The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26

marries-as society says he has a perfect right
to do-some flower of "maidenly modesty"
with the consent of her parents what change
Tor health or happiness has that ignorant Vile
with her equally ignorant and brutailzed hus-
oand? LIS 1t no sin to ignore your responsibility
LOT ane misery OF such homes! ana Wnile you
are guilty OF participation in this wrong, when
chleny concerns the physical ana personal
FEATURES OF the subject, your neglect mas THIS
enect on society, that it destroys me a sanctlty
and beauty of the passion which "rules the
world, depasing it to the level OF an obscene
Jest All this is monstrous, and results In
tragedies such as too often nave upheaved
society.
Every marriage is, or should be- meant to be
a INK IN the endless chain OF human lie. II
should be a sacrament more sacred than all
others, and not to be diminished by meaning
less though fashionable ceremonlals.
Let us review the position OF woman as a
bride from immemorial times to the present
In the remote past she was the property of her
male relatives, and was sold or stolen as any
other property might be. II purchased, there
was some ceremony to show the good Will OF
the seller and buyer, and the article handed
over was warranted. AS civilization progresseQ
and laws were established some form OF civil
contract was required, securing to the woman
certain legal rights, but she still was regarded
as kind of family property whom the fathers
ana Drothers, or even remote male klnored,
could dispose of at their pleasure or for their
profit.
The condition of women in Europe, previous
TO the sixteenth century, was such that thou
sanOS he'd from the brutality OF husbands,
fathers, brothers and uncles to the omnipOtent
protection OF the church. 1t was, indeed from
tnls cause that nunneries were so numerous.
Gut OF this oppression arose the orders OF ch1v-
alry-the knights devoting themselves to res
cuing fair and noble ladies from captivity or
enforced marriage. At length the church
again came to the relief OF distressed woman
hood, and established the religious right of
marriage, making it a sacrament, without
privilege OF divorce; a change which, while 1T
Denented women In many ways, especially in
the matter OF property and motherhood rights,
does not seem to have tended much to the pur-
1ty OF morals. Probably women, uneducated,
and born to q condition of subjugat ton, were
unprepared to seize their opportunities at
once. 1t is also true that several generations
must succeed each other before the hereditary
tendencies arising from customs can be eradi-
Gated.
No one will in these times deny the right of
an adult woman to dispose of herself as her af-
fect1ons prompt her, but that disposal is mat
ter after all in which society is concerned, and
sooiety has its rights as well as individuals
Every boy and girl should be taught that as
MEMBER or the great social world he or she is
under implied obligations to perform certain
duties toward it, or at least to refrain from do
ing anything injurious toFitS welfare; that
treachery toward society makes them justly
liable to outlawry, and that if they betray the
pubhc confidence they are not deserving the
pIotecnon OF laws made for the safety of the
body polite. Alas, how difficult must it be TO
nX TINS idea in young minds when the fact is
constantly before them that the highest and
best educated talent OF the State finds employ
ment in defending crimes against society.
Nevertheless, it is the plain duty of parents to
teach the highest truths in the hope that a
generation may arise which loves purity and
justice, and which, while holding an accused
person guiltless until condemned by satisfac-
tory evidence, feels equally bound to make
such amends to society as it can by Furnishing
social disorder with prohibitory penalties.
One hears not infrequently among women
the declaration, 'I hate meni" Why? The
daily newspapers answer that. The young
hear and read, and the girl makes up her mind
to be bachelor rather than enter condition
OF moral and social subsection, with the risks
attending 1T. Men feel this repulsion on the
part OF the new woman, as we perceive by their
sportive or their satirical illusions to it in the
press or on the rostrum. To them it seems I'M
natural, as it is, because they have not looked
alphabetically for the causes. Women do
not hate mem. They cannot. They are only
deeply hurt at their apparent want of feeling,
OF justice, of delicacy, and most of all by their
sneers. They do not want raillery; they
want recognition and brotherly aid. They
feel their Importance in the world and de-
sire to have 1t admitted. Only the scientists
among men have come to confess IT, saws
one of the most gifted of these, mature loves
best the woman" and shows that in tenacity
OF life, and the power to resist contagion she
is superior to the man.
In her Indignation against what appears to
her insufferable egotism and cruel injustice
the bachelor girl loses her balance and the
pendulum of her feelings swings out of line.
She is not a very dangerous element in society,"
for, like the floral freak, she exists but for her
Not only is she not dangerous, but she is COM
fort and grace in many home to which she
devotes her lie as completely as if il were her
own individual Garden of Eden. Society in
general also owes much to the unmarried
woman. If you follow her about YOU will find
her in all charitable and womanly works and
an sever present help in time of trouble" If
she hasignorantly erred in not marrying it is e
fault that has leaned to virtues side This
congress has been honored by the presence of
one bachelor girl to whom women everywhere
pay difference and gratitude. In the homes of
the past which knew not Susan B. Anthony
they served with. obedience; in the homes OF
her MS hall hol
ored, they shall serve with equality and love.
AS have said, the revolt against marriage
has been one of outraged sentiment, and as
such is not only justifable, but inevitable,
since women have achieved independence
enough TO think for themselves. But the trou-
bic with these social problems is that emanc-
patton comes before the knowledge which
makes it of its full worth The freedom has to
be achieved first, and the understanding OF it's
value is learned by experience afterward. Thus
the new woman, like the liberated black man,
is 1able TO make some serious plumbers, eS-
pecially in regard to herself as woman. A bet
ter knowledge of physical facts, while it might
not greatly alter her views of what her choice
would be under existing social conditions,
would lead her to look beyond her personal
bias to consider the relation of the sexes soc-
ologically. 1--WE need and feed each other"
says one of the profoundest writers of our time,
in speaking OF marriage, and he meant it liter
ally. Even a child could tell you which were
the married and which the unmarried women
knew.
queenly,' says the courtly critic Some shall
low persons of her own sex might say "she
puts on airs because she has a husband to sup
port her who has money" But look at the
married man. Does not he also appear more
grand than the bachelor? Yet nobody insinu-
ates that it is because he has a wife with
money to support him, though that may be a
fact. The cause of the change in both lies
deeper than that, and is one of the beautiful
physiological and psychological secrets of ma
ture. Let woman make society better by study
ing herself She is natures most wonderful
production. Her name should be Love, and
the names of her children Truth and Reason.
In the discussion which followed this
able paper Mr.. O'Farrell said the men
did not dare to plead ignorance now that
there is an opportunity for learning offered
them in the Womans Congress.
Mrs Thorndyke paid tribute to the
pioneer women of California society, ana
urged the imperative necessity of harmony
among the women in all their work.
Mr.. Gilley thought the last paper was
the most instructive of any read during
the session, and he recommended that it
beput in print in its entirety for the bene-
mt OF those who could not remember its
contents.
Miss Selma Solomons read paper enti-
tied 1.-The Matriarchate.' 'In the past
the only thing open to women was matri-