The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-22
The Cause Of the Women.
EQUAL RIGHTs--CIvIL, IN
DUSTRIAL, POLITICAL.
Mrs. Young and Miss Clay Present
Their Side to q Large Audience.
From The Daily Item, May, II.


From The Daily Item, May, II.
The Women Sufragists have every reason
to be grati6ed with the audience that was
present to hear the addresses of Mrs. Young
and Miss Clay last night 1t was composed
of men and women, young and old, and was
representative OF the community-every re-
ligiop, trade and profession had representa-
tives present. There were not less than three
hundred persons in attendance, the crowd
being about equally divided between the
sexes.
The speakers, Mrs. Virginia Durant Young,
of Fairfax, S. c., and Miss Laura Clay, of
Kentucky, entered the ball accompanied by
Col. John ]. Dargan, and took their places
on the platform. Col. Dargan called the
meeting to order and announced that the ex-
ercises would be opened with prayer by Miss
Clay. Miss Clay offered q brief prayer.
!. Mrs. Young was then introduced as the
first speaker by Col. Dargan Mrs. Young
confined herself to manuscript, speaking for
about q half hour altogether. She said tnat
in the natural course Of the development OF
the world and the growth Of civilization, old
things must pass away and new things take
their place-it is the law of growth. The
demand for female suffrage is in obedience to
this recognized law.
To restrict the functions of government to
one-helf the peopie-,he men-is both unjust
and unwise. Several thousand years ago
might made right, and government was
based upon brute force. Women were kept
in seryile suhjection because they were un-
fitted by the cares of maternity and weaker
physioue to contest with the men on the plane
Of brute force. Even to this day, brute force
prevails among some savage tribes, and the
iordly man goes wooine With clab.
Humane and benevolent progress, tn
speaker said, is and has been essentially wo-
manly. Wherever the women have obtained
the rights to which they are entitled, better
conditions have prevailed and civilization has
advanced.
She argued that government is like fam
ily and in those places where it most nearly
approaches the'famiiy the government IS the
best. The women-the other half Of the
people governed-should have an equal share
in the government as she has in the family.
Men have builded worse than they knew when
they made women puppets, :oys or hermit
crabs.
Taking up the Declaration of Iadepen-
dence, the. speaker discussed the principles
there laid down and applied them 10 the de-
mand for female suffrage. Women should
hare all rights accorded men, civil, political
and industrial. Placing the ballot in the
bands the women would be protection
against fraud, and woa!d prove the salvation
of the State. 1t would preserve white su-
premacy. There is no use for South Carolina
10 wait for precedent to raise women above
the level of idiots, maniacs and crint-
nails.
Mrs. Young concluded By giving sketch
of the progress of the campaign in the inter-
est of equal rights. Greenville, Spartanburg
Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Marion,
La,ta, Timmousviile, Georgetown and Dar-
,ington. In all of these places Equal Rights
Associations bad been formed, except Spar
1anbarg, Georgetown and Darlington.
Before taking her seat Mrs. Young intro
duced Miss Laura Clay of Kentucky.
Miss Clay pnt the audience in emiiing
humor, by saying that she felt highly houored
when she was invited 10 address audiences Of
men and women in the grand old State of
South Carolina-ope of the Original Thirteen,
shat made the glorious struggle for freedom
liberty aud equality. Referring briefly to ,he
principles of the Declaration Of Independence
which guaranteed equal rights 10 all, special
privileges 10 none, she proceeded TO discuss
the equality of men aud women from a
Biblical standpoint Her argument was
clear and forcbieiu support of the contention
that man and women were created co-ordi-
nate 10 power, eQcal before God, and that
the sphere of each was Emited only by capa-
CITY. Man was not created superior to
woman, nor woman superior TO man nor
vas one subordinate to the other Woman
was the complement Of man, and man OF
woman The suhorduation Of woman TO
man was the resul, Of sin, and was part of
the penalty of the fall of the first man and
woman BT the redemption provided 10 the
Christian faith women as we'll as men have
been freed from sin and the effects, therefore
they are entitled to all the rights and privi-
leges that men demand for themselves. Re.
ferring 10 the Interpretation of the scriptures
Miss Clay said that men bad misquoted and
misinterpre,ed them 90 long for the purpose
of supporting the common view of the posi-
ton and srnere Of woman that the errors had
come to ne accepted and believed to be true.
However, the position women have occupied
ia the civil and political systems is not due
wholly TO the oppression Of men-the women
are equally to blame.
The mos, forcible part Of Miss C!ay's
speech was review of the Industrial condi.
tious of the country a-half century ago asd
now, and the sphere occupied by women
under the old order. and the sphere that
she is cow forced 10 occupy, or sit IN idle
ness, burden upon her male relatives.
She discussed the effect Of disfraacnisemeDt
OF women on the character Of the women
themselves and ultimately upon the character
of the nation. The deot ipis country owes
TO worneu for the work ,her did when the
land was y wilderness aod people were so
few tha. there could be no idle hands, when
var time was upon the land auo men were
hurried 10 The front and the women lett al
home 10 provide TODD and clothing for the
men, when peace and liberty had been wrung
f.om England aDd freedom assured TO all
people, and at sill times during the compara-
tiyelv brief but wonderful history OF the
Eni,ed States, was brought out with eio-
ouence and earnest force.
Turning to the political phase OF the Ques-
ton Miss Clay talked ike practlca poll
tician. She spoke of the negro question
and the necessity Of preserving white