Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-02-28

She Demand. for Her SEX an Equality
With Man.

4 small audience greeted Mrs. Lease
in Hartmsns hall last evening. Mrs.
Smith h. ketcham introduced the
speaker. Mrs Lease began her lecture
by referring in glowing language 10 the
old worlds wealth of literature and art.
and the effect that il had upon the civil
ization III the century.
The then paid beautiful tribute TO
America with lis magnificent fields. its
vast inland commerce and its unsur-
PASSED mechanical genius She dis
cussed the composite population and
saidthaf under the benign influence ofour
form ~ government. the Scot. the Irish
man. the German and the Spaniard lost
all their native characteristics and be
came Americans
We have cast away most az the super
stitions of the eleventh century" con
tsnued Mrs Lease I'VE are wise be
yond our time. Primogeniture has been
abolished We have carried political
democracy 10 its limit at least YOU
think you have. But deny A. \
tramp may vote and his ballot carry as
much weight As that % the millionaire.
But We have como down the ages carry
ins in our arms some 81 the customs Of
the dark past. We bow down TO the
altar II Baal. We think at least some
u Us DO that a woman because she Is a
woman is inferior 20 d man. And worse
than that. We have conceived the idea
that gold is the basis OF money. But
some q Us are beginning 10 lind out the
tricks ~ The other fellows and question
whether gold should be made 50 dear
and flesh and blood 80 cheap.
Thirty years ago there were but seven
avocatiOns open 10 women by which
they could earn a livelihood. Now we
have women doctors. women lawyers,
women preachers. and Kansas came
nearly sending a woman 20 the United
States senate Today there are l36 law
firms in America composed Of women.
There Is scarcely hamlet in the United
States In which there il not woman
who can write M. D. after her name
and kill or cure Just as well as man.
1 know 81 hut one place where you will
not had a wornan--that is on election
day with a flask II whisky in each
pocket. swearing she can lick any man
IN town. | do hot wish 10 ray anything
dcrOgaiory 20 man. | believe man Is
the n0blest work u God. hut woman ID
bis peer and equal. Politics is Just the
place where women are needed. We
know the wrong and sorroWs II the race,
We know when the cupboard Is empty
ard the little ones are suffering.
We have waited IA vain for the great
two parties to help VS.. The women 81
to-day are on strike They gill make
themselves felt. and the politicians will
gasp aud tresnbie. The leaders vii
want the assistance - women. and the
party that gets It must be brave AID
Gow cowardly."
Mrs. Lease then declared that the re
publican party Is dead. That she had
always objected 70 calling democrat,
a party. a. It had always stood like a
granite wall in front Of progress. While
apparently triumphant II Was never be
fore 40 weak as il is today.
The three important questions before
the American people today are land
labor and finance Notwithstanding III
have 100000 square miles II excellent
land. No find We have become the great
81 tenant farming nation on tie tacs
Il the earth. over loto nations
have gore down under the whitening In
ruence n saEdlor,iisn. Three fourth,
n a cify's population live Ia ronted
houees- one half ~ the remainder liV'
IN houses that are moftgagrd Tor al
they are worth. one third ~ the farm
efs - America are tenants. one-thir
own their acres. but under mortgage foi
their fuli value. In the last ten year.
the absolute number q farms have IN
creased and the acreage increased.
Tie speaker then went into a minute
discussion = The siagietax Theory TO
cooperative system q labor. and IA,
necessity To- remonetizing silver.