The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-30
HOME RULE"
II Address of Mrs. May Wright SewalI at
the Woman's Congress.

" HAtSs pAhy AAB OWN ~
the Woman Congress.
Report in Washington Post.
May Wright Sewal, of indianapolis, was
the feature OF the evening, with her address
on Home Rule" She is of plump and
pleasing person, and was dressed in a garnet
costume OF cashmere ana velvet. At her
wrists and neck were lace and net trimmings,
and from her bosom depended a bunch OF
pink roses.
Just as sincerely as do the men (that
is, some of them) here think that the quality
OF womanliness woul vanish when the
speakers sex cast votes, so do the men of
Turkey consider that their women would
lose the quality priced by them if exposed
TO the gaze of the world. Blu a prominent
example has just occurred in London to dis
prove this idea. The reigning belle of that
great city for last season, Miss Gwendolin
WAN was a prominent suffragist, She at
tanned the climax of every English girl
an engagement witt a live lord, be-
fore the season was more than a few weeks
old.
Womanliness stands the test of professional
competition. There are SOC, 900 women who
are conducting their own business, according
to the last census, Was there any diminu-
ton OF womanliness? The testimony Of
American men was that there was no other
country where woman could compete in this
respect with American women. Nor can
any country compete in manliness of the
AACb "AbAA tAO AICu VI bIl9 All adlu.
But will this do for women in houses? 1t
is believed that home is the place Tor women
and men also. Statistics show that in
Maine there were only 2,480 divorces granted
last year, the deadest of all States on the
woman-suffrage question. The average man
has no more been able to attain the ideal any
more than has the average woman. Nor is he
any more likely, permeated as he is with a
variety of poisons-whisky and tobacco and
unchaste thoughts.
There is no longer any profession now in
which the sexes may not meet, though they
are divorced by man in every case. In public
life this has resulted in the various upper
fections now apparent in our government.
If the details of the home life of the legisla-
tors OF to-day were scrutinized we should see
the formation of their various vices or vir-
tues to originate in mother influence.
A congressman from the speakers own
State Qndiana) had told her during the day
that he should probably vote for the amend-
ment, but did not think it would come up
soon, nor did he think any one was suffering
for it, The suffering imposed upon all who
urged this movement was directly charges
bic upon thu ~inaction OF Congress in this
matter.
American men were fond of being called
the most chivalrous in the world; but they
should remember that in the days of ohiy-
airy men scorned to use a weapon not carried
by their competitors. Then why should
American men deny to u woman the weapon
they so much prize in their own battle OF
life?
For thirty years had the chairman of the
the meeting been toiling with such weapons
as she has had. for women and their rights.
She and her woman co-workers have been
unremitting in more than equal work with
any body of men, but not for equal pay.
1t is the indifference of women that meu
always plead for i~naction. Ingratitude is a
black crime, and yet many who affect to de-
spise the movement are now enjoying the
privileges earned by Miss Anthony and her
co-workers. Shame upon all such. The day
will come when every young woman will
boast, as men do now OF abolition principles,
of having, at least, attended woman suffrage
meetings, in Washington in 1888, perhaps.
The law recognizes women as citizens in
most States i'll the Union. in every respect
but at the polls, on every day of the year but
the 365th, the election day. That will come,
and then all will crowd to claim u share Of
the honor OF having fastened it.