The herald., 1897-04-10
FRIDAY MORNING CLUB
JOHN STUART MILL-THoMAS
WENTWORTH HIoGINsoN
Interesting Paper on These Celebrated
Advocates of Woman Suffrage
Read Before the Society

Two very interesting papers were read
before the Friday Morning club yester-
day upon John Stuart Mill'' and 'Thom-
as Wentworth Higginson," representa-
tive men of England and America, who
have always been strong advocates of
the advancement and education OF
women. The English statesman was pre-
sented by Mrs. Newall Mathews. The
writer, after giving a brief picture OF
Mr. Mill as he appeared in the house OF
parliament, told of the effect of his first
published letter announcing his firm
conviction that women were entitled
to representation in parliament. Mr..
Mill urged this measure not as an alb
stract right, but simply from the point
of justice. 1T is doctrine of the Brit
ish constitution" said Mr. Mill, that
taxation and representation should CO.
exist. Women pay taxes: they should
therefore vote Women ought no longer
to be classed with idiots, children and
lunatics; they should be treated as equal
in intelligence to, and have equal rights
with, men. The disadvantages under
which they labor in respect to laws
affecting property, and the admissions
to professions. should be removed"
Mrs. Mathews touched on the great
practical insight and wisdom of Mr.. Mill,
and outlined his ideas in his famous
essay on THE SubJection of Women"
and the respect with which the opinions
of this English writer were received.
The amendment presented by Mr. Mill
did not carry, but it marked an epoch in
the woman suffrage movement in Eng
land, and the results were of the most
encouraging and pronounced nature.
The writer closed with the thought
that Mr.. Mills influence on his genera
tion can scarcely be exaggerated. In
logic, ethics, politics. sociology, his spec
ulative thought has quickened the minds
of men, widened their conceptions and
been an acknowledged impulse to the
onward achievement of mankind.
The we'll known American, Thomas
wentworth Higginson, whose life has
always been SO closely identified with
literary progress, was presented by Mrs.
r. L. Craig. She first touched on the
literary culture of Mr.. Higginson. his
close friendship with Lowell, Longfel-
low, Whittier and the leading men and
women of his day. The writer sketcheG
some of the features of his home life, as
well as his educational advantages and
college influences
When Mr. Higginson entered Cam
bridge, Longfellow was professor there,
and his influence was pronounced among
the students. Mr.. Higginson believes
the day of universal scholarship is ex-
tinct; that this is day of specialists.
After sketching some delightful incidents
os Mr.. Higginson's youth, the writer
touched the first literary work of his
when 33 years of age, and which was an
article published in the Atlantic Monthly.
His charm is his versatility and spon-
taneity, and he has a vital concern in
all he writes His most valuable train
ing was on the anti-slavery platform.
After the war he settled down to his lit
erary work, which Is most varied in
character, including fiction, biography,
history, essays, natural history, polit-
ical economy etc.
Mr.. Higginson has ever been a staunch
advocate of the progress and education
of women, and he signed the first call in
1850 for national convention of the
friends of woman suffrage. He declares
what has always weighed women down
is not so much any temporary or local
convenience as her great collective ira
ditions-the presumption of no brains.
The traditions of Turkey still keep down
Europe The vast east, with its solid
and unbroken prejudice, dlscourages our
little England and America. The status
of women is determined by the condition
of mind of the whole human race.
After the paper some charming per-
sonal "reminiscences were given by Mrs.
Caroline NJ. Severance, personal friend
of this noble worker for women, and also
by Mrs Lewis B. Monroe of Boston, who
has a summer home in New Hampshire
near Mr.. Higginson.