The herald., 1898-05-09

"What agony the birth of this great
movement cost those heroic women who
stood at the front sixty years ago we shall
never know. Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott,
Harriet Beecher Stowe, and host Of 9TH
ers. who took the brunt of the battle, have
gone to their reward. But history has re-
corded here and there some of the pain
full episodes Of their day. which show
how bitterly the conservative element re-
sisted every step forward. On the goth of
October, 1887. the ministers of Massachu-
setts called a convention under the name
of the Orthodox association, and issued a
pastoral letter calling upon all the church,
es in the state to defend themselves
against women speakers by closing their
doors against them. This body of minis
ters was the most powerful organization
In the state and their course did much to
retard the advancement of women.
Section 8 of that manifesto read: We
invite your attention to the danger which
threatens the female character 1t Is
noticeable that nearly all attacks upon the
pioneers of this movement were made upon
their character. The Rev. Nehemiah
Adams of Boston said in that convention:
The appropriate duties of women are
clearly stated in the New Testament.
They consist in prayer and in promoting
the welfare of the pastors, and we cannot
encourage them to bear an obtrusive part
In reforms
I'm such an atmosphere, however, the
seed of higher education for women grew
and put forth a splendid flower. Never
from one small handful Of workers came
SO many immortal names. Besides the
m
EFT Hale, James Freeman Clarke, and q
host more, lent their influence to the cause
and there slowly arose out Of the dark
ocean Of ignorance and prejudice temples
and temple windows through which we
Of today can see an army marching with
banners and upon those banners is writ
ten Equality, not only along appropriate
lines of work but an equality of morals
for the protection Of the children yet un-
born. Only those who have given some at
tention to the study of the social evil are
aware how uniform Is the testimony that
those whom we are wont to call fallen are
the daughters of immoral men. One square
in Philadelphia contains forty brothels,
and by actual count they receive one thou
sand visitors daily.
"They are the business men, the men of
affairs whom we meet everywhere, even
in our best society. Do you doubt that
their sins are visited upon their children,
to the third and fourth generation? If you
do, consult such books as that recently
published by DR.. Maude Harold of Kansas
City. Or consult the woman physician Of
your own vicinity. Great credit Is due to
women physicians for spreading informa-
ton among mothers concerning the danger
tc which they expose their unborn children,
both as to hereditary characteristics and
as to maladies which poison the blood and
undermine the health. The responsibility
OF parenthood is one of the issues of the
woman movement. But tears must flow
for generations before this deep mischief
can be undone. Those who see that
through their own ignorance their chill
dren's lives have been blighted must bear
the dark apparition which intrudes into
their sleepless chambers to the end. 1t
has been well said that the greatest dis
covery of the nineteenth century is the
discovery Of tho child. And we owe 1t to
them and to our country that we launch
them upon the world equipped for stormy
voyage. And only intelligent mothers are
competent to do IT.