Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-01-01
Mrs. Stanton's 'Coming Girl.

Knowing that many of our readers toLe
an interest in Mrs. Stanton and her lectures.
we feel justified in placing before them
the following synopsis of her lecture tbie
winter on 1.-The Coming Girl" which We
take from the Beloit Free Pres.
Notwithstanding the serere blusterino
storm that prevailed, quite fair audien q
| assembled at the Opera House to l:sen to
Mrs. Stanton. Her lecture was 1.-THE
Coming Girl, and certainly it was one
which must have richly repa d every one.
Tor daring the chilling elements to hear.
The lecture was exceedingly interesting and
appeared to be received with much gatisfac-
ion by the "oppressed'' portion of the
audie nee. In fact Mrs Stanton made con-
rertS of us all
She opened her address with the remark
that the coming girl is to be healthy,
wealthy and wise; is to have equal voice
vi b her brother in the affairs of church
and state and % fill the professions.
That when nine tenths Of the American
women are invalids, and large number of
young girls going to lunatic ssylums every
year, IL IS Time to examine the many causes
considered some of the principal causes to
ne the immense amount OF clothing women
wear, tight acing, and the absence Of ont
door exercise "but," she said, 'who ever
heard a woman admit she was laced tiobt
they all declare when asked that their
clothes are perfectly loose She would
like to see the experiment tried of taking an
able bodied man, placing him in tight steel
ribbed corsets, hanging 20 or 80 pounds of
clothing IN him, with paniers, chignons,
rats and mice, and sticking about ten thou
sand hair pins ia his hair, and see how long
he could endure it. In about one week he
would exclalm, HLord deliver US from this
clothing !" Girls, from the style and ma
terlal Of their dress, are practically debarred
from all out door exercise, and yet they
need II, and if properly dressed would take
much pleasure in it,
mere is nothing more absurd than all tie
talk We hear about the natural weakness
ana disability of woman there is no such
thlng. Weakness, disease, pain and sorrow,
are the results in all cases of violating laws,
and are not of divine ordination. She said
she thought the women OF this republic
and she had seen the people of every nation
Of the old vor!d-in natural beauty, in in
tel eetual and moral, power and dignity,
are superior to any nation Of women the
world has yet produced. There was moth
ing in all Europe that pleased her more than
the self possession Of Americans in moving
about among the kings, queens and mob es
of the Old world the way in which we ip-
more all distinctions is a matter Of astonish-
me mt to the middle class who manifest in
the presence of the nobility the most abiect
humility. Such has been the result of our
btln5 educated in that great idea of being
created free and equal and would it not be
great pity, when We have such a nation,
to have them become feeble or in danger of
dying out from the folles of women il the
mere matter Of dress
The destnies of the nation for another
generation are in the hands of the girls of
to-day and 1T is impossible to rouse the sick
the weak or the lazy to enthusia SIN on any
SUBJECT to nigh purposes or noble action
aud she would urge the girls before her to
stuy the laws of health and obey them
one reason why girls should follow her ad-
wee II TINS respect was, that they may be
beautiful, and she thought that wa5 one of
tie strongest appeals that could be made
TO them.
The coming girl'' is to be weathy-and
she thought all the gentlemen would be
glad TO hear that not m erely an inheritor
of wealth from her father but she is to be
the creator of wealth herself She would
urge upon parents the Importance Of educa-
ing their daughters in some kind of occupa-
ton so that they may be Independent. She
thought it was time that people were rid of
the feeling that labor is degradation, and
lnstanced that in the departments at Wash
ington there was a large number of female
clerks from the first ftmilie. in the land
The young women who are making their
living by working are never invited into
fashionable society, and she thought that
they are the women ofalI others W no should
receive the most attention on every side
She said that the ''coming girls" would be
ministers, bankers, merchants, doctors, edi-
tors, senator's and uoters and she proceeded
in very happy manner TO knock down the
arguments that have been set up by the
opponents of woman's right to vote and
apparently carried her audience with her,
If we may judge from the applause which
followed the close of the lecture.