The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-16

mach Tor social equality among To
c,as~~s- Ererxetsc protests were H.
sxasnst the occupation OF the preSssena
chair by q r,exe boarding HOUSE AssSN
~nsr there xe~e "A the hail women CO.
tn-S q. medicine and OF law. ofnefss -
among them the most active mem -
the wornan's propaganda snow y. a-a -
ignorance OF the most elementary
rs.s AZ rolsficaI economy which have aoas
80 na.s.s h4vond the range os discus
sson e. sociological circles. among oEss9
sox economists as well as
v.r~ed socialists Thus one OF .hr
l.gsI2s who demanded eaergetcaEy.
almost violently, what she eHtle1
..lfhsrtr Of work for women. was aston
,shed that anyone could imagine ~.
moment that this liberty would cfeste
new competitor in labor for tne VOL AalA-''
ana consequently would lower wages
II sntt. Of these slight errors the con-
,r4ss discussed very interesting questions.
N has borne witness at any rate 20 81
fac, that ia France public opinion has
yarced far beyond the bounds OF our on
Roman law.
7 called on Nine. Pognon. ore OF Tue
most prominent champions OF woman
rights. "a order TO obtain her impressions
on the lahors OF the congress. over heaFas
all whose sessions she presided
Nine pognor lives In the Champs Ely
seas Quarter. at Rue Clement Marol.
where she runs family hotel" the ho.ea
Clement Narot. She vas about 10 tahS
her place at the head OF her table q note
when I asked for her. / was sho~a INTO
the conventsonaliy decorated parior pecu-
liar to ali boarding houses. with the IN
evstabie green plants and palms IN rofa
The mistress Of the house soon appeared.
She Is a woman over 20 years OF age. with
very large brown eyes, which light UP
face which must have once been pretty,
and which Is now, what IL much better,
fun Of vivaciousness and intelligence fou
can easily understand the authority wniSn
she exercises over her fellow workers Tor
the emancipation OF woman. She IL very
polite. however. and her poli.eness is not
IN the least that OF = clearinghouse
keeper.
II am delighted" says. she with our
congress TIL now our rare protests have
been almost unnoticed. We were usually
spoken OF as mad women or deciassees-
Now society women come 10 u.s. IL $
BIZ the middle classes that woman viii
be set free. The workingran, when MS
DAVIS work is done. has at least the saloon
or the cafe where he can exchange IDEAS
or unite with others in protecting their
common interests. But the working wo-
man? Crushed down by her work, she
only leaves the shop or the factory TO
20 attend 10 her household duties ana her
children. For her there Is no leisure.
consequently no means OF drawing her
attention TO matters OF general interest
others must look after these for her. and
TIE only persons who can are the women
of the middle class We ourselves have
little time and little money. 80 we appeal
10 those who have been favored by life
and by fortune"
What were the principal points examia-
ed during the congress?" I asked
cit would be difficult for me TO give you
q complete account OF our work" answer
ei tn. amiable president: I'VE are drawing
up a long and minute statement of II now.
We have TO make up for the deficiency in
our fina nciai resources by good deal OF
personal labor. Therefore II will take at
least a month for the bulletin OF our con-
gress 10 be ready"
''But you can tell me the chief subjects
touched upon I'm the discussions"
Yes. We first examined the inferior
condition in which woman in placed BY
the French civil code with regard TO civil
capacity. when the penal code makes her
equally responsible with man for her acts.
We demand for women the exclusive
right 10 the product OF her personal labor.
1--WE also expressed the desire that he
right 10 vote should be given 10 woman and
that she should be made eligible TO the Of
fee OF juge de commerce. the only judicial
Office that = elective In France. We asked
for the woman who has a child the right
TO aid from society"
and the bicycle-' asked remembering
that great majority OF the women re-
formers In the congress had advocated
the use of the bicycle as being likely 10
bring about, as an unexpected result. the
emancipation OF their sex.
Nine. Pognon answered me in all serious
ness: Eyes. we spoke OF bicycles. but NOT
Mt the Official sessions, at the banquet with
which the meeting ended. ] really believe
that the bicycle may be a powerful aid to-
ward the emancipation of woman, and ex-
pressed my opinion in my speech at the
dinner In the first place, physical eman-
cipation. and IS not that the proper object
OF our first endeavors? Should we not
make woman stronger. less fraiI. less
exposed. through the lack OF physical
force. to verify the accusations OF inca
pac.ty hurled against us by our aGyersar-
les. Naturally we do not expect
TO make woman the equal Of
man In physical vigor: the difference
Of sex will always exist and we know
that from that standpoint woman will
always be the weaker. But she should
not. as foregone conclusion. enclose her
self In this weakness. and thus inevitably
Increase IL stii more. City women In par
ticular are growing anaemic. through lack
of air and exercise. The bicycle has come
10 Offer TO them a suitable means of de-
veloping their strength and going 10 a
distance to breathe pure air
You will notice that il r. not her mus
cles that the bicyciist exerts. Speaking
generally. the dominant feelings In the
feminine mind are fear. timidity, .ndecl-
sion-ail qualities that tend to retard her
freedom Now. btcyclist on her ma
chine must look out for carriages, avoid
b. H.
tutes for her mental gymnastics which
soon gives her presence OF mind and quick
ness OF decision that can only be good for
her intellectual independence. Freed from
the first fears OF the beginnings. woman.
knowing that she can count on her owl
strength. has more confidence in herself.
more real independence. for she can go
out alone.
Another thing that se> IN the hlevcIe
Is that II is a means OF drawing together
husband and wife N the per- ornance OF a
common exercise. The husband has 10
longer any reason for taking exercise alone
when hts wife can accompany him per-
fectiy wen. The healthy DEVELOPMENT Of
strength. the purity OF the open air.
help 10 give JOY and health, to create be-
tween man and wife that good faIlowshtr
% The road that viii hold out during the
long Journey OF NE"
This explanation OF the ernancfpatinr ar
ton or the BICYCLE Is not lacking In In
genuity and sense. I may add that the
theory had remarkable number of adj
herenfs in the congress. II we nnay fudge
from the unanimity OF opinion expressed
In various interviews Some women even
20 SO TAR a. 20 flaa beauty in the dreadful
male costume. which women. who indulge
in the sport. pat or. That Is. rerhan~. car
rying TOO far proper and Innocent en-
thusiaSfn.
The RtcycIe A. q Political pn,xnr