Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-10-31
WOMEN AND THE "APPEAL."
A Champion of the Early Advocates of
WOman's Rights Comes
To Their Rescue and Declares Their
Value as Pioneers i'm n Good Cause.

your timely editorial on "The Degradation
OF Women as vel as for your over-gen-
erous recognition of her in chronicling
her advancement and championing her
claims. There is one little fault in the
editorial of every Southern man concern
ing the coarseness, hardness and unwo-
manIiness of the women of the earlier
struggles for women. This must be a
source of pain to any woman who is in
any way familiar with the earlier work OF
the women engaged in reform. / know
personally, or by correspondence, every
one OF the prominent women in all the
reform movements in America, and many
in England. Is it not well to consider
that sappers and miners in every cause
can't wear very fancy garb and act very
timidly; but if we look on the pictured
face of Susan b. Anthony, modesty, wo-
manliness and courage show in every line.
She is personally beloved by every woman
that knows her, and honored by every
man; yet she has been despised and de
nounced more than any woman in After
lea. These earlier workers bore the od.um,
tore their hands and beat out their teader
hearts to clear the brambles of hate and
stones OF prejudice from the path OF the
women of to-day. i quote the following
from the New York Tribune OF September
5, 1853:
This Worlds Temperance Convention
has completed three of its four business
sessions and the results may be summed
up as follows: First day crowding a
woman off the platform. Second day,
gagging her. Third day, voting she shall
stay gagged. Having disposed OF the main
question, we presume the incidentals will
be finished this evening"
This was Horace Greeley's report of
worlds temperance convention. Women
had been for years admitted as delegates,
and allowed a silent vote, as in church.
Never had her voice been heard, not even
to make a report. All men know what
work a man could accomplish in any such
position. Antoinette Brown Blackwell
and loyal Susan B. Anthony won the
| right speech for women by ''storming the
convention" as they called it. That is,
claiming the right of speech and hear
ing. The convention, composed mainly
OF ministers as delegates, was a scene new
er before witnessed, and, l dare say, never
again can be equaled. Backed by Higgin-
son, Phillips, GerTitt Smith, Greeley, Gar
rison, May, and such men, they won the
right for such as Miss Willard and Han
nah Whitel Smith to walk and talk at
ease and in freedom from reproach.
So too, in medicine. The women who
| first invaded this domain were sweet and
lovely women. Elizabeth Blackwell,
College in New York, was gentle, lovely
woman. She had to invade male col
lege; she did it, bided the sneers and
blackguardism of men, and triumphed
for all women, not for herself alone
read short time since part of woman's
| letter to her Southern friends; in it she
uses this language:
CDR. Mary McNut is an honor to the
Woman's Medical College of New York
| Six years ago she graduated with the high
est honors after four years course. This
year she opened a postgraduate class, and
| lectured to men (who are practicing ply
sicians) on surgery. She holds the chair
OF surgery in the college. DR.. jacob also
| lectured to as many men as women"
We must remember that in the begin
| ming OF this fight for woman's right to
! place in medicine, colleges and univer-
sities, there were none save those for
men, and to overcome those obstacles the
women who were in the struggle faced
fearful odds, and won undeserved odium
from the keenly felt hate and prejudice of
men. We should crown their memory
| with undying honor-not hate nor scorn.
lshmaelites, indeed, they seemed, for
every man S, and well nigh every woman's,
hand was against them, and no matter
how sweet, pure and noble they were, the
masculine-ruled press denounced them as
rude and vulgar viragos." If anything
can sweeten woman's sad life, If she has
inherited genius, talent or ambition, it is
the courageous daring that makes her ex-
ercise these faculties until she dare think
and act for herself, until she becomes an
honor to self and help to her kind. Men
have always dreaded and fought individ-
uality in woman. They defined her sphere
just as the priest formulates his religion,
and it was ''anathema maranatha" for her
on every side. For man to attempt to fix
the sphere of woman is cool as
sumHtion. Just when one human be-
| ing assumes to decide what the sphere
of another is, that moment assumption
begins, and everything else that flowers
| out is the legitimate consequence of this.
For my life fail to see where going to the
ballot-box and voting for a thing is one
tenth part as mean, demoralizing and
painful as hanging for hours around the
polls begging, teasing and making men
vote for temperance. Their own vote is
certain and the other fully as certain to be
made the same. Temperance men would
be apt to be the officials then, as well as
| good men. | saw women at the polls in
Nebraska on election day. Forty-six
spent the day at the polls in Hastings, and
| learned that not a woman was insulted
by the terrible men anywhere. Mrs. Man
son, recently elected Senator from that
State, was, with many leading women, at
the polls in Omaha throughout the day.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, than whom
no man will leave behind him record of
nobler brain-work, is one of the thorough
breds of this continent. a mind of the
clearest legal acumen is enshrined in the
form of a lovely woman, whose face is
illumined by as warm and sunny a heart
10 ;f,,1
her charming to the winter OF her life,
though for forty years she has been in the
midst OF public men and measures, clash
ing the keen blade of intellect in every
national fray with the ablest men in
America, and never once has she been
worsted in the conflict, or borne other
than spotless shield. With this letter |
give you proof of my words--the mag
nificent pictures of the two bravest women
that ever fought for human rights on any
field, and none can look on their faces and
not feel that so fair shrine must hold