National Republican., 1876-01-11
SOCIAL VIEWS OF THE GREAT REFORMER
Review OF tie Past and Sad Condition
OF the Present-AIarming Statistics
Plain Presentation OF Faets-The
Ignorance of Mothers-Reformaffo
Must Begin in the Family Circle.

Mrs Victoria g. Woodruff should, and does
probably, feel proud of the audience whicl
greeted her last night at Ford's Opera House, Il
listen to her lecture, "The Human Body thu
Temple of God" The spacious edihce wa
crowded with both ladies and gentlemen, many
of the latter representing official and prominen
business circles, and by all was the most respect
ful attention given to the utterances Of the grea
reformer.
As an elocutIonist, Mrs. Woodruff did not CONT
up to the standard expected Of her by those WHIT
had read the notices of the Western press. TC
compare her in that capacity with Anna Dickin
son is absurd, and to speak Of the lecture as {
literary effort wauld be to criticse 1t somewhat
severely. The opening portion of the lecture is 9
carefully prepared historic review Of the empires
and peoples Of the earth, both ancient and mod
ern, which ia followed by beautiful tribute L
the future America, when All the r races s sinai al
duced TO human perfection. These portions wert
good. After these came the pith OF the discourse
the citation Of the remedies for the present stat.
woodruff. In this latter portion Of the discourse
there were certain eloquent and admirable sen
and abounded in awkward repetitions, for which
There was, after the first few sentences hat
been recited, seeming earnestness and
INTENSITY OF FEELING
on the part Of the lady, which, together with the
force with which she uttered self evident truths
met the assent of the audience, and to which they
gave approval by hearty applause.
In the lecture itself there was nothing new
enunciated, the lady being sati SIZED with repeat
ing old but undOubted statistical and physiologi
cal statements, which, she insisted, should be
spoken from the rostrum in order that they might
thereby be further disseminated and necessarily
discussed in the family circle.
The portion of her lecture In which she referred
to herself was in perfect good taste, tor after en-
during all the obloQuy cast upon her, and suffer
ing in prison for opinions sake, she certainly had
ence on the fact that she had lived down her perse
cutors, and had drawn together as respectful
auditors so large and intelligent an assemblage
in the National Capital.
During the evening she was complImented by
the presentation of basket OF beautiful flowers,
and at the conclusion OF the lecture she was &c
enthusiastically applauded as to reappear and
Prior to the lecture Miss Tennis C. CiafiiD read
with good effect an appGopria.e poem by Chas,
MacRey, "The Death of Tom Paine"
The following IS sketch OF the lecture:
THE LECTURE.
Mrs. Woodruff prefaced her remarks by read
ing the scriptural verses published in yesterday
REPUBLICAN, beginning with "know ye not that
God dwelleth in you," and then put the question
TO her hearers, whether in reviewing history and
reviewing their lives, they could truthrully state
that their bodies were worthy to be called the
TIE lecturer traced the westward course Of
civilization and empire, from the East and Baby
Atlantic coast and to America, where a race OF
men was being formed by an entirely new pro-
cess, by which all races are being blended to-
gether. This new race will be perfect race, and
until such time no perfect men or women, either
morally, mentally or physically, will exist, but
when it came all men and all women would be
pure, and the millennium promised in the great
book would be at hand. The realization of all
these prophecies can never be, except through
the slow process OF evolution.
Asan illustration of the progress OF latter years
she recited the experience of Field in his endeay-
oTs to gain an appropriation for the purpose of
practically demonstrating his telegraphic
Schemes; the persecution Of Theodore Parker by
the people of Boston, and the unpopularity OF
William Lloyd Garrison when first ne ventilated
his abolition views; and, as still more recent
was received when first she announced that 1t was
time for women to be Intelligent enough and pure
OWN THEIR OWN BODIES
Returning to the subject directly under consid-
GRAFTON, she said that to-day there was not one
sound man, woman OF child in the world-not one
mt for the temple Of God. This was the cIvilza-
tion of the nineteenth century. She did not in
tend to prove this by her own assertions, but by
statistics gathered from the best authorities, and
therefore true. There were, she said, two hundred
. and fifty thousand women in this country who
were professional prostitutes. This had been
brought out by the statement that there was not
one sound man, woman or child in the world. The
average length of lie of this class was four
years. This was complemented by 500 900 male
prostitutes, the average OF whose life was not
known.
The pure, Intelligent woman knew we'll that
this class OF women were not supported in their
elegance by the vagabond boys ofthe street. She
knew in her heart that they were supported by
dissatisfied husbands, by Senators, Legislators
and, above all, by high Church dignitares. Zap
plsuse.l These were the men that supported
the prostitutes.
Every fifteen years 100000 of their virgin
daughters were sacrificed TO this terrible evil.
Who were they who sent their beautiful girls to
be sacrificed upon this al'ar? 1t was their own
ignorant mothers who did it. One hundred and
nifty thousand in this country arc criminals, NIL.
ing the jails and wors aouss NV we're we're insane,
there were between 1900 and lG,UU- 'uioSs, ana
recently in Illinois an appropriation had been
made for a new asylum for 5000 idiots In that
State. She was pretty we'll acquainted with the
East, and thought that they could do as we'll, in
this respect, as the West.
BEHIsD THE SCENES.
why was It that no mother dared to ask the
cause of insanity among this large number? No
thew still send out this tide Of idiotic humanity?
Not long since the people Of Philadelphia had
peeped into the insane asylum there, and found
In one room nine people hitched svgerner, one OIL
York they had gotten peep inside the walls Of
the asylum in Kings county, and found a most
horrible and ioathsome sight Then. let the
Rsylums the statement was made that seven
tenths of all the inmates were brought there by
sexual debauchery, and the balance through the
that mothers did not dare to ask the cause. Nine
tepths Of all the criminals incarcerated were oi
that number whose mothers did not desire theil
children.
They had arrived at this hour and had dared to
discuss this great question. When It was brought
to church the good people SAID they would have
none Of it, although the good book itself tells
that their bodies are the temples Of God. Not
one of them believed II; they believed that they
wsJe wsy gong Thsy had aod temple pol
luted 1t, until now, unless some great tidal wave
OF intelligence sweeps over the people, they were
going to be remanded back to darkness. Though
three years ago no one discussed this question
now all the firstcass journals were discussing It
The remedy was in the purity and Intelligence Of
their mothers. How many mothers understand
the proposition: Young people were
RUSHING TO MARRIAGE
like horses to battle, yet still not one woman in
hundred thousand was tt to be mother, and the
proportion among men ut to be fathers was q
their children the truth? What mother dared tC
tell her child the truth when that child limo
Gently asked, Mother, who made me?" The
the child went out to the street and learned from
the yagabond what the pure and elegant mother
should have taught Il. But the mother who pn
derstood herself and her nature tells her babe
when 1t asks "Who made me, /" clasping It to hel
heart that mamma had carried 1t under her heart
and at last had gone into the garden OF Gethse
The boy, growing into manhood, the image o
his mother, could never forget his mother or tht
sacred influences OF nome.
Our mothers have power to make every mar
pure and godlike. Looking over audiences ever,
night, she did, It did not require very astutt
person to pick out the gentlemen, the gentlemen
who had lady mothers. If o man had no resPec
for his mother, he could not respect any othel
woman; when q man was heard to speak vulgarlI
OF any woman, he could not have q particle o
respect for his mother. She would have every
man take off his hat when he passed woman
during the period OF CESSATION.
POWERS OF WOMEN.
Every woman had II in her power to wipe ou
this terrible debauchery. She should recognize
her own body as Gods temple; she should teacl
her own boy not to desecrate the temple Of God
When mothers had told her that their boys haC
sown their wild oats and were going to marry
model young woman, she had often turned ant
asked: How about the young woman he had beel
sowing his wild oats with; was she going to MARI.
a model Young man? She remembered when firs
she stood in Steinway hall and urged that womal
should demand the same purity OF man as he ex
acted Of her She had asked the mother, as he
l daughter was being led 10 the altar, TO turn L
the young man, and ask II his record was as pur
/ as that Of her virgin daughter. That was he
1 first offense, and she thanked God she had couI
| age to still go on. She hoped that the time wa
i near when each and every woman would DO stron
enough to make the morals Of men as strong a
those Of women.
There would be q remedy when mothers dare
Il to discuss this question at home. They coul
1 talk about their women not blushlng. Seve
Il tenths Of the young women coming from boardin
schools were not ft for maternity, and nine tenth