The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-05-09

"pagans." To Mr.. Bodley's question
there is but one answer. 1t has been
only few years since the Equal Rights
Association, after ten years OF hard work,
swept from the statute books Of Ken
lucky every vestige OF the barbarous
common law Of England as it related to
the property rights Of married women;
and there are still laws OF our statute
books laws relating to women and
children, that would disgrace the pagans.
think that centuries hence, when a
nober race reads the dark page OF his
tory that Kentucky has recently writ
ten for herself, the comment will be:
"But what could be expected from peo-
pie whose ideals OF womanhood were so
low that their women were classd politi-
cally with minors, idiots, lunatics, and
criminsls'?"
Granting that the ideals OF women are
wrong, and that these ideals have caused
all the political trouble in Kentucky,
still We women cannot justly be blamed;
for women's ideals have always been
manufactured by men. Men have said
to women "Thus must you think, thus
must you speak, thus must you act, and
women have obediently thought, spoken,
and acted in accordance with the orders
from headquarters. Woman's ideal of
government was framed by man; her
ideal Of home was made by man; her
ideal Of man was made by man F; and to
cap the climax, she was not even per-
mitted to make an ideal of herself. Her
ideal OF womsnhood even was made by
man. Man said to her; "The ideal wo-
man is one whose sphere is the home.
Wifehood and motherhood are the high
est honors to which she aspires. She
must be good cook aud good seam
stress, and a good nousekeeper. She
must keep the buttons sewed on, and
darn the socks, and obey her husband,
and always meet him with smile and
il she will only do this we men will at
tend to everything outside the sphere
and all will be lovely" The women of
kentucky, with few unimportant ex-
ceptions, have kept this ideal OF wo-
manhood enshrined in their Utmost
hearts. They have bowed down to it
and worshipped it daily. They have
kept within their sphere, and they have
shuddered with horror at the mere sug.
gestion Of voting and now, iftheir ideals
are to blame for the murder, the assassin
alton, the political anarchy that dis
graces Kentucky, let us all be just
enough to go one step farther in the
cham of cause and effect, aud lay that
blame on the shoulders OF the men who
framed these ideals and forced them on
the hearts aud the consciences of weak
women.
The few unimportant exceptions who
did not accept the man-made ideals we're
known as STRONG minded women"
love that adjective Strong minded" The
whole story Of the woman movement is
in that one word. The difference between
the woman who is conservative and the
one who lie progressive, between the wo-
man who accepts the ideal man makes
for her and the woman who prefers to
make her own ideals, is that the latter is
strong-minded and the former is-not
And il the women of Kentucky are to |
save the State by means OF their ideals, |
as the Rev. Carter Helm Jones tells
them to do, they must begin the good |
work by getting 'strong-minded."
Elder Powell, one OF the speakers at |
the great mass meeting said that Ken
lucky women must "carry religion into |
politics." How in the world are we to
carry religion into politics when the cry
goes eternally up from press and from |
pulpit; "You must keep out of politics. |
Politics is not your sphere. The home
is your sphere. and the State is mans.
The State rests on the home, and II you |
manage the affairs OF your home pro-
perly, that will be service enough to the
State"
The Courier Journal reporter said:
These 1900 or more women sat there |
and listened with breathless interest |
while the city's foremost speakers,
among the clergy, told them that the
salvation OF the State and its politics de- |
pended upon them that the civilization |
of Kentucy's people and the reputation
OF the State depended on their efforts
and there was not woman present but |
left the building firmly resolved to do |
all she could for the enlightment and |
betterment Of the people Of this Com
mon wealth.
II the immortal gods wanted any |
"large laughter" they might have found |
the occasion for 1t in this meeting. Or
perhaps 1t takes strong-minded woman
to see the utter absurdity in the spectacle
OF these men, representatives OF the class |
that has sole charge Of politics, laying
such tremendous responsibilities on dis
franchised women. Women are the |
aourca Of all Oood lint thew are not good |