Year: 1871

The Woodruff Platform.


The New York Herald of Nov. DIST
gives the report of lecture by Mrs,
Victoria c. Woodruff in that city the
evening before, and editorially says OF
it:


The lecture of Mrs. Victoria C. Wood
hull at Steinway Hall last night is a
startling instance of the progress which
he Infamous socialistie notions of the
Free Lovers is making in our midst.
For an audience of three thousand peo-
pie to applaud, and even to listen pa
-iently to the sentiments expressed last
night, is a deplorable state of affairs.


The following is extracted from the
-llerald's report of the meeting:


THE LECTURE.


As Mrs. Woodruff came forward to
the front of the stage to read her lecture
which she did in clear and pleasing
voice, the audience cheered her with
much gallantry, particularly the young
men about town. who were quite noisy
and vociferous. She spoke in substance
as follows:


MY BROTHERS AND S1srERs-I appear
before you tonight to discuss the most
delicate and difficult subject in which
human interests ere involved; one in
which everybody is interested, as well
as directly and intimately concerned;
but which, on account of its delicacy
and difficulty, almost everybody in
stinctively avoids. refer to the prin-
ciples of social freedom, love, marriage
and divorce: or the relations between
the sexes. There is no escaping the
fact that the principle by which the male
citizens of these United States assume
to rule the female citizens is not that of
self-government but that of despotism;
and SO the fact is that poets have sung
songs of freedom and anthems af liberty
have resounded for an empty shadow.


Over the sexual relations marriages
have endeavored to preserve sway and
hold the people in subsection to what
has been considered the standard of
moral purity. Whether this has been
successful or not may be determined
from the fact that there are scores of
thousands of women who are denomina-
ted prostitutes, and who are supported
by hundreds of thousands of men. Who
should, for like reasons, also be denom-
mated prostitutes, since what will change
a woman into prostitute must also ne
cessarily change a man iuto the same.
This condition called prostitution, seems
to be the great evil at which religion and
public morality hnrl their special wea-
pons of condemnation, as the sum total
of all diabolism; since for women to
be prostitute is not only to deny her
all Christian but also all humanitarian
rights.


As this passage was uttered there was
great applause and cheering by the fool
ish young men in the audience who
we're on the alert for anything that
might sound like an eq,tivoq,.e. Mrs.
Woodruff continued:


Now I will put the question direct
Are not these eminently proper subjects
for inquiry and discussion; not in thai
manner Of maudlin sentimentality in
which it has been the habit; but in &
dignifed, open, honest and fearless way
in which subjects of so great import
ance should be inquired into and dis
cussed? An exhaustive treatment O.
these subjects would involve the inqui
ry what should be the chief end to b,
gained by


| ENTERING INTO SEXUAL RELATIONS.


This must simply answer by saying
"Good children, you will net nerd t.
be regenerated. md pass TO the consid
Grafton of The relations themselves. Al
the relations between the sexes that AIT
recognized as legitimate ere denomina
ted 1narris ge. But OF what does mar
rage consist. This very peltinen
question roaui1e5 settlement before an.
real progress can be made as to wha
social freedom and prostitution mean
1t is admitted By everybody tha. mar
riage is union of the opposite in sex
but is it principle Of nature outside Q
all law, or is it law outside of all M


ture? Where is the point before reach