The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-04-28

"Lcl II here he distinctly under.
stood that no scusiblc man fears OF
injury to the country on account OF
such participation. II rs its danger.
uug. undermining effect on the char.
actors Of the wives aud mothers OF
our land that Wo fear. At recent
meeting of these radicals high
! priCstcss uf the faith declared: No
matter how bad the crime woman
commits, II she can't vote, nud Is
cnsscd with idiots aud criminals and
| unntics. she should not be punished
by the same laws as those who vote
| obey
Wiling to be Hanged
"This was said when advocating
united action on the part Of the as
scmblod body To prevent the cXccu.
tiOn OF n woman proved guilty of the
deliberate and aggravated murder OF
her husband. The speaker Is report
ed to have further announced AZ ap.
parcntly the keynote Of her address:
lf we could vote we'd be willing to
be hanged
"lt is n thousand pitics that all the
wives found In such company cannot
sufficiently open their minds to see
the complete fitness of the homely
definition which describes good
wife M "a woman who loves her hus-
band and her country. with no desire
to ruin either And what n blessed
thing 1t would be If every mother and
every woman could realize the ever
lasting truth that the hand that rocks
the cradle Is the hand that rules the
world
81 do not include In the club move.
ments those which amount to nothing
more than womcn's association or CO.
operation in charitable, benevolent
and religious work. | speak more es-
pecially of the wOmcns clubs of an
entirely different sort, so numerous
that in the interests Of their ConsOl.
idatcd management national feiera-
ton of woman's clubs has been ere.
ated.
81 speak also of the vast number of
associations less completely Orga.
nizcd, but not the less exacting Of
time and attention, whose professed
purposes are in many instances, the
intellectual Improvement OF the wo-
men composing their membership.
Where Danger Lies.
"The danger Of selfdelusion lies in
their suppositiOn that they are con-
| sulting the need of relaxation or the
duty of increased opportunity for in
! tclectual Improvement, when, in
point OF fact, and perhaps lmpercep-
tibly to themselves, they are taking
counsel of their discomfort with the
humdrums of their home life.
"UnQucstionably this tendency Is
| partly due TO the widespread and con.
/ tagious fever for change or rcarrange-
mcnt, which seems TO leave no phase
of our peoples life untouched be-
/ licyc it has also been largely pro-
/ vokcd by the increase Of club life
among the husbands and fathers, re-
sulting in the neglect of wives, thus
creating a condition Of mans guilt
which tempts retaliation in kind
"No woman who enters upon such
/ a rotaliatory course can be sure that
/ the man she seeks TO punish will be
| otherwise affected than to be made
more Indifferent to home and more
/ determined to enlarge the area OF his
selfish pleasures Checrlessuess will
/ invade her home, and children viii be
. deprived of the wholesomcncss and
/ delight of an atmosphere which can
! only be created by a mothers loving
/ presence and absorbing care
1T must be abundantly evident that
as agencies for retaliation or mans
| punishment. woman's clubs are nor
ribly misplaced and miserly vicious"