The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-13

This was the obligation SUI
san b. Anthony tried TO place
within the heart OF every woman OF
America. II was brand-new idea gu
years ago.
HELM for womenl Why. woman was
helpmeet. a helpmate. mans helper
created exclusively for that purpose
God made woman because man need
ed her help. Man needed her 10 make
life easier for him, as he did the noble
work of the world. He needed her 10
make his home comfortable and at
tractive to him. 80 he should not stray
and get into bad company. IL ne ala
go wrong. she was to blame Tor not
making his home the desirable place
she should have done. He needed her
| to take care OF his clothes. and see
that they were properly Numbered,
neatly mended and laid out for him
when he wanted them. or course!
And. besides, he needed her to bear
| him children, and TO take care or ana
be kind and firm with for him; 10
, train them, teach them, nurse them
day and night for him. Man needed
woman for his comfort and his care.
| But think Of it, Here was a wom-
an-an unmarried woman at that
who distinctly announced that woman
| haG a few needs all OF her own.
Rights, too. Woman had rights,
quite like the rights that man had.
In the words of Hamlet, oh, hor-
rible, Horrible. Most horriblel"
A woman who advocated such things
was very bad dangerous and an en-
envy to mankind. Such "a woman must
| be guilty of all the cardinal sins. ana
she was probably masculine besides.
And while IL was the most glorious
thing In the world to be male. for
woman to be masculine was sin
objectionable.
Woman's sphere had been infinitely
explored, every inch Of 1t surveyed and
a complete and final chart made and
published The surveyors link and
chain had never been so thoroughly
used Every Office OF church and state
had detailed record OF this
sphere, and could cite page and par
agraph OF explanations.
Its limitations were: Bounded on
the north by mans will; on the east
by his desire; on the south by his In
clination; on the west by his mood.
There was neither northwest nor
southwest for woman. The cardinal
points were leeway sufficient.
All women were to be as Caesars
wife. IL she roamed In her mind be-
yond the boundary line, no matter
what her power was, mental, moral
or physical, she had swift Instructions
as to her duty in the cultivation OF
her sphere.
The home was womans sphere. Let
her keep silent in the church, but at
tend and enter into the worship in her
heart, with bowed head. Submit TO
all that came to her In her house and
she would find that world enough.
Had she money left to her by her
father, when she married 1t became
that OF her husband.
who giveth this woman away?"
solemnly asked the priest in this land
OF the free. this democracy of Ameri- |
ca.
II do" answered the father as he
stepped forward, with the trembling |
daughter on his arm
And often IL was the fact that there
was a pension with this gift. We have
called II a dover. Sentiment has al
ways forbidden that this transaction
should be called a sale or a barter,
though the ceremony resembled 1t In
many ways. The father seemed to be
relieving himself OF bur-
den and then making bargain. As
said, II had seemed like a transfer or
property.
Such was the sphere OF woman ffty
years ago.