels, and consumed vastly more time.
But, in sober earnest, we must reverse the
modern education of our daughters.
Our girls must be taught first their own
happiness; that their womanhood was the
first consideration; wifehood and mother
hood were mere incidents of their lives.
The preservation of their own womanhood
was the one prime object of their lives. AS
it is now, we look up to wives and mothers,
and down upon womanhood. This is wrong.
Our daughters are nouns, not adiectives. /
have a reverence for such women as Har-
riet Hosmer, for Susan B. Anthony, and for
the host OF women who have done great
things in this world, even though they have
not borne any children. Are there no
children except the children of the fiesh3
Are there no children of the brain2 Ali! a
higher civilization than this will realize that
a grand thought, grand idea, is worthy of
it's homage and its admiration. We must
educate our girls that they are independent;
that in the society of the refined they may
be happy; that they may live peaceful,
glorious lives, and take high seats in heaven
without ever seeing man.
The idea that woman is weak inherently
is a grand mistake. She is physically weak
because she neglects her baths-because
she violates every law of her nature and
her God-because she dresses in a way that
would kill man. feel it to be my mission
to arouse every woman to bring up her
daughter without breaking her up in doing
it. Our female idea Of dress is all wrong
| have conversed with many physicians
who tell me that it is almost impossible to
find perfect female skeleton. Here Mrs.
Stanton illustrated the difference between
the ribs as they should be and as they are
made by dress, by interlacing her fingers
1t is rare thing to find woman perfectly
well-but we can, if we choose, entirely
this. Even the Bible says
that maternity is curse. Most women
accept this doctrine as true; it is simply
horrible; it is a monstrous lie. The Bible
has been translated by men and for men.