Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-24

Relief Association, Mail and Express
Building, New York City.
To the Women of America: Some
animal life produces devastation and
some vegetable life produces poison,
and it is a necessity in the economy of
nature that there shall also be other
forms Of life which shall counter-in-
fluence these and produce what we call
physical equilibrium Moral laws run
parallel on a higher plane. Who shall
say that the condition of untold and
UNRELIABLE moral leprosy which per-
meates the land of Turkey today in a
state of epidemic excitement is not at
this moment casting a blight of con-
tamination over the whole world?
The institution of home is recog-
pized by all civilized people to be fun,
damental, essential and holy. Mother
hood is held sacred by nations in direct
ratio to the eXaltation of their moral
standards.
If l had voice which could reach
into the heart of every American
woman, l would speak aloud and call
them to come and gather upon the
brow of the hill of this fair, free land
of ours, while our fathers and brothers
and sons are attending to political
matters. l would call them to stand
| and look with me upon a mighty on
slaught which is being made in the
light of day upon the institution of
home-an onslaught which is being
made with fixed purposeto annihilate
that institution. to blot it from the
face of entire country. l would call
them to turn their eyes away from
their children, their young babes and
their maidens, for they are safe in our
land. and to set them upon the records
of history which show that for five
hundred years the Armenian people
have been suffering all humiliation,
and bearing all burdens. and serving
in all service, and enduring all priva-
tions for the sake of their homes. with
great courage, with an astounding
tenacity to their mighty faith in God
which they have held fast as an entire
people, generation after generation
Those Armenian mothers, in an atmos-
phere of indescriba Bile moral contagion.
have walked so queenly before their
children, and have taught their sons
after so womanly a fashion. that
those sons have come up to manhood
and have gone out into the unclean
world about them to hear a language
full of nameless vileness and to face
every temptation which the enemy of
decency could put before them; they
have gone out from before their
mothers face to be met by brides of
wealth and office if they would enter
into polygamy and they have refused
And now. today, it is sworn in the
name of murderer and a thief that
these Armenian people shall be ex-
terminated, because they have refused
Our fathers and brothers and sons
would get UP from their gold and sill
Yer catechisms with a great noise and
they would fight a hard fight if an
army were coming to break down our
doors and hurt U.S. They would not
go with open palms and plead in diplo-
matte phrases about palliation and
amelioration and concessions. These
same fathers and brothers and sons
may hear us if we go to them and talk
little about the women of Armenia
who are doomed, with their doomed
homes and their little children, if the
women of America do not do some
thing about it and that quickly.
Europe is playing child's game of
soap bubbles with the life blood of
nation.
The Christian church is summoned
before the tribunal of the Christless
world and stands accused of rank hy-
pocrisy and of unfaithfulness to her
own. more cruel than the cruelty of
wild beasts, unless she does the ut
most possible to secure deliverance
and protection to her defenceleSs
children in Turkey.
If the records of this generation are
not to be written in one great stain
Of blood, to shame the generations of
future days, we must arouse from
our Indifference and put away the
things which kill our time and stupefy
our reason, and befog our recognition
Of justice: we must gather money out
of what seems possible and out of
what doesn't seem possible; and we
must send it TO feed and cover and
protect the Armenian people: we must
give to the uttermost and without de-
lay for the honor of our kind and for
the saving Of the day. that disgrace
be not fixed upon US forever. in the
destruction of a helpless but noble
people which we might have saved.
1t is useless to discuss the RESPONSE
bility of governments. But we can
get influential men to write letters to
Secretary Olney and to the President;
and we can get wOmen's clubs, both
political and otherwise, to pass and
send in resolutions to influence our
government to proffer her support to
England if England will take the
initiative and go forward for the pro-
lection of the Christians of Turkey.
We can go to the woman who is a
friend and say: "Oh. My friend!
Listen. There is woman who has
little children; she lives in a desolate