The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-19
Hoyoo0INCoMPETENTs
Vnideal Motherhood Subject Of Paper
Before Mothers Congress.
Helen II. Gardiner Pleads For
Personal Liberty.
sasslsls Law Of Hsrsdiiy Puaashss Eae'
Generation

Washington. Feb. IA large crowd
attended the Mothers convention. The
feature Of the day was paper read by
Helen H Gardiner OF Boston on
''Heredity." She spoke OF the moral
responsibility OF motherhood and the
never falling punishment which is in
ntcted upon the offspring. because OF
the crimes OF parents. Mrs. GARDENERS
paper. In part. follows:
I fear that shall strike a less pleas
ant note than those who have preceded
me. who have so generally dealt with the
ideal motherhood-who have sung the
praise side of the song. My theme Is
significant. II deals with demonstrable
facts. and II goes back OF even the kim
dergarten. Self ambition, subserviency
to man-whether he be father. lover, or
husband-is the most dangerous theory
that can be taught to. or forced upon. a
woman. She has no right to transmit
q nature and Q character that Is sub
servient, inefficient. undeveloped-n
short, a slavish character. which Is
either blandly obedient OF blindly re-
beIlious. and Is therefore In either case
set, as Is n umelock. to prey or to be
preyed upon by society OF the future.
III woman Is not brave enough person.
ally to demand and to obtain absolute
personal liberty OF action, equality of
status, entire control Of her race-en-
dowing function, maternity, she has no
right TO dare to stamp upon a child and
TO curse a race with the descendants OF
such a servile. dwarfed, a time and
master-serving character. We wonder
liz the awful power with which nature
clothes maternity In heredity does not
strike biiudly back at the race for the
ARTIFICIAL and cruel requirements at the
aands of the producer pf the race We
wonder IL mothers do not owe higher
duty 70 their offspring than that Of
mere nurse. We wonder IL she has the
moral right to give her children the
inheritance that accident and subser-
s vfsBcy stamps upon body and mind. We
wonder how she dares to face her chill
dren and know she did not At herself by
self development and by direct. sincere
and thorough qualifications for ma
ternity before she dared TO assume its
responsibility. We wonder that man
has been SO slow in learning to read the
message that nature has telegraphed to
him in letters Of fire and photographed
with a terrible persistency upon the dis
torted, diseased bodies and minds of his
children and upon the moral imbeciles
she has set before him as an answer to
his message OF sex domination. Do you
know that there is an army of 700 900 de-
fectives in this country? Don't you
know that that means something to
every mother in the world? Seven hun
dred thousand forced into life without
their birthright; 100000 imbecile insane.
deaf. dumb. blind and criminal victims
of maternal and paternai ignorance.
Stop and think Of It. Our standing army
Is only 25 900 men--these for our protec-
ton; our defective army, 700, ,000-these
for our destruction.
AT the afternoon and evening sessions
papers were read and addresses made
~ follows:
The Mothers Greatest Need" Miss
Frances Newton. Chicago; play
Grounds" Miss Constance Mackenzie,
Philadelphia; Some Practical Results
of Child Study" DR.. G. Stanley Hall.
Worcester. Mass: Reading Courses for
1eothers," Mrs. Margaret E. Sangster,
New York city; presentations Of resolu-
lions by the press committee of woman's
xriends. Baltimore: How to Guard Our
Youth Against Bad Literature" An
thony Comstock, New York city.
AT the conclusion of his remarks Mr.
Co;nstock offered the following preamble
and resolutions, which, without action,
were referred to the appropriate COM
mittee:
Tor good or for evil exerted by the daily
press. and that the proper education OF
the youth of our land Is of vital inn
portanee TO the future prosperity.
Resolved. That we admit into our
houses only those papers which inspire
to noble thoughts and deeds. and that
our influence shall go toward cultivat-
ing the public taste until 1t shall demand
from the press only that which elevates
and refines.
Resolved, That we. the mothers in con
gress assembled. do call upon the con-
VT--tz
BIAS legislatures or the several states In
the Union to enact specific laws to pro-
hiblt the dissemination among the
young of all papers. books. magazines
and circulars containing detailed &C.
counts of stories Of bloodshed, lust or
crime, all pictures and displays which
tend to degrade woman or corrupt OF
deprave the minds OF the young. and all
advertisements Of every name and ma
ture which offend decency, or Of any
Quack or medical charlatan which offers
for sale or distribution any article which
can be used for criminal purposes.
The IAuvsda Case.
Philadelphia, Feb. 19.-The trial Of
John ID. Hart charged with fitting out
a hlibustering expedition in violation OF
the United States neutrality laws in
connection with the steamer Laureda
which II is alleged sailed for Cuba early
In August. 1895 with arms and ammu-
milton for the insurgents. was continued
In the United States court yesterday.
herbert ;. Heath, a seaman on the
Laureda. said he was hired by Mr.. Hart
to so on the vessel. He had seen men
and boxes placed on the Laureda when
that steamer was OF Barnegat. The
witness detailed at length how the boxes
had been unpacked and ri,es and cart
noses taken from them. The balance OF
his testimony was devoted to the trim
to Cuba and the transfer OF the arms
ammunition and men to the Dauntles,
when OF Navassa island.
That % Rate on Lumber.
Detroit, Feb. ia meeting was hell
here yesterday Of many Michigan lum
ber men, who have money invested 4,
Canadian pines. who object to lettin,
the 81 per 1000 tariff go through congress
9 as decided upon by the house ways an
pnmfpiftee milf <f .