The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-07-14

London Standard.

LONDON Stenuafo'
S Mrs. Eswcett desired to say few
words in explanation Of the attitude and
aims as to what was vaguely known by
its enemies as the "Women's Rights
Movement" in which she had been &C.
lively engaged for the past ten years.
Some ladies and gentlemen who had not
given much time or attention 10 the mat.
ter had said that the object of that
movement was to turn women into men;
but its supporters maintained that Wo-
manly virtues and graces would not only
be strengthened but ennobled by the
opening of wider spheres for the intellec'
tual activity of women, and also by al
lowing them to enter upon the privile-
ges of parliamentary representation.
Cheers. She denied that that which
aimed at the improvement of women
would end by turning them into men, or,
as was assumed, that the movement
tended to q constant and lrreconcilable
state of hostility between the sexes.
Hear, hear. She denounced the coarse
language used in the House of Commons
by certain members on the occasion OF
the last debate on the woman's suffrage
bill, and thought that the words which
David said he used in his "haste' could
not apply to some Of the members who
brought forward certain arguments
against the bill. daughter. Not day
passed without which she had to record
her gratitude for the support which
this movement received from gentle.
men. IApplause.1 She knew dozens of
men of Cambridge who, thong b poor and
hard worked, made large pecuniary sac
rifces in order to afford to women the
means of obtaining a higher education.
Many members of Parliament, too, had
given their DAYS and nights in support
of the movement. 1t was admitted by
many opponents that for women there
were many laws passed IN their support
and interest, which we're really injurious
to them. In the discussion on these
laws occasioned some bitter heartburn
ing and unwise expressions of hostility
on the part of those who suffered under
them, surely the state of the law
was at fault. The law regarding mar
rage, property, divorce, and the guard
ianship OF children, had been spoken OF
by the highest legal authorities as dis
grace to civilized country. Although
the whole force of woman's nature was
frequently concentrated upon the love
which she felt for her children, the law
recognized the power of the husband, II
he liked, to take them from her after they
had reached the age OF seven years. This
was a state of things which was wrong
and required redress. Cheers. The
time of Parliament was fully taken up
in dealing with questions which involved
the interests of the existing electorate,
and toward the close of the session the
massacre Of the innocents" always follow
ed, the bills that were squeezed out
of existence generally being those in
which women were interested. About
two years ago the married women's prop
erty act amendment BILL owing to the
energy of its supporters, got carried
through It's second reading. 1t was then
proposed for committee, but it was count
ed out eleven times, and postponed four
times. Laughter. This was the way
in which claims of an unrepresented class
were treated. She used the word "class"
advisedly, for Mr.. Bright had said, at is
an odious and scandalous libel to speak
of women as a class" Women were not
class. They were only artificially ere.
ated into class by acts OF parliament.
(Cheers.