River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-07-30
geniously describing his plans Of opera
tons, were found in his cell.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cady StantOn's Opin-
ions OF the Effect OF the Recent
Scandal Trial Upon society.
(FrOm the New York Sun,

AAfAL etdSOh y lcItuIcS III ilcI NOME Oh tue
wooded western slope Of the Palisades.
The summer is her domestic season, and
so much does she possess the attributes
and common habits of ordinary women,
that if personals ignorant rs juryman,
never having heard that she had travers-
ed the country, leading conventions all
fall and spring and lecturing all winter,
should call on her in Tenafly, he might
not see her rs any other character than
the faithful wife, unfailing housekceper,
and good mother Of many children.
Midsummer brings back her two daugh-
tiers from Nassar college for IT, long sum-
mer vacation; adorns the undulating,
grassy grounds Of her snug villa with
five or six young gentlemen, all her sons;
one dreams in swaying hammock, an.
other reads on the piazza, a third frolics
with the great shaggy dog, fourth acts
the knight gallant to his sister and chance
visitors, fifth is seated under great
spreading chestnut tree in full July
bloom, and her sixth son is on a 300-acre
farm in Iowa IN company with his wife
and million Of grasshoppers. The hus-
band and father, the Hon. Henry b.
city, near his own legal or editorial ink
stand, when the public, or the colleges,
or Europe, or law offices hold his wife
and his daughter and his sons.
An interviewer sat on a wicker settee
opposite Mrs. Stanton in a rustic arm
chair, apart from the company, on re-
cent afternoon, and after some conversa-
tional skirmishing around the main OBJ
ject of the visit, Mrs. Stanton substan-
italy said
The trial for Henry Ward Beecher for
adultery, which has so tediously nau-
seated the whole country, | believe to
have been n salutary medicine which has
produced three distinct beneficial effects.
1t has knocked great blow at the priest
hood. All over this country women had
a reverent respect for clergymen; low
ing, clinging confidence in them, like that
of the sick, and long-troubled woman who
said Of Christ; III can but touch the
hem Of His garment shall be safe" 1t
is lesson we'll learned by women and
by the world that the woman of this
trial, precisely Shy touching the hem of
his garment" and even though only
touching the hem of his garment, shat
tered her household, her home and her
hopes, beclOuded her children, lost her
else unattached and happy obscurity,
and has appeared before all Christendom
dragging!
This unhappy and exciting lawsuit has
struck great moral blow at the weak
ness of women. 1t brought before mems
attention a truth which has faced them
up like picture held before their eyes,
how utterly weak the women are who
stand in fear of men, and feel obliged to
use their husbands as confeSSors. 1t has
taught men the need of women being
strong-minded and self-poised for mems
own protection. If Mrs. Tilton had been
such woman, she would not have been
making these confessions, which them
selves, are largely the origin of the
priests publicity as an accused adulter-
er, 1t has knocked blow at the subor-
dination of the state of wifehood. The
weakness Of this wife has taught men
that domestic security is more reliable
when there are individuals in the home
than when there is only one intellect in
the house, and that one the husband S.
This muddle never could have happened
if Mrs. Tilton had been grand strong
minded, self-pOised woman. Men will not
forget that for their own safety, that in
all associations of men with women, bet
ter strong, self.posed woman than the
weakling who is to-day domineered by
this man $ magnetism, and tomorrow by
that, confeSses here, Tetracts there, and
re-conleSscs and re.retracts.
Another prominent effect of this trial,
said Mrs. Stanton, is that it has been
strong pull toward making the standard
of tolerated and reputable behavior of
women and men equal. Here are woman
and man, an accused a1ulteress and an
accused adulterer. Plymouth church,
three thousand strong, have stepped in in
advance Of all past ages, and their public
regard and social treatment is tie same
of the woman as Of the man. For once
in the history Of the world, since the
Christian era, fellowship has been given
to woman the same as man in the
same circumstances. Plymouth church
merits no thanks. Plymouth church did
not reflect what it was doing. Plymouth
church did not know, or care. 1t is doing
it all in its blind zeal to protect man.
But the moral epoch has come in gcoogi-
cal history when a man cannot be protect
ed without the woman is protected too :;
and on the solf.same social plane is
given the good right hand Of fellowship.
But while the Plymouth church
zealots have socially upheld Mrs.
rilton to bolster up Beecher, legally they
have trOdden her under foot, Gagged her
and guarded her. Beecher stands for
large moncyed interest, for Plymouth
church, the Christian Union and the
Life of Christ" The protection Of
Bcecher means the preservation Of capital
invested in very wealthy society, a
newspaper, and book enterprise. A
woman, OH the contrary, stands for
nothing. No matter if Mrs. 1'ilton were
sacrificed, nor how many women. They
would sacrifice any number of women.
"As to the guilty or not guilty." said
Mrs. Stanton, Il have all along said that
what Henry Ward Bcechcr would swear
TO, should believe.
1T is true that Mrs. Tilton told all this
same story to Susan Anthony at several
times, years ago; and Theodore Tilton to