The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-13
Turning Of the Tide.

The fifth entertainment in the India street
| lyceum course was given last evening, being
lecture by Mrs. Agnes Abbott Houghton OF
| Boston. The audience was the largest thus
| far in the course Mrs. Houghton is compare
lively young lady of fine appearance, possess
| ing strong clear voice, easily heard IN all
| parts of the church, and is at once graceful,
earnest and eloquent speaker her lecture
gave excellent satisfaction to her audience,
whose undivided attention she held to the close
1t was one of the most enjoyable lectures given
in this city this season.
The lecture abounded in vivid defamation
and picturesque language. At the start the
speaker proclaimed the great truth of human
progress, and said that the all important ques-
ton of to-day is the woman question. The
turning of the tide of popular sentiment is
IN the direction of the equality of woman. Be-
hind this matter of voting stands a more i'm
portant one. Gold is still the governing power
of the world, and before woman can gain her
rights she must be placed ON financial equali-
ty with man. During all the ages men have
detained against the extravaganza of woman,
and the women, saving, turning old dresses,
stinting wardrobes, denying themselves many
pleasures, refraiuing from Directing to the fool
ish expenditures of husbands and fathers, have
not even passively protested. Many men owe
their success to the frugality of their wives.
The woman does her share of the work, and
one-half of the money belongs to her, not as a
gift but as right. She performs at least half
the labor, for the tread mill of ouse-keeping
requires her to be able to run a bakery and
laundry and dress-maker's shop. She should
then receive one-half of the profits. Mans
rights need not be infringed upon. The prop
erty of one need not be held for the debts of the
other. Her property as well as his should be
drawn upon for the support of the children.
The speaker then went on to consider the va
rious objections raised against the indepen-
dence of VIC men, and showed their frivolous
nature. She thought the suffragists make a
mistake in not first striving for the financial
equality of women, The political equality will
follow. Let but women hold one half of the
property of the country subject to their control,
the necessity of permitting them to vote will
soon be seen. The lecturer summed up this
portion of her discourse by giving three reas-
ons WHY woman should be mans financial
equal. LIST. She earns oue-half of the money;
if housekeeping is her business it is worth
something to do it. I'd. She should understand
how to use and invest money, because she may
be thrown upon her own resources. Sd. She
needs money in order to acquire an education
fitting her to be wife and mother. In many
instances education must come after marriage.
An impassioned argument for woman's in
tellectual equality and for her mental and
physical fitness for hard study, and an indig-
nant denial that cultivation of the intellect
crippled her affections, were made. No woman
is truly great who does not develop her intel
lect, who does not jealousy guard her rights
and powers. The lecturer closed by plea for
the social equality of the sex.