Evening star., 1901-07-20
What a Woman's' Rights Leader
Says on This Topic.
FEARS SOME HOMES ARE NEGLECTED
Miss Anthony Sums UP Her Many
Years of Experience.
MEN SEEM SATISFIED THOUGH
Eouyrisht. 1901. nv q a. NcCyurs Col

| Copyright. 1901. by 8 8. Mcclure Coz
Written for The Evening Star by Susan B. Anthony.
| L have had nearly sixty-five years ex-
perience of living in other peoples homes.
| In my eighteenth year 1 began the profess
| sion OF teaching school which was con-
tinued uninterruptediy for over twelve
| years. and during nearly all Of this time
! boarded In private families When L was
| about thirty became greatly interested In
| the temperance question. and soon after
ward in that Of anti-slarery. with the re-
suit that I'm little while, I resolved to
abandon teaching and devote my efforts
toward settling these problems. After
two years struggle with the former be-
came convinced that women always would
| be helpless to effect any permanent temper
ance reform without the ballot and 1 laid
aside active work in that line in order to
aid in securing their enfranchisement
remained In the anti-slayery movement
however, until emancipation was secured.
In 1883: and 1 am still laboring to obtain
the suffrage for women. as 1 have done
without ceasing for half century.
This much Of an Introduction has seemed
necessary in order to show my authority
Ior speaking on the subject of MANS
wrongs. There never were two as un-
popular reforms as the abolition of slavery
and the enfranchisement of women, and
therefore those who championed both of
them were Indeed social oItcasts with
scarcely place to lay their heads There
was no money in the advocacy of either.
Wendell Phillips. who. even in those days
OF comparatively small payment. could get
$lVo Tor an address, was obliged to iecture
on anti-slavery for nothing as long as such
lectures were needed. All the speakers and
workers In this cause were compelled prac-
tcally to donate their services. In that OF
woman Suffr3RS the conditions
more stringent, eor, while in every neigh
Dorhood there were some families who
we're strong abolit.onsts" and would take
care of those who went about the country
to arouse public sentiment there were MANY
communities where woman suffrage had
lot friend and where hardly one family
would oTer food or shelter to the very
few courageous individuals who dared at
tempt to educate ;ne public mind on this
question.
Some of the Troubles
As these speakers were without funds,
they were obliged to accept whatever hos
pitality could be secured. and never to 10
to hotel except in case Of dire neces-
sity. L should not like to enter into the
narrowing details of many OF my own
personal experiences in homes where con-
ditions We're far from favorable. On one
occasion, when 1 fancied myself nicely sit
uated to spend Sunday, 1 learned the hus-
pand was so violently opposed to my being
under his roof that l hurriedly gathered up
my belongings and departed late Saturday
night. At other times found the husba nd
was SO strongly in favor of the doctrines L
espoused that he had invited me to the
home in direct opposition to the wishes OF
the wife. There were not many phases of
human nature which l did not encounter in
those early days. AS the years rolled on.
and the question OF woman suffrage grew
in public favor, some Of its lecturers reach
ed the dignity of being paid for their serv-
Ices. but when l was financially able to go
to hotel, l was not permitted to do so.
because then there were many friends
who offered entertainment. and 1T was con-
sdered an advantage to the cause" for
me to accept private hospitality, and meet
people in social way. Travelling almost
constantly for more than fifty years /
have sojourned for a short or long period
with thousands of families, in all parts
Of the country. and have had such oppor-
tunities for the study of domestic condi-
tions. as 1t may be said without exaggera-
ton. have been afforded to few, il any
other, women. The question has been often
asked If this is the reason l never married.
1t may be one Of them, but while / have
witnessed great deal Of sorrow in married
life, 1 have seen also vast amount of
peace and happiness. especially in later
years. since the position of women has been
SO much improved.
AS my entire life for the past half GEN.
tury has been devoted to redressing the
wrongs Of women. 1t has been generally
fered any wrongs. Such is not the case
but. as man always has had things pretty
much his own way and has been in a posi-
tion where 1t was very easy to take care
of himself l never have felt that, in his
defense. he needed the help Of myself or
any other woman. From the beginning it
was he who made the laws which govern
the marriage relation. and he made them
all In his own favor. II they were not en-
forced he had only himself to blame, as
the entire executive power was In his
hands. He possessed. moreover the abso-
lutte autocracy which lies in holding the
pccketbook. for he held not only his own
but also his wife's. He was not kept in
subsection by the threat of being deprived
OF his children, for he had been very care
full to vest their sole custody and control
In himself. He furthermore had used the
unlimited authority to frame such divorce
laws as would hold the wife In check. Sc
cure almost unlimited freedom for himself
and leave her practically redress. As
the crowning act of sovereignty he re-
served for himself alone all opportunity
for that most necessary adjunct Of devel-
opment-the higher education; and, in ad-
dition. he appropriated the money-making
occupations Of the world. Under such cir
cumstances it Is quite natural that mans
wrongs should not have consumed a very
large part Of my time or effort.
Men Have Not Lost.
During the past forty years there has
been a gradual evolution In the status of
woman. legal. educational. industrial and
social. and in exactly the same ratio, her
wrongs have decreased. Does this neces-
sarily imply that mans wrongs have IN
creasedf Woman herself would not wish
to purchase her rights at such a price
She does not enjoy privilege today which
man has not granted to her. and which he
could not take away IL he SO desired, for
men still constitute the legislative execu-
tive and virtually the whole government
power. Women simply have accepted t:ae
rights bestowed upon them, and men
are Wronged thereby. they must hold them
selves responsible. The law which allows
a wife to retain her own property does not
deprive the husband of his. and he stu
has the immense advantage Of owning all
they accumulate together; SO he suffers no
wrong in this respect In all but nine of
the states he continues TO hold the sole
guardianship Of the children. and in those
nine shares 1t equally with the mother
The divorce laws. framed by man alone.
do not perpetrate q wrong against himself
when they permit a woman only the same
causes Tor the separation which are al
lowed to a man The opening of the great
universities Of the country to women has