The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-23
MRS, WooDHULL's LECTURE.
She POurs u BrOadside into the Popular
Shams of the Day.
Evolution and Perfec ton.

respects Ii feWarhaDle woman. WnhteVeT ihay
be 'he errors Of her peculiar theories, she Is bold
and apparently honest. Evidently believing In
her doctrine herself, she convinces Others and
doubtless makes some proselytes to her faith
She is more than passably good speaker, and
evinccs some talent. In stature she is little
above the medium height, somewhat inclined to
be stout, but straight graceful and dignitied
She dresses plainly and eschews jewelry. Her
voice is clear and full, and her elOcutioh fault.
less. The outlines of her face are regular, and
though her nose belongs to the "aqHelnc" fam.
lily, donating strength Of character, she is hand
some for woman of her age. Her theme was
"lhe True and the False Socially" She began
by quoting Westward the star Of empire takes
its way and with Its annual progress 1t not only
remains undimmed but increases in its glory.
Thousands of years ago it rose in the east, in
farther India, ut the birth place OF the human
race and from that dim rising 1t has increased in
splendor till its effulgence fills the whole world.
She made n brief reference to the origin, rise
and fall of the old nations, tracing the fall of
each to internal discussions, evil and immoral
practices, or some great calamity. II we in this
country do not change our course our fate is as
certain to be like theirs as time rolls onward.
Abiding eloquenty to the progress which man,
has made in the arts and sciences during the last
hundred years, she argued that man had not
kept pace morally, and this comes through u
variety of causes: one is greed of gain, another
vanity, but chiefly through degeneration of the
race from debauchery, sin and brutality. Our
country is made up Of all nations of the earth.
We combine within ourselves every type of man
blend, d in every possible manner Our educa-
ton and refinement and progress and culture,
will yet make us the most perfect race Of people
in existence. AS man is a combination of the
pecularitcs of all the lower animals, so our peo-
pie combine all the pecuiarites of the other
nations and so through evolution, selection and
education we may become mentally, morally and
physically the perfect race. Then will come the
millennium and the verifcation of "the lamb and
the lion lying down together" &c, and we all
shall be good and pure and know the Lord. This
perfection can never come but through the slow
process of evolution Parsons may preach, but
they had better study first what they should
preach. They should look into the laws of mans
creation, the laws of God. No human law can
make badly generated person perfect. Thus
far humanity has evolved by unknown natural
laws. 1t has had no scientific culture like plants,
or careful breeding as with famous stock. 1t has
been worsc-it has been brutal, governed by no
higher law than animal instinct. The growing
intimacy between the nations has done some.
thing towards improving the human family. Re-
ligious bigotry has opposed human advancement,
while science and art the railroad and telegraph,
have given it mighty impulse forward AS
sclencc Is developed we psogress towards per-
Teetlon as people, and ~ religious intolerance
grows strong in any locality, so that people re-
trograde and sink, not only in intelligence and
morals, but physically, Every plan 70! general
improvement is at first grcun3 down. There is
a constant opposition IL anything and every
thing that is new Look at the efforts of Morse
and Field to establish the electric telegraph.
They met with rldicule at every step; and Theo-
dorc Parker was denounced as lunatic when
he btgan his labors in behalfof religious liberty.
VIM. Lloyd Garrison was mobbcd when he lifted
up his voice for freedom to the slaves; and now
Mrs. Woodruff comes and claims that woman
has right TO own her own body, At first she
too met with furious opposition, and many and
vile were the epithets bestowed upon her. Pur-
ity consists in but one thing-woman's right in
proprietorshi She quoted the
opening paragraph of the Declaration of Iude-
pendence and said this is our platform. The right
to the pursuit Of happiness is ours, 1t is inherent
in us and every law against this Is tyranny.
When you men celebrate The 4th Of July you
make mockery of 1t, since you deny equal
rights TO one-haf OF Tie citizens Of this our
common republic. She alluded to the prevailing
corruption in our government the speculations'
and populations in high places and asked the
why Of it. The question is not only in this
country, but III Europe. "Have we in the Unit
cd States material with which to rebuild our
governmental 'strueture| She quoted from Har.
pers Magazine: ut is fact that VIC have not
a healthy man, physically, among US We have
in the United States 250,0Oo prostitutes,
whose average life is only four years Who sup.
port these wrctchcd creaturcsg Not the boys
upon the streets, bus the dissatisfied husbands
IN the country! The cause fall this is faulty
education, and this education or want Of il,
came from the mothers, who'are to blame almost
entirely for this awful state of affairs. The wo-
men are to blame for bringing into the world the
children who fill our isfs, lunatic asylums and
moor houses. The ip.'eligence of the world
Charges this monstroas crime upon you women
of the country; you have made these idiots,
these lunatics and criminals. True love is the
bug bear that has frightened the women away
from the discussion Of this topic, Free love
means rreedom--i; IS free religion. You think
free love means lust that same sort of vile life
that you profess to abhor Is not Gods love
freey Your Idea of love is nothing but lust and
my idea OF It 'ia the perfect purity of thought
and action Mat unite man and woman for the
divine PURPOSE of multiplying and replenishlng
the earth. 1t is free from lust or base thoughts
Debatiiied minds see vulgar things where edu'
Gated ones discover beauty and purity. The
speaker said she va. ltbOring for the advance
men: of all that !, good, pure and beautiful in
our race. Her support comes from the intelli-