The San Francisco call., 1896-05-09
Ten Splendid Essays Read at Yesterday s
Session of the Pacific Coast
WOmans Congress.

Massachusetts, called the Great Sachem,
and among the Iroquois there was a
woman ruler at one time. / have observed
that it was not an uncommon thing for the
woman of early times TO hold high places
| among the aboriginal tribes OF America"
The Queen Dowager," was the subject
OF the second paper of the morning, and
was written by Mrs. Sturtevant-Peet of San
Jose, who, during her reading, expressed
the following thoughts:
Identical with individual ard material char
acter governments have been derived and become
great factors in solving the problems o: civiliZa-
lion. In reviewing the laws instituted for reguat-
ting soc al moral and civil relations it is interest
ing 10 note the mold of individual characters re-
gardteSS OF sex, in formulating ana enforcing pro-
visions for the control and administration of public
affairs
The least conspicuous among royal women
though by no means the least potent, have been
the mothers OF kings and rulers, queen dowa-
gers Such mothers have in most Instances man
ifested more than ordinary interest in the wei
fare OF offspring and nation: they have exerted an
influence ofttimes determining their future destiny
| The peculiar relation of dowager mothers to the
throne. their interest and great lnence in public
affairs Is the burden OF my theme.
The benign influence OF mother can scarcely be
estimated IN the humber positions Of life: and to
measure it when intimately associated with the
supreme power is beyond the strength of mind to
comprehend. Almost every nation in Europe at
one time or another has been placed in the position
of being ruled by q woman.
Helena. the Impress mother Of Constantine, was
one OF many noble ana influential characters
the period. she was placed at the head OF the
eXchequer and honored with in all OF the
tonal councils She was granted the special prvi-
Isge OF suggesting new and untred methods, with
the authority TO enforce same. The city OF
lohuon Ion was enlarged and fortified In compliance
Win her request Other cities were founded in her
name She was with her son when he presided at
the council OF Nice, A D. 325. In al affairs and
interests OF state Helena aided the Emperor with
| her experience and tempered his acts with her
wisdom.
Before passing to the suggestions and inferences
10 De gathered irom our subject it viii be interest
ing 10 make reference 10 one who has been promi-
nent IN the East tor forty years, of the worlds
greatest rulers, the Queen Dowager of China.
hile she has had all to do with the education of
the toy Emperor she has governed as well as
reigned-" A second writer says of her that though
possessed OF kind heart. she is proud. strong and
ambitious as Queen Semramis In the davs OF a
great famine in the empire, she made a sacrifice
OF The meal upon her table. that she might
augment the relief fund provided hr The stare a
good example that might be followed by our
officials in time Of financial distress Her patriot
ism has stood many such test. Upon the occasion
ofceIeoTating her sIxtieth birthday anniversary
during The recent Japanese invasion, which was
10 cost 2OOOO.0O ounces of silver, she abandoned
Inc programme, contenting herself with q private
celebration and paid the money into the war chest
for the defense OF her country.
Ihe most impressive fact suggested by our sub
lect Is the value OF cultured mother conscious OF
her wisdom and responsibility. Mothers educated
and interested IN the affairs of state Will give
strength ana breadth OF character TO the future
generations in which alone rest the greatness and
perpetnity OF Government The greatest trees OF
the lorest never grow upon weak and shallow
SOIL: the purest streams OF water never How from
Surolo founts Greatness never comes by chance.
i mere was Helena before a Constantine, 81 Isa-
bella before the birth OF ths Republic statesmen
before Clay, Calhoun and Webster. SO woman's
spnere must De expanded, so motherhood must be
endowed with equal sovereign rights and crowned
with the honor Of citizenship before the birth of
perfect freedom-before the drawing near Of a bet
ter, brighter era in the realm of government.
Il am not intimately acquainted with
our dowager queens" remarked Miss
Severance. But the first dowager queen
erected a great mausoleum for her kind
Mausolus. The present Queen of Spain
IS dowager queen. and she is rearing the
little child that shall be the future ruler.
There have been all kinds of dowager
queens, good and bad, just as there are
among US common people
Mrs. +. q. Greene of Santa Cruz follow
Ing with few remarks on Mrs. Peets pa
per, euIogized the Dowager Queens as the
mothers OF rulers, the mothers to whom all
honor should be accorded.
Miss A. NJ. Fulton, teacher IN Miss
Vests young ladies seminary, read very
scholarly paper on 1.-The Power Behind the
Throne" Her popularity among her
present students and those formerly mem
oers OF the seminary was attested by the
presence OF large number of these Young
ladies, who permitted no good point 10
escape their approving applause, and as a
result the whole audience repeatedly united
with them IN commending the sentiments
expressed IN the paper. In part her re-
marks were as follows:
If we consider the different phases of that power
we shall find that they mainly two, viz: ber
power TO mold and her power 10 guide. The mold
ing power is embraced in the two Offices that of
mother and that OF teacher: and the guiding power
in that OF sister, lover wife
The first of these carries with it an immense re-
sponslollty, no matter by whom IL is DISCHARGED
There IS no more high and noble duty in life: no
more i'm portant task that can be undertaken than
growing life Nature herself has clearly indieafed
whose duty this shall be; the finger OF Providence
points TO the woman and says: "Behold her have
selected for this holy function she ana She
alone, is capable OF the condition of notherhood
and 10 her naturally belongs the care OF the young
life which she has brought into the worIdT
The choice OF the Creator in this respect is ex-
tremsiy slgnihcant in the division Of labor in the
Mono o between man and woman; IL has left man
free 10 set, 10 strive and TO mix with the outer
worId- II mas tied her down 70 what 1 consider
.ue uost linPor tAnt duty that can be given man
or woman in this life. 1t has not ony made rhis
duty hers but has given her qualities that ena-
ole hsr 70 olscnarge the duty successfully Wo-
man. developed woman, has pstience. endless "a
tlence, great power OF ending annoyance ana sor-
row. ana clearly defined sense OF right and
wrong. 70 equipped she is able TO shape the life
OF the growing boy or girl, 10 train, 70 prune 20
correct No one well as the mother can 40 his
and sadly unframed and Uniformed Is often the
young child who comes upto the teacher from the
hand OF the nurse or the care of the servant Tono
years Of patient effort on the part of Tie latfsS
40 not snfbce sometimes TO undo the mischief
that has been done.
This duty then Of the training and development
q the Young and growing being devoIves upon the
mother from the moment Of its birth, and should
shon4o a!so De woman, up to the time OF the ma.
turlly OF the Individual Almost everything that
The child is 70 become in future wears deDends
upon the influence OF these two guides
Inc power behind the throne in this case rules
the throne throughout life. We have the testi
nony OF msny good men to the fact that the prin-
clples inSt1lled then are never forgotten Hear
RcsSin as he Iestifies on this point:
- have yet with deeper gratitude to Chronicle
what owed 10 my mother for the resolutely con-
slStent lessons which exercised me in the Scrin
ture. An truly. though have picked ND the
elements OF little further knowledge in Inathe-
msics, meteorology and the Ike in after life ana
owe owe not little 20 the teaching Of many people
tbs maternal installation Of my mind 1 count
very confidently the most precious and or tha
"noie the one essential part Of all my education"
coming next 10 woman's power behind the
throne wife sister and thai phase OF n which
IS e1eried through her continual formation OF en-
SlronmenL We all know from experience what
environment means to the working man or
woman; how II can strengthen and comfort and
iortiiy Us on the one hand; or exhaust. and weary
ana weaken US on The other. And will not tbe
VIE mo provides the sruor for her husband in
'He Nsni, and VINO buckles II on when he goes