Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-12-22

fore the Won,nn'~ Ciab OF Ellsworth, Nov.
5th, 1889.
Published by request of the club
Looking back along the line of history
as far as we have authentic record-per-
haps even farther women generally have
held subordinate position. Ii is true
there have been ages In the past when the
descent of families. Of lines and of peoples
has been traced through the mother, 1t
was not the woman who lost her identity
He took her name and had no individual
existence except as member OF the group
Of which she was the head; he was practl-
cally in the power OF the womsn and her
female friends and relatives. IL she ex
ercised her power freely and without much
mercy 1t is scarcely to be wondered at,
knowing not how soon It would be wIested
from her by the superior physical force of
man, which In those days, being the ac-
knowledged claim 10 superiority, held
women incontrovertibly in bondage
worse than that of the galley slave. That
they were, in part, unconscious of 1t was
only the greater pity. Gradually, with
the light of education. gllmmerings of
something better and nobler came TO rare
souls, now and then. and We read of here
there II woman who dared TO assert her in
diyiduality, but 1t was always met with
- - wi nft ,,,.fsh
tion. and among those hercest in her de-
nunciation were found those of her own
sex who should have upheld her. In the
face of such opposing influences our nag
has slowly uufurled, and the time is com
paratively recent when women have dared
to stand forth free from the trammels Of
conyentionalties and proclaim TO the world
in the words of the old Latin poet, substi-
tutng woman for man Il am woman
and nothing that concerns humanity is
foreign to me-" After all, taking a stand,
and cons Of the case, even though we feel
perfectly sure that We are right. as far as
we are capable of judging, is hard thing
to do, but no less hard than to look back
after once putting the hand to the plough.
In ISis the first convention of women ever
held in America, or | think in the world,
called by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, met at Seneca Falls. Most
of you know of the occasion. When Mrs.
Stanton made her drst public speech, at its
close, the originators of the convention
went home, waiting with complaisance for
the complimentary notices in the press.
Alas, for their hopes. In the words Of
Mrs. Stanton: II believe that every pa
per from Maine to Louisiana published
our declaration and ridiculed it. Women
who had put their names down hurried to
take them off. My good father took the
night train from New York and rushed up
to Seneca Falls to see If l was insane.
We talked till midnight, and l was more
than ever convinced that l was right, for
my father was logical and sensible man
and he could not answer my arguments.
Nevertheless if | had not had remarka-
bly, good constitution and very cheerful
temperament think should have been put
in the insane asylum, my humiliation was
SO great" Do you think these women
looked back? Not they! Little by little,
year by year. they persevered. Forty
wears later the International Council OF
Women met at Washington with represen.
tstives of ten different countries. Wha,
wonder that Mrs. Stanton, after retro.
spect of the work she had helped inaug
urate and carry through all those years
should exclaim: 'How changed the scene !!
And the hundreds of women now holding
college degrees; the thousands studying
for such degrees; the women honored ane
listened to as professors and preachers
lawyers, physicians and editors; the grea
army of women earning an honorable com
petence in almost every avenue Of indus
try, may well echo her exclamation
Among the many worthy features Of thi!
council none is more noteworthy than it
Cosmopolitan huu uCihoSiotiS ShoAe
In the presence Of the great thought!
which called this body Of women together
/ estate, sectional and national boundaries
were forgotten, party lines dropped out o.
account, laborer and capitalist, toiler will
hand and toiler with brain recogized tn
common bond of working women, tn
only consideration being, with union O.
hearts and union Of hands. what womeI
have done, are doing and may do, TO
the elevating and uplifting of women, ant
through them of all Humanity" To se'
how aoly they have been seconded. aide'
and abetted by other earnest women W
have only to look about US, and, branchin,
out in every direction from the so-calle'
smother of women's clubs" the Sorosis
that great nucleus from which other nu
clei have sprung. We see each In Its turl
forming other branches, until We have
genealogical tree of which we may well D.
proud. OF the history. formation an
work Of the Sorosis we have had such
graphic account. both by voice and pen
from our gifted president, whose frequen
visits to the club have rendered her .
couversant with its workings. that TO he
leave the pleasant task Of telling as wha
The eorosis has done for women. II