The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-24
A TRIBUTE TO WOMAN.
Hon. Robert NJ. Hitch's Response
to the Time HOnOred Toast.

Hon. Robert NJ. Hitch's Response
to the Time HonOred Toast.
In his response to the toast, "Wom-
an" Hon. Robert NJ. Hitch paid an
eloquent tribute to Victoria, the wom-
an whose memory is dear to every
Englishman, and to the world, itself
THE influence of her life and char
acter upon the women and upon the
men of the world he said, ARE far be-
yond calculation or compare. Their
far-reaching effects will be felt upon
the remotest shores of time. AS wife,
mother, empress and queen she was
flawless and without STAIN And while
her gentle and womanly spirit abode
among us, wherever the national an
them was raised, on whatever sea or
shore, under whatever sky, every loyal
British heart, and every hearted
man of every race who honored true
womanhood and wifehood and mother
hood, raised his hat, and barred his
head in reverence and devotion when
ever that high and lofty strain rolled
forth upon the air-"God Save the
Queen!"
Women and Women.
But there are women, and women,
said Mr.. Hitch. There are Lucretia
Borgias as well as Victorias-Jezebels
as well as Juliets-Cleopatras as we'll
as Cordolias. The extremities of infini-
ty are not more widely removed than
their varying types. They sometimes
rise to such empyraen nights of sublim-
lty as to make zenith itself appear as
a footstool, and then again in an orgy
of degradation they dive so low be-
meath the nadir as to make it seem as
nigh above them as a fixed star is
above the earth. The breadth and
scope of their affections sometimes
make the all-ernbracing armament APP
pear by comparison as a mere speck
upon creation, and then again their
magnificent httleness will make atoms
seem as big as solar systems. They
can be "all things to all men," and
everything to one man at one and the
same time.
why did you marry?" was once
asked by leading newspaper of a
large number of married men who
were its subscribers. A postal card
was inclosed for reply The answers.
without the names of the writer's, were
published, and it would be impossible
to conceive of a greater diversity of
sentiment concerning anything than
was expressed in the various responses
to that inquiry. To my mind, one of
the most significant of them all was
also one of the briefest. 1t was sim
ply this: please don't stir me up"
Prohibited by Law.
Mr.. Hitch recalled an act of Parlia
ment in the reign of Charles II from
which he quoted: THAT all women.
of whatsoever age, rank, profession or
degree, whether virgins, maids, or
widows, that shall, from and after the
passing of this act, impose upon and
betray into matrimony any of His
Majestry's male subjects, by scents.
paints, cosmetics, washes, artificial
teeth, false hair, Spanish wool. iron
stays, hoops, high-heeled shoes or boil
stored hips shall incur the penalty of
the law now in force against witch
craft, sorcery and such like misde
meanors, and that the marriage upon
conviction shall stand null and void"
I'VE have indeed travelled far since
that day." said Mr.. Hitch. mot
only has this rigorous statute fallen
into disuse, but likewise all occasion
for it has passed away as a woman of
this day would of course scorn to in
dulge in such practices or anything
similar thereto.
ION the point aforementioned, how
ever no less parsonage than Mark
Twain seems to be in part at least