The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-10-23
ADDRESS OF FIRST DISTRICT
. PRESIDENT.

~ Wnen nrSt reallZcu tnaL WIN the
honor and work you conferred upon
me at the last annual, was to come
this precious opportunity-the op-
portunity to voice my message each
one Of us has message, you know
to the sincere, thinking, doing wom-
en- of one-third of our young and
rapidly growing state, confess /
was moved with varying emotions
which soon crystalized into the one
absorbing thought, that it was Cod
given opportunity of no small mo-
'ment. What should talk about?
Ny predecessor had ably filed the
hands of the District, SO full OF work,
outlining clearly many new lines on
which, as yet, only a fair beginning
has been made, so that | did not
wish to suggest any additional UNI
dertakings. and questioning my own
heart and Its needs, determined to
think Of our relation, as women, to
the social fabric Of the world today
or the relative values of things In a
woman's lifewhich is merely. con-
sidering the same thing from differ
ent viewpoints.
We speak of woman's place
woman's work but the segregation
Of the sexes is purely an artificial
one, for convenience in thinking, for
they twain have been one flesh
since God made Adam his helpmeet
In the main we keep our eyes
turned toward future accomplish
ments, but swift retrospective
glance over the centuries that are
gone into eternity, may help us to
see to what heights we have climbed;
and from that eminence we may be
able to inquire what this century
demands OF us.
We are told that in Egypt 1000
years ago, women occupied position
in the political, social and business
world equal to that of her brother
man. The records on their monu-
ments and the traditions of Egyptian
history show men and women labor
ing Notwithstanding together In the
market place and sitting together at
the council board. Property was
transmitted in the female line-wom-
en- were not denied the highest edu-
cation--there were among them, ply
sicians, preachers, priestesses and
teachers.
We find great degradation Of
women in the earliest days of Rome,
bringing forth vigorous protests on
their part. and we read Of women
pleading in the forum, and with sue
cess, for better conditions, so that
under the emperors there f1ourished
the type known as the Roman ma
iron, enjoying equal legal rights and
great power.
And in the earliest centuries,
among the barbarous nations of Eu-
rope, women were held in reverence.
On marriage the German gave to his
wife horse, bride and spear, en-
blematic of her equality with himv
self. Mature women were sought for
in council, and Tacitus says, In all
grave matters they consult their
women"
The ancient Britons held women
in high esteem--the Scandinavians
held that women were inspired-and
in all of these nations the marriage
relation was held of equal sanctity
for both sexes.
In the early days of Christianity
men and women labored together to
teach the new religion. Women were
preachers and deaconesses, and con-
tinued in their public ministrations
until the Council of Laodicea, A. d.
1865, forbade the ordination of wom-
en- to the ministry---they continued
to be deaconesses until the Council
of Orleans, A. ID. 511, took from
them this privilege, also.
We understand that the true spirit
of Christianity has done almost ev-
erything for the elevation of woman
to her present position--it is equally
true that the abuses of Christianity
by the church, which dominated ev-
erything through the middle ages,
accomplished, by gradations, the de-
gradation of woman, SO that at the
end of 1890 years of nominal Chris
tianity, she found herself without
property rights, without education,
without political power, almost with
out any respect, and when Martin
Luther took nun in honorable mar
riage, he struck the first blow for
woman's emancipation from the mon
astic thradom of the medieval pc
Rod.
y However, all down through the
nartn,iao have annaarad the "hea con