The San Francisco call., 1896-05-08

They worked hard, played little, were true to their
consciences. They thought more of their duties
ashamed 10 raise large families, and they raised
them well. honor q grandfather who spent his
forty years OF married life in the house he built or
his fathers lano and supported his family on a
farm of twenty acres, supplemented by his labor
at trade, transmitting inheritance OF honor to
the six children who grew to maturity and bearing
with patient resignation the loss of ak who were
taken from them. Not less do I honor my grand
mother, who in all things was his equa-whose
gentleness and goodness, whose faithful devotion
TO outy, whose trust in God made his life blessed
benediction on me and mine.
When we reflect that the energy and activity
necessary TO sustain life in the time Of our fore
mothers has been set free through the changed
conditions OF to-day, and being ifnperishabls must
hnd new modes OF expression, do not wonder
ing to fuller economic and political participation
in the common life. There is no question bnt a
woman who has home owes it her first and best
powers. II a woman neglects her home or her
children for any other pursuit occupation she
that which is lower It is an exercise OF that privi-
lege OF choice given for our moral education and
must orlng the inevitable penalty that follows any
transgression flaw.
If the emancipation of woman is carried SO far
that it takes her from her natural life, 1t passes
from gain to degradation. The bars set by God for
| the welfare of his creatures may not be tran
| scended. They are merciful, not cruel The lion
may not fly, the lark may not swim, but each has
scope for fullest possible life within its limitations
The woman who tries TO be more than woman
only succeeds in oeing less than woman.
On the other hand there has been unending
| twaddle about the sphere of woman, and an,
| assumption that because woman is the queen OF
| the home and the mother of children that she has
no right to do anything else but stay at home. and
that ii she does anything else than bear children
| she is unSexed Now, 1t must be borne in mind
| that there are women, not few, who have no
homes and have no children 1t may not be their
| fault; some OF them are widows some of them
would be widows wives IL the husbands they
might have won had not been killed in the war
and consequently never met them.
In some instances it may be the fault OF the
croaking bachelors who know SO much about
them a chance TO be wives or that they were not
worth the taking when they gave them the chance.
Many of the noblest and most womanly women in
the world are unmarried. Shall they be told that
they have no other vocation than homemak ers
and mothersf Again there are many married
women who are quite equal TO discharge faithfully
every duty of wife and mother, who have large
margins OF time and ability.
The surplus energy must be used in some way
and if turned into proper channels It may do much
70 help the State The last generation chrocheted
and turned out much fancy work that like some
men, was fearfully and wonderfully made, but OF
no manner OF use or ornament.
If the women Of to-day prefer TO study sociology
and political economy and bv organization can in
duce supervisors TO give us good sewers or school
directors to ventilate the rooms where our chill
dren are being poisoned, who is 10 say they are
exceeding their privileges? And going step far
ther, is there any just reason why woman who
wants To vote should not have the privilege? I
feel that the practical value Of the franchise will
be mail compared with the expectations OF those
their right to find cut for themselves.
1 have hope that this step will, either in its
success or It's failure, tend to settle this eternal
woman question. / confess to being somewhat
weary OF It, woman once praised starr King for
what he had done to break down the barriers be-
tween the sexes. She meant the sects- 1 think
the reformer the world now waits for is the one
that this Partingtonlan accidentally hit. There is
too much sex distinction too much agitation of
the difference, too much trumped-up antagonism,
too much ridicule of the and railing at the
other. Let have peace. Let realize that
both human beings, with possible souls and
that this likeness far exceeds any difference.
Man, the inclusive man, is moral being, whose
highest life springs from and ends in love. God
loves his children and he has made it possible for
them to rise to love OF him through love of one
another. In the breast of man he planted love of
woman. In the breast OF woman he planted love
of man. There is no natural division on the line
of sex. There Is natural union.
What God has joined together, let neither man
nor woman dare to put asunder. [Great applause
Miss Agnes Manning differed f1bm the