Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-03-11
VOTES FORWOMEN
SOLVE VEXED PROBLEM
The Double Standard Of Morality
A Curious Thing, Says Lecturer
JUST GOVERNMENT LEAGUE.
Hears Heart to Heart Talk by Prof.
W. o. Stevens On Questions Of
Vital Interest 10 Society.

Mrs. Robert Moss, the president of
I-the Just Government League for
Anne Arundel county introduced the
speaker, Prof. William o. Stevens,
last night to the audiencs assembled
In the studio of Mrs. theodore John
son, in the Advertiser-Repubii
I Building.
The occasion was an address before
the lust Government League. De-
spite rainy, very disagreeable
night, goodly number were in at
tendance both from the city and coun-
ty. Mr.. Stevens, who is a man of
letters, an author and illustrator, as
we'll as being attached to the Dep art
meut Of English at the Naval Acad-
emy as one OF the corps u professors,
is a fiueut speaker with a well modu-
lated, pie asing voice
He said the American women take
woman's suffrage for granted. Fur
thermore cit is coming" hs said
and nothing can stop it. be spoke
of the vote helping to eradicate the
social evil, also the white slave traffic.
He said it will close certain houses.
but it would not dispose of the evil.
What we need is something more
vital. Woman's vote means a share
in the worlds contest. q solution Of
our most vexed problems.
The lecturer said the double stand
ing of morals is curious thing. So
ciety goes right along accepting it.
It's ds old as the race and goes back
to the primeval forest. Woman was
dependent on man. He exacts fidelity;
sne expects him to be brave and
courageous. He was to help kill and
fight, she to rear children. Man
must be brave, woman faithful. He
cited the example Of Penelope, who
for twenty years was faithful t.
Ulysses. A great writer has said
Virtue in woman is mar 5 greatest
invention.
A man can be a libertine. but a
perfect gentleman. Virtue is a
womans g stock in trade. The very
last thing a man will admit Is that
he is a coward; the last thing a wo-
man will admit is that she is un-
chaste. Society exists tor the pur
pose OF finding husbands. The great
est assistant to society is the eligible
bachelor.
Mr. Stevens said society today
supports the double standard of mo-
raity and il is better known thaa the
Apostles Creed. Modesty, he said.
is question of Geography, and Fash
ion. In Africa the most decent class
is that which goes naked; the most
lice ntious class is that which is wrap
ped and bound from head to foot. In
some countries a modest woman must
veil her face from nose to chin; in
others if foot only be hidden it in
dicates a modest woman. The speak
er said if the present style Of skirt
had been worn twenty years ago the
women wearing them would have been
arrested for indecency.
The naked truth should not be
covered. He spoke of saving the
proprieties" at the cost of all else,
and told a story of a midshipmal
years ago (when there We're no women
nurse > who had typhoid fever. Ap-
prentices nursed him until the sur
geon said he must have traine q
nurse This the naval officer in
charge objected to, but finally a We
man nurse was provided. She was not
permitted to nurse him at night, anc
the officer knowing how III the MILDLY
was, said his wife would stay up al
night and chaperon the nurse. Tbi;
was not permitted. The midshipma al
died, but the Proprieties was saved.
The church always supports so
ciety, said the lecturer. Society sup
ports the double standard OF morals
so does the church. The church wi,
marry a young, beautiful, innocen
girl to an old reprJbste and libertine
aud call il ''joined in the holy bond
of matrimony." Marriage is a socia
convention, and is made to fit the con
vention. One of the many strikini
parts Of the lecture was the poin
made that "Idleness marks gentil
ity." Even the washerwoman dc
sires to make my daughter lady
and will work her finger ends off t
that aim. Our women are idlers, fo
the most part. The American We
man is a parasite. She spends he
summers at g watering place an
her time between d rocking chair O
the porch and back-biting.
We can teach our daughters I
b. useful and to make marriage eas
for all classes. Divorce should n,
be luxury for the itch; married De
pie will get along easier when divor,
is easier. In Bavaria q man marri.
' an asset, not liability. So it shou
be here. College training doesn
e teach boy how to stop vein fro
D bleeding or his water pipes fro
freezing, or girl equally usef
1 things A girl is taught few parl
e tricks and to wait to make the be
: match" when she marries. As
n wife she is great liability.
n Nature doesn't wait-hence I
= prostitute. Marriage is looked up
oftentimes as the last call to t
i dining car" Motherhood is sub
died under such conditions as
cause us to think upon these thin