The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-30

At meeting OF the " Detroit Home Assocl- |
ation," organized for the purpose of providing |
home for women and girls temporarily out Of
employment and needing friendly assistance
Mr.. j. Il. III. Bradshaw, peing asked to address
tho meeting, said:
The best government mortal man could make |
would be founded on virtue and intelligence, in |
which view he thought 1t unjust that u woman |
teacher OF great truths, like the late Mrs. |
Sigourney, for example, should be debarred
from participating in the business OF legisla- I
ton, while a man, utterly ignorant, wholly |
wanting in the moral sense-a drunkard, per- !
haps-wields potent influence in the affairs
Of government. Let there be light in the mind
of every parent present. lie did not pretend
to he an instructor, but he knew his own faults
and folies and wanted to remedy them. The !,
,meducated woman has just two ways OF OBJ
tanning livelihood. The one is to marry for q
home; the other he would not mention. Let
parents know that they should never raise
child without giving it the knowledge to indie
pendently support ITSELF whether il be con or
daughter. Everybody has q pride IN self
sustaining woman, who realizes that true iude-
pondence is to earn her own living, and 10 con-
troll her own resources. Want OF self-sustain-
ing power drives her to a questionable fate, to
say the least. Ii would be glorious IL 1t could
be SAID that tine women Of this nation we're 30
educated as to be not only independent OF
husband, father or brother, but an actual help
10 tnem. lie plctuIeu Tue WOos OI yOuuS
woman left without home or friends, aud
closed by saying: If you want pure women
educate them to work. III you want pure men
elevate and educate the women. IL you want
great nation elevate and educate the mothers.
Judge Reilly, of the Wayne Circuit Court,
was the next speaker He said that Michigan,
with all her boosted charities was yet behind
tue times. There are many excellent institu-
4 tons in the State for the reformation OF boys
and men. but when young woman IS brought
before the magistrate for sentence he has no
other alternative than to send her to prison
peopled with notorious CRIMINALS, whose very
touch Is contamination. IL, on the other hand,
boy is convicted OF minor otfeDse, he may
be transferred to the Reform School for term
OF years, and there educated to support HIM
self by some honorable employment when his
term OF sentence shall have expired. Why the
people of Michigan are so far behind the times
in their treatment OF erring girls, lie could not
say but the fact remains that they are disposed
Of IN a manner which savors very strongly or
brutality. 4 woman arrested on the street for
some petty crime is taken to station-house
aud imprisoned for many hours in close contact
with the worst CRIMINAL elements OF the CITY,
In tho morning che is dragged from her cell,
receives the Invariable sentence OF $50 or six
months. and is carted off to prison with a wagon
load of convicted criminals. No helping hand
no word Of kindness is extended to her. Yet
il the prisoner Is a boy instead OF girl, the
State opens it's charitable arms and heart, and
devotes all its energies to the work or his ef-
fectual reformation. The speaker was inclined
to believe that women were more severe In
their treatment Of fallen womanhood than are
the men. IL man falls from grace his fellow
men are ready and willing to raise him up, but
woman almost ALWAYS turns her back upon the
erring OF her own seX. Suppose young girl,
, ANXIOUS to find a better life than that upon
j which she has just commenced, looks about her
, for employment, how many housckeepers will
, give her an opportunity to earn an honest liv-
, ing ? Not one. They all act upon the theory
that a woman once guilty OF indiscreton ia lost
! forever, and give her the cold shoulder without
any computations OF conscience. Hundreds OF
Young women come here IN search OF employ
) ment, with the hope OF bettcrng their conii-
ton. Their scanty means force them to put
up at some cheap lodging house. III driven to
: desperation by lack of money to buy the neces-
carries OF life, without friends to comfort, ad
: wise and asslst, they soon fall victims to the
temptations which beset them on every side,
bring up some day at the police station, are
sentenced TO prison. and once immuted within
it's gloomy walls become lost forever to all ap'
parent hope OF reformation. IL such women
: are to be saved, they must be morally educated
instead of being stlll further morally degraded
An institution like those for boys at Coldwatel
and Lansing should be established. where errinl
z girls and women may be confined for term o.
i years. under kindly moral instruction. for il
. tbs way only can we remedy the great evil nov
prevailing in our midst. II anything shoult
) commend itself to the hearty sympathy ant
r support Of the people OF Detroit, 1t is such
movement as this There are no women In thu
world who can be compared with the tru
II American woman in all the sterling virtues
il and the plan which we now propose to adopt
. the only one by which this standard OF moraht.
= could be maintained, and the evils now existing
" be remeded. Certain customs and prejudice
!. cannot be broken down. and we must accept tn
situation as il now stands. Tho citizens o
Detroit and the State will owe to the original
ors OF this movement debt OF gratitude whic
. time alone can pay, il they succeed in carryIn
= out the principles of their orsanization; and i
!. the prosecution of the good work they will hav
- the earnest sympathy and prayers OF all true
hearted men and womtn.
!. The President read the following letter:
70 DETROIT, March 20 1877
vi Mrs. John J. Bagley and other ladies':
Is The subject referred to in your circular not
d has nv sincere sympathy. and bid you Go
3 speed IN your worthy work. III men who thru
ie rntemperance (gross aud wretched sometimes
10 have made themselves castaways, are receive
D. when they turn from their evil ways with plat
S. dts aud rejoicing back INTO society. Gas the
IN should be), why should not poor, fnendlee
1T girls, who stand vet more than men IN need {
10 shelter and encouragement, be also made 10
g. subjects Of social solcitude and care! An
u especially when we remember how severe
r. stern IL the Judgment OF most women on sue
te OF their own sex as NAV (because they love
er much'') have ipnocently slipped and falleI
ar does it seem right that they who stand secuI
We 10 their virtue should kindly throw no fortIict
tons around oil such as may through sol
OF temptations be exposed to the relentless anatl
ur enias OF their unforgiving SISTERS Such time
ne places of retreat as you would rear are excee'
To- lnQlv desirabla m avery largo community.