The herald., 1896-02-27
DR.. Carlos Martyr Repeats His
Famous Lecture
THE FRANCHISE FOR WOMAN
What This Would Mean for the Coun.
try at Large
An Eloquent Tribute to the Conscience Half
Of Humnnity-Reasons Why Woman
Should Vote

Temperance union, at the invitation of its
president, Mrs, Lucy T. Blanchard, for the
interest of the association and for those
who had the pleasure of hearing him be-
fore.
As a result, not only the main audito-
rum of the church, but also the side rooms
which were thrown open, were comforta-
bly, filled yesterday afternoon with null
titude of people from all sections of Los
Angeles and Pasadena. the audience being
nearly an equal division OF men and
women.
The lecture which has received numer-
GUS favorable comments and encomiums
from the press had the wonderful faculty
Of pleasing everybody, notwithstanding it's
title. New women, old women and men
alike felt constrained to interrupt the
speaker with numerous applauses, even
though the line of thought indicating the
advanced sphere of women was pre-emi-
nently the suffrage question, and the
speaker strenuously advocated woman's
right of franchise. The new women ap-
plauded because the ideas suited them ex-
actly. The men could not help showing
their Appreciation, no matter what they
thought, of the clever little hits all round.
The ''old" woman, though not converted
nor yet coinciding with the speaker g
views, could not resist the delicacy with
which a man handled the subject Of the
new woman, divestng her of those attri-
butes that usually go together in picturing
her repulsive spectacle or kind of scare
crow rushing to the polls to cast her vote.
lii her stead Dr. Martyr placed before his
hearers an ideal woman of the old
type who, although she claimed and
deserved the privilege OF dropping her
small slip of white paper into the ballot
box yet retained her natural charms of
sweetness, dignity, reserve, and all home
loveliness besides those other character
istics Of her makeup, coyness, uncertainty,
and capriciousness that leave her still the
conundrum that, lie said, man never
''gives up'
Although the lecture was very heavy
with weighty reasons why woman should
be allowed to vote, and heavier still with
reasons why she ought to desire the right
of franchise, yet the whole was delivered in
such an extremely entertaining style, in
terspersed with numerous jokes and witty
anecdotes, that the impression was rather
that of Iightness and breeziness, which.
combined with generous and whole
sollied wish for woman's good, had the eff
feet of intlueGcing even the most old-fash-
ioned of the feminine type to Judge the
speaker and his ideas with that leniency
tvery true hearted person accords to one
VINO does Wnat ne tlllukS is rlglt.
Following are selections from the lecture
which may not be the parts that tickled
the ear or amused the fancy, but which
will indicate the trend of the speakers be-
liefs on the new woman question, and her
right of suffrage.
by the new woman is meant not a
slangy edition of Young America who ha
stolen her brothers. clothes, but woman
a-throb with the new feelings and a-glow
with the new thoughts and expectant with
the new hopes and sober with the new re-
sponsibilities and broadened with the new
experiences and healthy with the new
activities of this last decade of the nine
teenth century. This is the real new
wonan-the old woman in a new and en-
larged environment. For my part. hail
even the bloomer; there is common sense
in it, and that is something never before
looked for in woman's dress.
'Oid fashioned people look with terror
upon the apparition of the new woman,
feeling as folks did in the middle ages
when a comet blazing IN the sky fore
tokened disaster and world-changing revo-
lutions. Let us possess our souls in pa
tience. 1t will be found that tine new
woman is only better edition OF the old
with enlarged ideas and ampler freedom
of action. The home will survive; sweet.
heartship will survive marriage will sur
vive; motherhood will survive. These are
grounded in her nature. No outward
changes can revolutionize the feminine
function of the feminine disposition. 1t
is the nfraction of convention that startIes
timid folks. We shall presently adjust
ourselves to the new order and wonder
how by-gone times ever tolerated anything
else.
"There are three facts in regard to
woman,s sphere that are now seen to be
self-evident. First, man and woman are
equal. Second fact, there are many duties
and activities which are essentially neutral
in gender. Thirdly, as civilization adj
vances it becomes increasingly complex,
bread winning is more difficult, enQrossng
and exacting. Unhappily, this operates
against marriage. When a man can bare
ly support himself he naturally fears to
undertake the maintenance of a family.
Con. equently, woman, unprovided for in
marriage, is thrown upon her own re-
sources for livelihood. Under these cir.
cumstaDces what are oir daughters and
sisters to do? FThey cannot all he house,
wives. They cannot all find spnster occu-
pations in domestic circles. They cannot
all teach school. They cannot all be nee-
dle-women.
"This is why thoughtful men and women
are demanding with eager persistence that
those duties and activities that are of the
neuter gender. and which have been arbi-
trarily allotted to man, shall be thrown
opfn to woman also.
THE new woman now demands the
Doiot. wen, why not. why enfraDch1Se
the male half and disfranchise the female.
the larger or the conscience half. Woman
owns and manages estates, pays taxes, sits
in the witness stand, is sent to Jail and
goes to the gallows. If she is competent
to do these things why is she not COM
petent to vote? why will you women
Ineddle with politcs?' asked Napoleon of
Madame de Stael. 'Ah, sire,' was her tri.
umphant reply, If you will hang us, We
must ask the reason
s'It is objected that woman is already
virtually represented by her father, brother
or husband. Suppose she has no father,
brother or husband, who then represents
her? And how do they represent her when
she has them? We are gravely assured
that the ballot is not panacea. Man has
it, but it has not brought in the millennium
If woman expects that the possession of
the ballot will right all her wrongs she has
but to view the political situation today.
Since the men have made such mess of
It there should seem to be the greater need
tocail ON the woman, the conscience power,
to reinforce the flabby element of the fran
chise.
''Ll is urged as reason against woman's
v,'ing that Is Woul ueces state her hold
g ofiice-well. is there anything vel y
dreadful in that?. Have women never held
otlice? Who rules the home? In nine cast 8
out of ten it is the wife and mother. DO 3
not Queen Victoria hold d political o1iic. ?
Marie Iherese was great politician and a
great ruler. Today Is woman not in public
omce! She is postmistress, justice of the
peace. legislator, mayor and member OF
scnooi boards in some states.