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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2daf463 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69953 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69953) diff --git a/old/69953-0.txt b/old/69953-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ff70521..0000000 --- a/old/69953-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8703 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer, -by D. C. Bloomer - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer - -Author: D. C. Bloomer - -Release Date: February 4, 2023 [eBook #69953] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Bob Taylor, Carla Foust and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA -BLOOMER *** - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note - Italic text displayed as: _italic_ - Bold text displayed as: =bold= - - - - -[Illustration: D. C. Bloomer(signature)] - - - - - LIFE AND WRITINGS OF - AMELIA BLOOMER - - BY - D. C. BLOOMER, LL. D. - - WITH PORTRAITS - - [Illustration: Art for Truth] - - BOSTON - ARENA PUBLISHING COMPANY - COPLEY SQUARE - 1895 - - Republished 1976 - Scholarly Press, Inc., 22929 Industrial Drive East - St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48080 - - - - - COPYRIGHTED, 1895, - - BY - - D. C. BLOOMER. - - - =Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data= - - Bloomer, Dexter C 1820-1900. - Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer. - - Reprint of the ed. published by Arena Pub. Co., - Boston. - - 1. Bloomer, Amelia Jenks, 1818-1894. 2. Women’s - rights—United States. I. Title. - HQ1413.B6B6 1975b 301.41’2’0924 72-78650 - ISBN 0-403-01994-X - - - - -TO MY WIFE. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -As Mrs. Bloomer was one of the pioneers in what is sometimes called -the “Woman’s Movement,” it seems right that a record of her work -should be placed in durable form. Such a record I have endeavored to -set forth in the following pages. While giving a brief narrative of -her life, I have also included, as being most satisfactory, quite -extended extracts from her writings; and one of her lectures is -printed in full. I will add for the information of the curious that a -complete bound copy in one volume of the LILY, as printed and issued -by Mrs. Bloomer for six years, is deposited in the State Library, -in Albany, N. Y., and is probably the only copy of that work in -existence. - - D. C. BLOOMER. - - September, 1895. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - PREFACE v - - - CHAPTER I. - - HER EARLY LIFE—HER MARRIAGE—TIPPECANOE AND - TYLER, TOO!—A WRITER FOR NEWSPAPERS—WASHINGTONIANISM—JOINS - THE CHURCH 7 - - - CHAPTER II. - - UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN—REFORM BEGINS—WOMEN - TO THE FRONT—MRS. BLOOMER THINKS ABOUT - IT 28 - - - CHAPTER III. - - SHE WRITES ABOUT IT—BIRTH OF THE _LILY_—NEW - WORK FOR HER—FIRST IN THE FIELD—MRS. - STANTON APPEARS—MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED—BECOMES - ASSISTANT POSTMASTER—THE _LILY_ ON - HER HANDS—VISITS NEW YORK CITY—MISS ANTHONY - IS INTRODUCED—MRS. BLOOMER ON THE - TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE—FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE—LETTER - TO AKRON CONVENTION—“RULING - A WIFE” 38 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - THE REFORM DRESS—WOMAN’S ATTIRE—FASHION IN - DRESS 65 - - - CHAPTER V. - - THE _LILY_ PROSPEROUS—WOMAN’S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY—MRS. - BLOOMER ON DIVORCE—CONVENTION - INFLUENCE—THE WOMEN REJECTED AT SYRACUSE—CONVENTION - IN ALBANY—A LECTURER—IN - NEW YORK CITY—AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE—AT - METROPOLITAN HALL—MRS. BLOOMER’S - SPEECH—IN BUFFALO—AT HOME—HATING THE - MEN—GOOD TEMPLARS—IN THE PULPIT—IN - ROCHESTER AGAIN; A CHANGE—A LECTURE - TOUR; FOURTH OF JULY—RESTING—NEW LECTURES—A - CLUB OF TALKERS 82 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - AT THE WORLD’S CONVENTION—A WESTERN TRIP—CONTINUES - HER JOURNEY—AN ANNOUNCEMENT; - A REMOVAL—A TESTIMONIAL—DEMONSTRATION - OF RESPECT TO MR. AND MRS. BLOOMER 133 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - AN ASSISTANT EDITOR—PROSPERITY OF THE _LILY_—ENFRANCHISEMENT - OF WOMAN—WOMAN’S RIGHT—WOMAN’S - CLAIM—DESTROYING LIQUOR—GOLDEN - RULES FOR WIVES—THE CLERGY—MALE BLOOMERS—WOMEN - MECHANICS—WOMAN’S DRESS—WOMEN - DRUNKARDS—PROGRESS—SEWING MACHINES—GOVERNOR - SEYMOUR’S VETO—FIGHTING - HER WAY—ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM—AT THE - OHIO STATE CONVENTION—A WOMAN TYPESETTER—A - STRIKE FOLLOWED—LUCY STONE APPEARS—A - VISIT TO NEW YORK STATE—AT THE NEW - YORK STATE CONVENTION—GOOD TEMPLARS IN - OHIO—THE _LILY_ SOLD—SHE IS SORRY 149 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - ON HER TRAVELS—STARTS FOR IOWA—EARLY DAYS - IN THE WEST—DELAYED IN ST. LOUIS—THE MISSOURI - RIVER’S RAVAGES—CONSENTS TO DELIVER - A LECTURE—ODD METHOD OF ADVERTISING—OFF - IN A STAGECOACH—BEFRIENDS A STRANGER—ARRIVES - AT GLENWOOD—EARLY HARDSHIPS—SUFFER - FROM DROUTH—FURNITURE WAS SCARCE—DAYS - OF HOSPITALITY—EARLY OMAHA—PLASTERED - HOUSES WERE SCARCE—WORSHIPPED - IN LOG CHURCHES—EARLY CHURCH WORK—DEFENDS - WOMAN’S RIGHTS—THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE - INTERESTED—DANGERS MET IN CROSSING - THE MISSOURI—BUFFETS THE ICE IN A SKIFF—WOMAN’S - EQUALITY IN LAW—DESCRIBES COUNCIL - BLUFFS—DESCRIBES HER NEW HOME—LIFE IN - COUNCIL BLUFFS—AGAINST STRONG DRINK—HER - EXPERIENCES—FOR WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT—VOTING - AND FIGHTING—PROGRESS—STATE SUFFRAGE - SOCIETY—HISTORY OF IOWA SUFFRAGE - WORK—ESSAYS BY MRS. BLOOMER—“WIFELY - DUTIES”—“NAMES OF MARRIED WOMEN”—“IS - IT RIGHT FOR WOMEN TO LECTURE?”—“WOMAN’S - RIGHT TO PREACH”—“PETTICOAT PRESENTATION”—“OBJECTIONS - TO WOMAN SUFFRAGE ANSWERED”—“ON - HOUSEKEEPING; WOMAN’S BURDENS”—THE - CIVIL WAR—MRS. BLOOMER’S ADDRESS—LETTER - TO CONVENTION OF LOYAL - WOMEN—VISITS WASHINGTON—IN NEW YORK - CITY—VISITS COLORADO—A LETTER—ADOPTED - CHILDREN—CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WORK—HER - CHARACTER ANALYZED—“ABOUT THE FIRST SINNER”—GOLDEN - ANNIVERSARY—CLOSING YEARS—END - OF AN EARNEST LIFE—PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY—GREAT - LOSS TO COUNCIL BLUFFS—HER - LIFE A BUSY ONE—HER CHRISTIAN CHARACTER—LARGE - CIRCLE OF FRIENDS—MEMORIAL DISCOURSE 190 - - - APPENDIX. - - WOMAN’S RIGHT TO THE BALLOT 335 - - A REPLY 355 - - MRS. STANTON ON MRS. BLOOMER 375 - - MEMORIAL SERMON 376 - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - AMELIA BLOOMER _Facing page 193_. - - DEXTER C. BLOOMER _Frontispiece_. - - - - -LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA BLOOMER. - - - - -CHAPTER FIRST. - -HER EARLY LIFE. - - -The early life of the subject of this Memoir was devoid of any -striking incidents. Her parents were natives of the little State -founded by Roger Williams, where both were born, passed their early -years, and were married some time in the year 1806. Her father, -Ananias Jenks, was a clothier by trade, and was a man of a great -deal of force of character. The maiden name of her mother was Lucy -Webb. She was a devoted Christian woman, and had enjoyed to the -fullest extent the training of a New-England Puritan family of the -last century. She was a faithful member of the Presbyterian church, -and she aimed to bring up her children in its somewhat strict -teachings. With her and her family the holy Sabbath commenced with -the going down of the sun on Saturday evening, and ended with the -setting of the sun on the following day. This was an old Puritan -notion, and was very convenient for the boys and girls who wished to -form acquaintances and spend pleasant hours together on the evening -of the first day of the week. Ananias Jenks, the father of Amelia -Jenks, removed to the state of New York with his wife in the early -days of their married life, residing successively in the counties of -Onondaga, Cortlandt, Wayne, and Seneca. To Ananias and Lucy Jenks -several children were born, at least four daughters and two sons. -One of the latter died in early childhood; but the other, Augustus, -was spared until about his thirtieth year. He married, removed to -the state of Michigan, where five children were born in his family, -enlisted as a volunteer in one of the Michigan regiments in the Civil -War, and lost his life at the great battle of Gettysburg. The four -daughters were Adaline, Elvira, Amanda, and Amelia; Amelia being -the youngest of the family, with perhaps the exception of Augustus, -who may have been younger. All the children married: Adaline left -children surviving her; Amanda, one only, a daughter; while none were -born to either Elvira or Amelia. - -The last named, Amelia, was born in the town of Homer, Cortlandt -County, New York, on the 27th day of May, 1818. In some -autobiographical notes left by her, we find the following in -reference to her early years: - - “My earliest recollections are of a pleasant home in Homer, - Cortlandt County, New York. Here was I born, and here the first - six years of my life were passed. But little of these early days - can now be recalled after sixty years have been added to them, yet - there are a few incidents that are so deeply impressed upon memory, - that they seem but the occurrence of a week ago. First I recall the - visit of some Indians to my father’s house, and the latter buying - a large knife of them. The Indians, my father and the knife come - before me now as though they were indeed a reality of the present. - Again, a scene comes before the mind’s eye of my brother and myself - looking from an upper window, and seeing some Indians knocking at - the door of a small untenanted house opposite to us. My brother, - who was a few years older than myself, called out ‘Come in.’ The - Indians opened the door and stepped in, then out, and looked up - and around sorely puzzled at hearing a voice, but seeing no one, - while my brother and I laughed and danced behind the blind at the - trick which we had played upon them. Several children were on their - way to school. One little girl jumped upon the wheel of a wagon - which stood in front of a house, intending to get in and ride to - school. The horse became frightened while she stood on the wheel, - and ran away, throwing her violently to the ground and injuring - her severely. The mirth of childhood was turned to sadness, and we - trudged on to school, after seeing her unconscious form carried - into the house. I could not have been over four or five years - old when these things happened, but they are deeply engraved on - memory’s tablet.” - -Amelia was carefully trained at home by her truly Christian mother, -and from her she imbibed those high sentiments of honesty, truth, -duty, fidelity and regard for the rights of others which actuated her -during the whole course of her life. Her educational opportunities -were limited to the district school of those early days. Then, it -was commonly thought that about all a girl should be taught was to -read and write, with a little grammar and less arithmetic. These -essentials of a common-school education were fairly mastered by the -little girl, and to such an extent that, when she arrived at about -the age of seventeen years, she was employed as a teacher in one -of the district schools at or near the village of Clyde, in Wayne -County, New York. A single short term, however, was the whole extent -of her life as a teacher. For the brief period of her engagement, -we are told, she discharged her duties with much acceptance. Her -kindness of heart, united with wonderful firmness and a strict regard -for truth and right, qualities which distinguished her throughout her -whole life, endeared her to the children who came under her care. - - -HER MARRIAGE. - -School-teaching however soon ended; and shortly after, she became a -member of the family of her sister Elvira, then recently married and -residing in Waterloo, New York, to which place her father’s family -also removed about the same time. Here the days passed along smoothly -and quietly until about the year 1837, when she became an inmate in -the family of Mr. Oren Chamberlain residing near Waterloo, as the -governess and tutor of his three youngest children. This position she -continued to fill with entire satisfaction for two or three years. -The children all lived to years of maturity, and always manifested -great affection in subsequent years for their former teacher. In -this family, the life of Miss Jenks moved along quietly and evenly. -She enjoyed fully its confidence and the love of her pupils. She -formed new friendships and the circle of her acquaintances was -widened. Among the latter, was a young man residing in Seneca Falls -engaged in the study of law, while taking also a large interest in -the political movements of that day. They met quite frequently, and -soon strong ties of friendship were formed between them, and the -friendship ripened as the months passed by into love. They became -engaged, and finally were married at the residence of John Lowden in -the village of Waterloo, New York, on the 15th day of April, 1840, -by the Rev. Samuel H. Gridley, the Presbyterian clergyman of the -village; and in subsequent years Mrs. Bloomer frequently alluded with -much satisfaction to the fact that he omitted altogether the word -“obey” in the marriage ceremony. Only a few friends were present at -the marriage, but among them besides Mr. and Mrs. Lowden were A. E. -Chamberlain, Miss Caroline Starks, and Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Fuller, all -of whom together with Mr. Lowden are still living at the time (March, -1895) of writing these lines. - -At the time of this marriage Mr. Bloomer was twenty-four years of -age, quite tall and slim, weighing about one hundred and fifty -pounds, with gray eyes, a rather tall forehead, and long arms, and of -bashful and reserved demeanor. His bride was much smaller, five feet -four inches in height, and weighed about a hundred pounds. She had a -well-formed head, bright, blue eyes bordering on black, auburn hair -and an exceedingly pleasant and winning smile. Like her husband, she -was reserved in manner, and very unwilling to force herself upon the -notice of strangers, but when she once became acquainted with them -she enjoyed their society most heartily. She was small in person and -modest in demeanor, and standing beside her tall husband, at once -attracted the attention and secured the confidence of her friends -and associates. She was twenty-two years of age at the time of her -marriage. Her husband, Dexter C. Bloomer, was of Quaker parentage, -had a fairly good common-school and academic education, had spent -several years in teaching school, commenced the study of law at the -age of twenty, and at the time of his marriage was still a student -and one of the proprietors and editors of the _Seneca County -Courier_, a weekly newspaper printed in Seneca Falls, N. Y. - -The day following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer drove in a -carriage to the residence of Mr. Isaac Fuller, in Seneca Falls, -where rooms had been prepared for their reception. Mr. Fuller was -Mr. Bloomer’s partner in the printing business, and both he and his -excellent wife are still (in 1895) living in the same town, and have -ever proved most dear and excellent friends of the young couple who -on the 16th day of April, 1840, took up their residence with them. - -Mr. Bloomer had very many friends in the town, and on the evening of -his arrival with his bride they filled Mr. Fuller’s rooms to welcome -the newly wedded couple to their new home and their new life. With -them came many members of a fire company of which Mr. Bloomer was -a member, accompanied by a band of music, and all went merry as a -marriage bell. Refreshments were of course served, and among them -a plentiful supply of wine, for in those days, this was the almost -certain accompaniment of all social gatherings. All, or nearly all, -partook of it; and just then occurred an incident which told most -instructively as to the moral character and firmness of the young and -happy bride. Glasses were filled with the sparkling beverage, and -one of them was presented to her by the bridegroom himself, but she -firmly yet pleasantly declined to accept it. “What,” he said with -the greatest earnestness, “will you not drink a glass of wine with -me on this joyful occasion? Surely it can do you no harm.” “No,” she -smilingly yet firmly replied, “I cannot,—I must not.” A crowd of -guests standing around could but admire her great self-denial and -devotion to principles; and ever after, to the end of her days, she -was the firm and consistent advocate of Temperance and the unceasing -enemy of strong drink in all its varied forms. - - -TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO! - -The year 1840 was a memorable one in the history of this country. -It witnessed the great “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,” campaign, -in which Gen. William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren were -opposing candidates. The whole country went wild with political -speech-making, songs, log-cabins, great gatherings of people and -enormous processions of the opposing hosts. Mr. Bloomer was absorbed -heart and soul in the contest. He was the editor of the only Whig -paper in the village and county, and he was present at political -caucuses, conventions and assemblages in all that region. His wife -at first took little interest in the great hubbub raised over the -land. In fact, her health was quite delicate that first summer of her -married life. It is remembered distinctly now by the writer of these -lines, that while he was on the 4th of July, 1840, delivering an -address at a political celebration, she was at home prostrated with -some form of intermittent fever. His address over, he hastened to -her bedside; and soon after, having so far recovered as to leave her -room, she was taken to Avon Springs, in western New York, where she -regained her health so as to return to her boarding place early in -August. But Mrs. Bloomer gradually became interested in the political -turmoil so far as to attend political gatherings, visit the log-cabin -which stood on one of the principal streets of the town, and assist -in preparing badges and mottoes for the use of those who espoused the -cause advocated by her husband. - -And so the months moved quietly along during that eventful year, -and the first of October found Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer settled down to -housekeeping in a modest dwelling in Seneca Falls. The great election -contest terminated in November, and they both rejoiced most heartily -in the result, although what particular benefit it would be to either -of them, except the satisfaction of being on the winning side, it -would have been very difficult for either to very fully explain. - - -A WRITER FOR NEWSPAPERS. - -As has already been stated, Mr. Bloomer was one of the editors of -a village paper printed in Seneca Falls. He was a great reader -of books and newspapers, and sought to inspire in his young wife -a similar love for the current literature of the day. This was no -difficult task, for she also was fond of books and sought in all -suitable ways to store her mind with useful knowledge. But Mr. -Bloomer desired her to go further and become a writer for the papers -also. He had got the idea well fixed in his mind, from letters -received from her during the years preceding their marriage, that she -possessed the power of expressing her thoughts on paper with both -ease and grace. But from the natural modesty of her character, she -was quite unwilling to embark in this to her new and untried field -of mental experience. Nevertheless, through the kind and persuasive -appeals of the husband the young wife began to commit her thoughts to -paper, and from time to time there appeared in the newspapers of the -town various articles bearing upon the social, moral and political -questions of those times. They all appeared anonymously, sometimes -written over one signature and then over another, but they all came -from Mrs. Bloomer’s pen and excited no little curiosity among the -people of the town as to their real author. It was in this way that -Mrs. Bloomer acquired that easy and pleasant style of writing for -publication which so marked her career in later years. - - -WASHINGTONIANISM. - -Meantime, the great Washingtonian Temperance Reformation of 1840 -and 1841 made its appearance, led by the six reformed drunkards of -Baltimore. It swept over the country like a whirlwind; thousands of -men under its influence were led to abandon their drinking habits -and become useful and sober citizens, while thousands more attached -their name to the Temperance pledge of total abstinence from all -intoxicating liquors. This movement reached Seneca Falls and produced -a great sensation, almost revolutionizing public sentiment on the -subject. Pollard and Wright, two of the reformed men of Baltimore, -visited the town and held public meetings in halls and parks and were -listened to by great crowds of people. An “Independent Temperance -Total-Abstinence Society” was formed headed by reformed men, and the -current topics of the time nearly all turned upon this all-absorbing -subject. - -Into this movement Mrs. Bloomer entered with her whole heart and -soul. Along with her husband, she attended the great Temperance -gatherings, and took an active part in carrying forward the great -reformation. She acted on committees, and wrote articles in support -of the good work. A newspaper called the _Water Bucket_ was issued -as the organ of the Temperance society of the village. For this Mrs. -Bloomer wrote freely and vigorously. A copy of this paper cannot be -found, but a few articles from her pen have been preserved. Here -is one of them. It was written in 1842 and is a fair specimen of -Mrs. Bloomer’s then style of composition. She has been answering -objections to the Temperance pledge, when she proceeds as follows: - - “Another cannot make cake fit to eat without wine or brandy. A - third must have brandy on her apple dumplings, and a fourth comes - out boldly and says she likes to drink once in a while herself - too well. What flimsy excuses these! brandy and apple dumplings, - forsooth! That lady must be a wretched cook indeed who cannot make - apple dumplings, mince pies or cake palatable without the addition - of poisonous substances. But I would ask these ladies if they - have ever tried to do without it? Their answer I fear would be in - the negative. They do not _wish_ to do without it. They act from - purely selfish motives. Would they but visit the drunkard’s home - and see the misery and wretchedness that is brought upon families - once happy and prosperous as themselves, and hear the drunkard’s - wife recount her tale of woe, methinks their hearts would soften. - They could then sympathize with those who are trying to break - loose from the galling yoke of intemperance, and instead of being - stumbling blocks in our way, they would come to our aid with their - whole hearts and devote their talents to the cause of temperance, - nor cease in their efforts until drunkenness should be completely - driven from the land. What examples these ladies are setting - before their families! Have they a husband, a brother or a son, - and have they no fear that the example they are now setting them - may be the means of their filling a drunkard’s grave? Have they a - daughter? Their example teaches her to respect moderate-drinking - young men, and receive their addresses, and should she unite her - fate with such an one, almost certain ruin awaits her. * * * Could - all those ladies who oppose the efforts which we are making to - reform our land, but have their minds awakened to the importance - of the subject! Could they but know the experience of thousands - of their own sex, who from being surrounded by every happiness - that wealth and station can impart, have through the means of that - fell destroyer, intemperance, sunk to the lowest depth of misery - and degradation, and, more than all, did they but know how far - their influence may be instrumental in saving a fellow-creature, - they would hasten to the standard of temperance and unite their - influence against the disturber of human happiness, and become - volunteers in the moral contest to extirpate the fell monster from - our shores.” - -The above article was signed “Gloriana,” a favorite signature of Mrs. -Bloomer’s. Another which is preserved, and was printed over the -signature of “Eugene” at about the same date, is as follows: - - “Many people think there is nothing more to do towards the - advancement of temperance in this place, because we have succeeded - in breaking up the drinking of ardent spirits in a measure, and - have enlisted some four or five hundred members under our banners. - This is a mistaken idea, and if cherished long, those who feel - most secure will find to their dismay that the viper has only been - crushed for a time, and will arise again upon his victim with a - firmer and more deadly grasp than before. It is the duty of every - man to be at his post, to lend his aid in sustaining the weak, and - to encourage others by his presence and example of perseverance in - the course they have begun. If the reformed inebriates see those - whom they have looked upon to sustain and encourage them in this - great work grow careless and indifferent towards them and the - cause, have we not reason to fear that they too will drop off one - by one into their old practices, and forsake that Temperance Hall - where they have long passed their evenings so pleasantly and so - profitably for their old haunts, the grogshop and the gutter? * * * - Let it not be said of Seneca Falls that she deserted her post in - the hour of danger, but let every temperance man feel that he has - a duty to perform and that there is no time for rest or inaction - until the ‘hydra-headed monster’, shall be driven from our borders.” - -These extracts show how earnestly Mrs. Bloomer gave herself to the -great Temperance reform. Of some of the features of the reform she -gives the following sketch in an historical review written at a much -later date: - - “In 1840 a great impulse was given to the temperance cause, such as - had never been known before in the world’s history. This movement - originated with seven drunkards of Baltimore, who met in a saloon - in that city and then and there, with their glasses filled before - them, resolved that they would drink no more. They poured out - the liquor and went home. They at once formed a society for the - promotion of total abstinence among those who, like themselves, had - been addicted to the use of intoxicating drink. Only one of the - seven is known to have backslidden, while the others lived and died - honoring the cause they had embraced. Several of these men became - eloquent speakers, and traveled the country over, holding meetings, - pleading earnestly for the reformation of others, and depicting - in burning words the sad lot of the drunkard and his wretched - family. No such temperance meetings have been held since, no such - eloquent appeals made for temperance. This was called the great - ‘Washingtonian movement,’ and by it an impetus was given that has - led to all subsequent effort in that cause. Following this movement - various societies were started, some open, some secret. We had the - Sons of Temperance, Reformed Brotherhood, Rechabites, Cadets of - Temperance, Carson Leagues, Alliances, Good Templars, Temple of - Honor, and open local, county and state societies, and finally the - Women’s Christian Temperance Union.” - - -JOINS THE CHURCH. - -About this time (1843) Mrs. Bloomer and also her husband united -with and became members of the Episcopal Church, in Seneca Falls; -she maintained her membership in that body until the end of her -life, a period of over fifty years. This new relation opened a new -field for her quiet and gentle activities. She became very soon -deeply interested in parish work in its various forms, and as a -member of various parochial organizations labored faithfully to -advance Christian progress. This was especially noticeable after her -removal to her new home in the West, as we shall have occasion to -remark further on. We may add here that Mrs. Bloomer, while a firm -believer in the truth of the Christian religion, always insisted that -certain passages in the Scriptures relating to women had been given -a strained and unnatural meaning, and that the whole teaching of the -Bible, when fully interpreted, elevated her to a joint companionship -with her brother in the government and salvation of the race. - - - - -CHAPTER SECOND. - -UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN. - - -Up to about the middle of the nineteenth century, the maxims of the -common law of England relating to the rights and responsibilities -of married women were in force in nearly all the states of the -Union. This was true especially in the state of New York. They were -exceedingly stringent in their character, and confined her, so far -as related to her property rights, within exceedingly narrow limits. -Indeed, in some respects they might well be regarded as brutal. They -merged the legal being of the wife in her husband. Without him, and -apart from him, she could hold no property, make no contracts, nor -even exercise control over her children. If she earned money by -whatever means, she could not collect it. Her time and her earnings -belonged to her husband; and her children, when above the age of -infancy, could be taken from her by will or otherwise and committed -to the charge of strangers. On the decease of the husband, the -personal property acquired through their joint efforts and industry -passed at once to his heirs, through the legal administration of his -estate; while the wife was turned off with a bare life estate in -one-third of the real property standing in his name at the time of -his decease. - -The gross injustice of these laws began to excite attention soon -after the adoption of the new constitution in the state of New York, -in 1846. The first step towards their modification was taken in the -legislature of 1844-5, when certain recognitions of the property -rights of married women were enacted into laws; and in other states -attention about that time began to be turned in the same direction. -These were the beginning of the series of laws since enacted in -nearly all the states as well as in the dominions and provinces -of the British Empire, by which the old and absurd and barbarous -features of the old common law of England applicable to married women -have been to a large extent abrogated. But this result has been the -work of years of earnest thought, earnest labor and earnest devotion -to the principles of right and justice, upon which it is our boast -that all our laws are based. - - -REFORM BEGINS. - -To Ansel Bascom, a lawyer of Seneca Falls, a member of the -Constitutional Convention of 1846 and of the first legislature -following its adoption, and to David Dudley Field, a distinguished -citizen of the state, were largely due the modifications in the -laws relating to married women which began about that time. These -gentlemen were also largely instrumental in securing the adoption of -the reformed code of practice in the courts, which has since been -substantially enacted in nearly all the states of the Union. But -women themselves had much to do in this most important work. Two of -them were Lucretia Mott, a well-known Quaker preacher of those days, -and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, wife of Henry B. Stanton and daughter -of Daniel Cady, an eminent lawyer and judge. These ladies had been -delegates to an anti-slavery convention in London, to which they -were refused admission on account of being women, and they mutually -resolved to enter upon an effort to secure an amelioration in the -laws relating to the legal and property rights of their sex. They -even went further and asked that the constitutions of the several -states should be so amended, that to women should be extended the -right to vote and even to hold office. That was a new thing under the -sun. It was the beginning of what has since been so widely known as -the women’s rights movement, the agitation of which has occupied a -large place in the public discussions of the last half century. - - -WOMEN TO THE FRONT. - -The first public meeting to bring these questions prominently before -the country was held in the Wesleyan Chapel, in Seneca Falls, on -the 19th day of July, 1848. It was attended by the ladies I have -mentioned, by Mr. Bascom, by Mr. Thomas McClintoch, a Quaker preacher -and member of his family, by several clergymen, and other persons of -some prominence in the village. Frederick Douglass was also present. -Mr. James Mott, the husband of Lucretia, presided, and that lady -opened the meeting with a careful statement of women’s wrongs and -grievances and made a demand for their redress. Mr. Stanton read a -clearly written paper to the same purport and reported a woman’s -declaration of independence, in which her wrongs were fully set forth -and her rights as fully insisted upon and proclaimed. The position -was boldly taken that the ballot should be placed in her hands on a -perfect equality with man himself, as only through the ballot could -her rights be effectually asserted and maintained. The discussion -lasted through two days, and the declaration was signed by fifty -women and about the same number of men. The papers over the country -generally noticed the gathering, and with few exceptions ridiculed -the whole movement, while bearing testimony to the earnestness of -those engaged in it. - -Two weeks later, a second meeting of the same character was held in -Rochester; and this one, as showing signs of progress, was presided -over by a woman, the first event of the kind that had occurred up to -that date, although since then it has become a common occurrence, -and as a general rule it has been found that women make excellent -presiding officers. Several new recruits were enlisted at the -Rochester meeting, both women and men, among the latter being the -Rev. William Henry Channing, a popular Unitarian clergyman of that -city. The Rochester meeting fully endorsed the resolutions and -declaration of independence of the Seneca Falls meeting, and from -that time the new movement of women’s rights was fully launched upon -the great ocean of public discussion and public opinion. Lucretia -Mott and Mrs. Stanton were the acknowledged leaders; but soon other -advocates of wide influence were enrolled in the cause, and its -influence from that day has continued to widen and extend, until it -now includes men and women of great distinction and power in every -English-speaking country in the world. - - -MRS. BLOOMER THINKS ABOUT IT. - -Mrs. Bloomer, at the time these meetings were held, was residing -quietly at her home in Seneca Falls, engaged in a modest way in -religious and temperance work. She had not yet thought much on -the subject of women’s rights, so called, except so far as it -related to the obstacles which the laws as then formed threw in -the way of securing the triumph of total-abstinence principles. -The Washingtonian movement had continued to exert its influence -upon the community. Now total-abstinence societies sprang up, among -them the Sons and Daughters of Temperance,—separate organizations, -but including within their lists of members many thousands of both -sexes. The _Temperance Star_ of Rochester was an organ of these -organizations, and Mrs. Bloomer wrote freely and frequently for its -columns. She attended the Mott-Stanton convention in Seneca Falls, -but took no part in its proceedings and did not sign either the -resolutions or declaration of independence. - -But the principles promulgated in those documents began to have an -effect upon her thoughts and actions, as they did upon those of many -other women of that day. They realized, almost for the first time, -that there was something wrong in the laws under which they lived, -and that they had something to do in the work of reforming and -improving them. Hence they moved slowly out of the religious circles -in which their activities had hitherto been confined and, while not -neglecting these, yet began in a modest way to organize societies -in which they could work for the improvement of their surroundings -and the moral regeneration of society. In Seneca Falls a Ladies’ -Temperance Society was organized for the first time in 1848. Mrs. -Bloomer became a member of it and one of its officers. Whether she -ever became a member of the “Daughters of Temperance” lodges is not -now remembered, but it is thought no lodge of that order had been -organized in the place of her residence. - -Of some of these movements, Mrs. Bloomer in later years wrote as -follows: - - “In 1848 or ‘49, after the order of the ‘Sons’ was started, which - order excluded women, some one among them conceived the idea of - starting a similar order for women. This was probably as a salve - to the wounded feelings of the women, just as Masons and Odd - Fellows at this day will not admit women to their lodge-rooms, but - to pacify them have branches called Star of Hope and Daughters of - Rebekah, composed of women. Be this as it may, the order of the - Daughters of Temperance was started, composed of women entirely. It - continued many years and may still be in existence, though I have - not heard of it for years. The order was planted in twenty-four - states and in England and the British provinces. The daughters held - state and national conventions, issued addresses and appeals to - the women of the state, circulated petitions to the legislature, - and were very zealous in good works. In 1851 this order numbered - over twenty thousand members. It was a secret society, and no one - could gain admittance to their meetings without the password. This, - so far as I know, was the first organized movement ever made by - women to make themselves felt and heard on the great temperance - question, which was then agitating the minds of the people as it - never had done before. And so long as they kept to themselves and - held secret meetings they were not molested, their right to talk - and resolve was not called in question. But as the years rolled on, - women became more earnest and self-reliant, and were not satisfied - with these secret doings. They wanted to let their light be seen. - So a few prominent daughters, with Susan B. Anthony (who up to that - time had only been known as a Daughter of Temperance, an earnest - temperance worker and a school-teacher) as leader, called an open - temperance meeting at Albany. This was not largely responded to, - women not daring to come out openly after having so long heard ‘let - you women keep silence’ sounded in their ears from the sacred desk. - This meeting was conducted so quietly it hardly caused a ripple of - excitement, and passed almost unnoticed by the press.” - - - - -CHAPTER THIRD. - -SHE WRITES ABOUT IT. - - -Women up to this time had never, or very seldom, indeed, come forward -as public speakers in behalf of Temperance or any other reform -movements. True, Abby Kelly Foster had made her appearance on the -platform as an abolition lecturer, but her speeches were so radical -and denunciatory in their character that they added little strength -to the position or popularity of women speakers. The Quaker preachers -were of both sexes; of these Lucretia Mott was the recognized leader -among the gentler sex, and the purity of her character and the -mildness of her addresses, compared with those of Mrs. Foster, made -her popular with all classes. Mrs. Bloomer heard both of these women, -and her husband well remembers that, on one occasion after she had -been listening to Mrs. Foster’s radical criticisms on an article -which appeared in the editorial columns of his paper, she came home -greatly distressed and with tears in her eyes over the denunciations, -to which she had listened. She learned in subsequent years to take -such things more calmly. - -But though public sentiment did not then sanction the appearance -of women speakers even to advocate so good a cause as Temperance, -yet they could use their pens in its support. Mrs. Bloomer did this -quite freely as we have seen, but the little society in Seneca Falls -concluded that it must have a paper of its own, and on the 1st of -January, 1849, such a paper was commenced in that place. - - -BIRTH OF THE _LILY_. - -Mrs. Bloomer herself tells the story of its birth and her connection -with it as follows: - - “Up to about 1848-9 women had almost no part in all this temperance - work. They could attend meetings and listen to the eloquence - and arguments of men, and they could pay their money towards - the support of temperance lecturers, but such a thing as their - having anything to say or do further than this was not thought of. - They were fired with zeal after listening to the Washingtonian - lecturers and other speakers on temperance who then abounded, - and in some instances held little private meetings of their own, - organized societies and passed resolutions expressive of their - feelings on the great subject. It was at a meeting of this kind - in Seneca Falls, N. Y., which was then my home, that the matter - of publishing a little temperance paper, for home distribution - only, was introduced. The ladies caught at the idea and at once - determined on issuing the paper. Editors were selected, a committee - appointed to wait on the newspaper offices to learn on what terms - the paper could be printed monthly, we furnishing all the copy. - The president was to name the paper, the report to be made at next - meeting by committee. And so we separated, satisfied and elated - with our doings. But on my reporting my proceedings to my husband - on my return home he ‘threw cold water’ on the whole thing. He said - we women did not know what we were talking about, that it - cost a good deal of money to print a paper, and that we could not - carry on such an enterprise and would run ourselves into debt, get - into trouble and make a failure of it. He advised that I counsel - the ladies to abandon all thought of such a movement. At the next - meeting I reported all he said, but it was of no avail. The ladies - had their hearts set on the paper and they determined to go ahead - with it. They were encouraged thereto by a temperance lecturer who - was traveling over the state. He promised to get subscribers for - them and greatly help them. He kept his word so far as sending - us a goodly list of names, but the money did not accompany them - and we never saw the man or the money afterwards. This was very - discouraging, and the zeal of the ladies abated wonderfully. They - began to realize that they had been hasty in incurring a great - responsibility for which they were not fitted, and very soon the - society decided to give up the enterprise altogether. But meantime - we had been getting subscribers and money, had issued a prospectus, - and every arrangement was made at the printing office for bringing - out the paper January 1, 1849. We had even ordered a head from - New York. I could not so lightly throw off responsibility. Our - word had gone to the public and we had considerable money on - subscriptions. Besides the dishonesty of the thing, people would - say it was ‘just like women’; ‘what more could you expect of them?’ - As editor of the paper, I threw myself into the work, assumed the - entire responsibility, took the entire charge editorially and - financially, and carried it successfully through.” - -The following is taken from the first editorial in the new paper, -written by Mrs. Bloomer: - - “It is woman that speaks through _The Lily_. It is upon an - important subject, too, that she comes before the public to be - heard. Intemperance is the great foe to her peace and happiness. - It is that above all which has made her home desolate and beggared - her offspring. It is that above all which has filled to its brim - her cup of sorrow and sent her moaning to the grave. Surely she - has a right to wield the pen for its suppression. Surely she may, - without throwing aside the modest retirement which so much becomes - her sex, use her influence to lead her fellow-mortals away from - the destroyer’s path. It is this which she proposes to do in the - columns of this paper. Like the beautiful flower from which it - derives its name, we shall strive to make the _Lily_ the emblem of - ‘sweetness and purity;’ and may heaven smile upon our attempt to - advocate the great cause of Temperance reform!” - - -NEW WORK FOR HER. - -With the birth of this little journal, a new life opened before -Mrs. Bloomer. She was at once initiated into all the mysteries and -details of an editor and publisher. She had to make contracts for the -printing and publication, to send out circulars to friends asking -for their assistance in extending its circulation, place the papers -in proper covers and send them to subscribers through the mails, to -prepare editorials and other matter for its columns, to read the -proofs and, in short, to attend to all the details of newspaper -publication. She gave herself heartily and earnestly to the work. Of -the first issue of the _Lily_ not over two or three hundred copies -were printed, but the number of its subscribers steadily increased. -Many friends came forward from different parts of the state to -help in adding new names to its lists. Among these none were more -zealous and earnest than Miss Susan B. Anthony, then a very competent -school-teacher in the city of Rochester, but whose name has since -become one of world-wide fame as that of the great leader in the -cause of woman’s emancipation. Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan, a most estimable -lady and fine writer, also came forward both with her pen and lists -of new subscribers to help in the great Temperance reform to which -the _Lily_ was devoted. - - -FIRST IN THE FIELD. - -The _Lily_ was very nearly, if not quite, the first journal of -any kind published by a woman. Mrs. Nichols, in Vermont, and Mrs. -Swishelm, in Pennsylvania, were connected with newspapers published -in each case by their husbands, and they wrote vigorous editorials -for their papers, but neither of them took upon herself the entire -charge of the publication. Mrs. Bloomer did this to the fullest -extent, and it therefore may be justly claimed that she was the -pioneer woman editor and proprietor. True, her journal was not a -very large one, yet it labored zealously in the cause to which it -was devoted and prepared the way for other and more pretentious -publications to follow, under the charge of women. It showed what -women could do when their thoughts and energies were directed to some -practical and beneficial purpose, and so made ready for the great -advance which has since taken place in opening for her wider fields -of usefulness. - -Mrs. Bloomer herself writes as follows: - - “The _Lily_ was the first paper published devoted to the interests - of woman and, so far as I know, the first one owned, edited and - published by a woman. It was a novel thing for me to do in those - days and I was little fitted for it, but the force of circumstances - led me into it and strength was given me to carry it through. It - was a needed instrumentality to spread abroad the truth of the - new gospel to woman, and I could not withhold my hand to stay the - work I had begun. I saw not the end from the beginning and little - dreamed whereto my proposition to the society would lead me.” - - -MRS. STANTON APPEARS. - -Among those who soon became writers for the _Lily_ was Mrs. Elizabeth -Cady Stanton, a resident of Seneca Falls. One day during the summer -of 1849, she came into the post office where the editor of the _Lily_ -was busily engaged and introduced herself to Mrs. Bloomer, and -proposed to write for the columns of her paper. The offer was gladly -accepted, and very soon articles began to appear in the columns of -the _Lily_ over the signature of “Sunflower.” They were forcibly -written and displayed not a little wit and many sharp hits at some of -the prevailing “fads” of the day. At first they were on Temperance -and literary subjects, and the duties of parents in bringing up their -children. The various theories of education were also vigorously -analyzed and some new ideas put forth. By and by, as months went -by, her readers were apprised as to her views on Woman’s Rights, so -called. They learned something from her of the unjust laws relating -to married women, and saw that the writer was about right in asking -that they should be changed and made better. And then the paragraphs -moved further along and intimated that women should vote also for -her rulers and legislators. Mrs. Bloomer herself became a convert -to these views. How this came around, she herself tells in the two -following paragraphs: - - -MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED. - - “When a child of fifteen years, my feelings were deeply stirred - by learning that an old lady, a dear friend of mine, was to be - turned from her home and the bulk of her property taken from her. - Her husband died suddenly, leaving no will. The law would allow - her but a life interest in one-third of the estate, which had - been accumulated by the joint earnings and savings of herself and - husband through many years. They had no children and the nearest - relative of the husband was a second or third cousin, and to him - the law gave two-thirds of her property, though he had never - contributed a dollar towards its accumulation, and was to them a - stranger. Later, other similar cases coming to my knowledge made me - familiar with the cruelty of the law towards women; and when the - Woman’s Rights Convention put forth its declaration of sentiments, - I was ready to join with that party in demanding for women such - change in the laws as would give her a right to her earnings, and - her children a right to wider fields of employment and a better - education, and also a right to protect her interests at the - ballot-box.” - - -BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER. - -“In the spring of 1849, my husband was appointed postmaster at Seneca -Falls, N. Y. He proposed that I should act as his deputy. I accepted -the position, as I had determined to give a practical demonstration -of woman’s right to fill any place for which she had capacity. I -was sworn in as his deputy, and filled the position for four years, -during the administration of Taylor and Fillmore. It was a novel step -for me to take in those days, and no doubt many thought I was out of -woman’s sphere; but the venture was very successful and proved to me -conclusively that woman might, even then, engage in any respectable -business and deal with all sorts of men, and yet be treated with the -utmost respect and consideration.” - - -THE _LILY_ ON HER HANDS. - -During the first year of its existence, the _Lily_ bore at its head -the words “published by a committee of ladies”; but the truth was -that no person, save Mrs. Bloomer herself, had any responsible share -in its management or control. Therefore, at the beginning of the new -year 1850 that fiction was dropped, and her name alone appeared as -publisher and editor, and at its head stood the legend “devoted to -the interests of woman.” Says Mrs. Bloomer: - - “I never liked the name of the paper, but the society thought it - pretty and accepted it from the president. It started with that - name, and became known far and wide. It had been baptized with - tears and sent forth with anxious doubts and fears. It was not - easy to change, and so it remained _The Lily_ to the end, pure in - motive and purpose as in name. * * * It was never the organ of any - society, party or clique, or of any individual but myself. That - it was always loyal to temperance is evidenced by the fact that - its files are sought after by writers of temperance history. That - subject was never lost sight of in a single number, as its files - will show. Mrs. Stanton became a contributor to the _Lily_ near the - close of its first year. Her subjects were temperance and woman’s - rights. Her writings added interest to the paper and she was - welcome to its columns, as were Frances D. Gage, Mary C. Vaughan, - and many others who came to my aid. She occupied the same position - as any other contributor, and she never attempted to control the - paper in any way.” - -The year 1850 was a quiet one for Mrs. Bloomer. Early in the spring, -her husband purchased a modest cottage. This had to be fitted up and -occupied, and took up a good deal of her attention. Then several -hours each day were spent in the post office in the work of receiving -and delivering letters. Once a month the _Lily_ continued to make its -appearance, filled with good, substantial temperance arguments and -pleadings, and occasional articles pointing strongly in the direction -of the new doctrines of woman’s rights then coming more and more into -prominence. Her editorials were written plainly but with a good -deal of spirit, and whoever attacked her position on either of these -subjects was sure to receive a sharp rejoinder from her pen. Several -weeks during the summer were spent at a sanatorium in Rochester, from -which she returned greatly improved in health. Sometime during the -year a great anti-slavery meeting was held in the town, attended by -the celebrated English orator, George Thompson, and many prominent -abolitionists of the state. Among others came Susan B. Anthony, -who was the guest of Mrs. Bloomer and whom she introduced to Mrs. -Stanton, and then commenced that life-long intimacy of these two -celebrated women. - - -VISITS NEW YORK CITY. - -During the winter of 1849-50 Mrs. Bloomer visited the city of New -York for the first time, accompanied by her husband. They passed up -Cayuga Lake on a steamer, and from there were in the first railroad -cars, by special invitation, over the Erie railroad from that -village to the metropolis. It is remembered that several of the men -who afterwards became distinguished as railroad magnates were on that -train, and their conversation was listened to with a great deal of -interest. That was long before the days of sleeping cars, and they -had to pass the night as comfortably as they could in their seats -in the passenger coach. In the city, they spent three or four days -visiting some of the noted places, including Barnum’s Museum on -Broadway, then one of the great attractions of the growing town. They -returned by the same _route_ in the midst of a great snowstorm which, -with the high wind that came along with it, made their trip down the -lake somewhat hazardous. - -Mrs. Bloomer wrote of this trip as follows: - - “We traveled by the _route_ of the lake and the New-York-and-Erie - railroad. Those who have not been over this road can form no idea - of its sublimity and grandeur. To one who like myself had never - been beyond the level country of western New York, it presents a - grand, imposing spectacle. The prospect is at one moment bounded - on either side by lofty mountain peaks covered with evergreens, - and the next by solid masses of rock towering higher than the eye - can reach, and through which at an enormous expense and great - amount of labor the road has been cut. The water pouring over these - rocks from above had frozen in its descent, and now hung in masses - and irregular sheets down their perpendicular sides, forming a - beautiful contrast to their surface. Occasionally you come into - a more open country, while at one spot you find yourself on the - summit of a mountain where you have a view of ten miles in extent - through the valley below. * * * Winter had robed all in her snowy - mantle on our return, adding new beauty to the scene. Summer, we - think, would lend enchantment to the picture; and should we ever - take a trip over this road again, we shall aim to do so at a more - mild and genial season. - - “We were fortunate in meeting several directors of the road on our - downward trip from Ithaca. To them, and especially to Mr. Dodge, of - New York City, we are indebted for much information concerning the - road. Every attention was shown us by this enterprising gentleman - from the time we left Ithaca until we shook hands with him at - parting upon our arrival in the city.” - - -MISS ANTHONY IS INTRODUCED. - -Mrs. Bloomer, in later years, wrote: - - “It was in the spring of 1850 that I introduced Susan B. Anthony - to Mrs. Stanton. Miss Anthony had come to attend an anti-slavery - meeting in Seneca Falls, held by George Thompson and William - Lloyd Garrison, and was my guest. Returning from the meeting, we - stopped at the street corner and waited for Mrs. Stanton, and I - gave the introduction which has resulted in a life-long friendship. - Afterwards, we called together at Mrs. Stanton’s house and the way - was opened for future intercourse between them. It was, as Mrs. - Stanton says in her history, an eventful meeting that henceforth - in a measure shaped their lives. Neither would have done what she - did without the other. Mrs. Stanton had the intellectual, and Susan - the executive, ability to carry forward the movement then recently - inaugurated. Without the push of Miss Anthony, Mrs. Stanton would - probably never have gone abroad into active life, or achieved - half she has done; and without the brains of Mrs. Stanton, Miss - Anthony would never have been so largely known to the world by name - and deeds. They helped and strengthened each other, and together - they have accomplished great things for woman and humanity. The - writer is glad for the part she had in bringing two such characters - together.” - - -MRS. BLOOMER ON THE TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE. - -The columns of the _Lily_ during the first year of its publication -were almost exclusively filled with articles bearing upon the great -purpose for which it was established, the promotion of the Temperance -cause. True, some other questions were touched upon by Mrs. Stanton, -and perhaps by other correspondents; but Mrs. Bloomer’s editorials -were all directed to that end. With the March _Lily_ for 1850 she -struck out in a new direction, as will appear from the following -article which appeared in the editorial columns for that month: - - “The legislature of Tennessee have in their wisdom decided after - gravely discussing the question that women have no souls, and no - right to hold property. Wise men these, and worthy to be honored - with seats in the halls of legislation in a Christian land. Women - no souls! Then, of course, we are not accountable beings: and - if not accountable to our Maker, then surely not to man. Man - represents us, legislates for us, and now holds himself accountable - for us! How kind in him, and what a weight is lifted from us! - We shall no longer be answerable to the laws of God or man, no - longer be subject to punishment for breaking them, no longer - be responsible for any of our doings. Man in whom iniquity is - perfected has assumed the whole charge of us and left us helpless, - soulless, defenseless creatures dependent on him for leave to speak - or act. - - “We suppose the wise legislators consider the question settled - beyond dispute, but we fear they will have some trouble with it - yet. Although it may be an easy matter for them to arrive at such - a conclusion, it will be quite another thing to make women believe - it. We are not so blind to the weakness or imperfections of man - as to set his word above that of our Maker, or so ready to yield - obedience to his laws as to place them before the laws of God. - However blindly we may be led by him, however much we may yield to - his acquired power over us, we cannot yet fall down and worship him - as our superior. Some men even act as though women had no souls, - but it remained for the legislature of Tennessee to speak it to the - world. - - “We have not designed _ourself_ saying much on the subject of - ‘Woman’s Rights;’ but we see and hear so much that is calculated - to keep our sex down and impress us with a conviction of our - inferiority and helplessness, that we feel compelled to act on the - defensive and stand for what we consider our just rights. If things - are coming to such a pass as that indicated by the above decision, - we think it high time that women should open their eyes and look - where they stand. It is quite time that their rights _should be - discussed_, and that woman herself should enter the contest. - - “We have ever felt that in regard to property, and also as to many - other things, the laws were unjust to women. Men make laws without - consulting us, and of course they will make them all in their own - favor, especially as we are powerless and cannot contend for our - rights. We believe that most women are capable of taking care of - their own property, and that they have the right to hold it, and - to dispose of it as they please, man’s decision to the contrary - notwithstanding. As for ourselves, we have no fears but we could - take care of a fortune if we had one, without any assistance from - legislators or lawyers, and we should think them meddling with what - did not concern them should they undertake to control it for us. - - “The legislature of our own state has taken a step in advance on - this subject and granted to women the right to their own property. - We trust this is but a forecast of the enlightened sentiment of - the people of New York, and that it will pave the way to greater - privileges, and the final elevation of women to that position - in society which shall entitle her opinions to respect and - consideration.” - - -FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE. - -And from that time on, a considerable part of the _Lily_ was devoted -to the same subject. The above article related simply to property -rights, but Mrs. Bloomer’s views rapidly widened out until she took -the position, also, that women should be granted the right of -suffrage and thus possess a controlling influence in the passage -of all laws. Nevertheless, she remained true and faithful to her -temperance principles and firm in their advocacy. Witness the -following written and printed in her paper in 1853: - - “We think it all-important that woman obtain the right of suffrage, - but she cannot do this at once. She must gradually prepare the way - for such a step by showing that she is worthy of receiving and - capable of exercising it. If she do this, prejudices will gradually - give way and she will gain her cause. We cannot consent to have - woman remain silent on the Temperance question till she obtain her - right of suffrage. Great as is our faith in the speedy triumph of - temperance principles were women allowed their right of franchise, - and strong as is our hope that this right will be granted ere many - years, we feel that the day is too far distant for her to rest all - her hopes and labors on that issue. Let her work with her whole - heart in this cause and, while she demands a law that entirely - prohibits the traffic in strong drink, let her also obtain a right - to a voice in making all laws by which she is to be governed.” - - -LETTER TO AKRON CONVENTION. - -On the ninth of May, 1851, Mrs. Bloomer addressed an elaborate -letter to the women’s convention held at Akron, O., in that month, -in which she discussed at great length the position of woman as -regards her education, her right to employment, and the laws relating -to her property rights. She first takes up the liquor traffic and -shows wherein it was unjust to woman in her dearest privilege,—the -enjoyment of children, family and home. She “unfolds the great wrong -done to woman in her circumscribed sphere of industry, and the meagre -wages she receives for her industry.” Passing on from this, the -property rights of married women are considered, and their unjust -provisions are pointed out. She concludes as follows: - - “But woman is herself aroused to a sense of her wrongs, and sees - the necessity of action on her part if she would have justice - done her. A brighter day has dawned for her. A spirit of inquiry - has awakened in her bosom, which neither ridicule nor taunts can - quench. Henceforth her course is upward and onward. Her mind is - capable of grasping things hitherto beyond her reach and she will - not weary of the chase until she has reached the topmost round in - the ladder. She will yet prove conclusively that she possesses - the same God-given faculties which belong to man, and that she is - endowed with powers of mind and body suitable for any emergency in - which she may be placed.” - - -“RULING A WIFE.” - -During this year, Mr. T. S. Arthur published a book bearing this -title, in which he undertook to define the duties of the wife of a -hard-hearted, thoughtless man, and to show that even under the most -shocking circumstances of injustice it was still the wife’s duty to -submit and obey. Mrs. Bloomer took exception to this position. Mr. -Arthur answered her, and she then wrote in reply in part as follows: - - “I have too good an opinion of my sex to admit that they are such - weak, helpless creatures, or to teach them any such ideas. Much - rather would I arouse them from their dependent, inferior position, - and teach them to rely more upon themselves and less upon man, so - that when called upon, as many of them are and ever will be, to - battle with the rough things of the world, they may go forth with - confidence in their own powers of coping successfully with every - obstacle and with courage to meet whatever dangers and difficulties - may lie in their way. The more you impress this upon their minds, - the more you show that she is man’s equal, and not his slave, so - much the more you do to elevate woman to her true position. The - present legal distinctions between the sexes have been made by - man and not by God. Man has degraded woman from her high position - in which she was placed as his companion and equal, and made of - her a slave to be bought and sold at his pleasure. He has brought - the Bible to prove that he is her lord and master, and taught her - that resistance to his authority is to resist God’s will. I deny - that the Bible teaches any such doctrine. God made them different - in sex, but equal in intellect, and gave them equal dominion. You - deny that they are ‘intellectually equal.’ As a whole, I admit - that at the present day they are not; though I think there have - been individual cases where woman’s equality cannot be denied. - But at her creation no difference existed. It is the fault of - education that she is now intellectually inferior. Give her the - same advantages as men, throw open the door of our colleges and - schools of science and bid her enter, teach her that she was - created for a higher purpose than to be a parlor ornament or mere - plaything for man, show her that you regard her as an equal and - that her opinions are entitled to consideration, in short, treat - her as an intelligent, accountable being, and when all this has - been done, if she prove herself not man’s equal in intellect I will - yield the point and admit her inferiority. It is unjust to condemn - her as inferior when we consider the different education she has - received and the estimation in which she has ever been held. We are - by the laws and customs of society rendered dependent and helpless - enough, at the best; but it is both painful and mortifying to see - our helplessness shown up to the world in such colors, and by such - a writer as yourself. If, instead of leading Mrs. Long into such - difficulties after she had left her husband, you had allowed her - to hire out as a servant, if nothing better presented itself, you - would have done justice to woman, set her a better example, and - more truly drawn her character.” - -The above presents very fully the views of Mrs. Bloomer at that -time (1850). She was pleading for the elevation of woman, for her -redemption from the curse of drink, for a better education for her, -and wider fields for the work of her hands. She had not yet troubled -herself much about the suffrage question,—the right to the ballot; -that came along later in life, as we have already seen. - - - - -CHAPTER FOURTH. - - -THE REFORM DRESS. - -The reform-dress movement was simply an episode in Mrs. Bloomer’s -life and work, although perhaps an important one. She never dreamed -of the wonderful celebrity which it brought to her name. This came -upon her accidentally, as we shall see later on. It was first -mentioned in the _Lily_ in February, 1851. Other short articles on -the subject appeared in subsequent numbers during that year, with -pictures of herself dressed in the new costume. The whole story she -herself told in the following article which appeared originally some -years ago in the Chicago _Tribune_ and is here reproduced in full, -followed by some further items bearing on the subject: - - “In January or February, 1851, an article appeared editorially - in the _Seneca County Courier_, Seneca Falls, N. Y., on ‘Female - Attire,’ in which the writer showed up the inconvenience, - unhealthfulness and discomfort of woman’s dress, and advocated a - change to Turkish pantaloons and a skirt reaching a little below - the knee. - - “At the time, I was publishing a monthly paper in the same place - devoted to the interests of woman, temperance and woman’s rights - being the principal subjects. As the editor of the _Courier_ was - opposed to us on the woman’s-rights question, this article of his - gave me an opportunity to score him one on having gone so far ahead - of us as to advocate our wearing pantaloons, and in my next issue I - noticed him and his proposed style in a half-serious, half-playful - article of some length. He took up the subject again and expressed - surprise that I should treat so important a matter with levity. - I replied to him more seriously than before, fully indorsing and - approving his views on the subject of woman’s costume. - - “About this time, when the readers of the _Lily_ and the _Courier_ - were interested in and excited over the discussion, Elizabeth Smith - Miller, daughter of the Hon. Gerrit Smith, of Peterboro, N. Y., - appeared on the streets of our village dressed in short skirts - and full Turkish trousers. She came on a visit to her cousin, - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was then a resident of Seneca Falls. - Mrs. Miller had been wearing the costume some two or three months - at home and abroad. Just how she came to adopt it I have forgotten, - if I ever knew. But she wore it with the full sanction and approval - of her father and husband. During her father’s term in congress - she was in Washington, and the papers of that city described her - appearance on the streets in the short costume. - - “A few days after Mrs. Miller’s arrival in Seneca Falls Mrs. - Stanton came out in a dress made in Mrs. Miller’s style. She walked - our streets in a skirt that came a little above the knees, and - trousers of the same material—black satin. Having had part in the - discussion of the dress question, it seemed proper that I should - practise as I preached, and as the _Courier_ man advised; and so - a few days later I, too, donned the new costume, and in the next - issue of my paper announced that fact to my readers. At the outset, - I had no idea of fully adopting the style; no thought of setting - a fashion; no thought that my action would create an excitement - throughout the civilized world, and give to the style my name and - the credit due Mrs. Miller. This was all the work of the press. I - stood amazed at the furor I had unwittingly caused. The New York - _Tribune_ contained the first notice I saw of my action. Other - papers caught it up and handed it about. My exchanges all had - something to say. Some praised and some blamed, some commented, - and some ridiculed and condemned. ‘Bloomerism,’ ‘Bloomerites,’ and - ‘Bloomers’ were the headings of many an article, item and squib; - and finally some one—I don’t know to whom I am indebted for the - honor—wrote the ‘Bloomer Costume,’ and the name has continued to - cling to the short dress in spite of my repeatedly disclaiming all - right to it and giving Mrs. Miller’s name as that of the originator - or the first to wear such dress in public. Had she not come to - us in that style, it is not probable that either Mrs. Stanton or - myself would have donned it. - - “As soon as it became known that I was wearing the new dress, - letters came pouring in upon me by hundreds from women all over - the country making inquiries about the dress and asking for - patterns—showing how ready and anxious women were to throw off the - burden of long, heavy skirts. It seemed as though half the letters - that came to our office were for me. - - “My subscription list ran up amazingly into the thousands, and the - good woman’s-rights doctrines were thus scattered from Canada to - Florida and from Maine to California. I had gotten myself into a - position from which I could not recede if I had desired to do so. I - therefore continued to wear the new style on all occasions, at home - and abroad, at church and on the lecture platform, at fashionable - parties and in my business office. I found the dress comfortable, - light, easy and convenient, and well adapted to the needs of my - busy life. I was pleased with it and had no desire to lay it aside, - and so would not let the ridicule or censure of the press move me. - For some six or eight years, or so long as I remained in active - life and until the papers had ceased writing squibs at my expense, - I wore no other costume. During this time I was to some extent in - the lecture field, visiting in all the principal cities of the - North and lecturing on temperance and woman suffrage; but at no - time, on any occasion, alluding to my style of costume. I felt as - much at ease in it as though I had been arrayed in the fashionable - draggle skirts. In all my travels I met with nothing disagreeable - or unpleasant, but was universally treated with respect and - attention by both press and people wherever I appeared. Indeed, I - received from the press flattering notices of my lectures. If the - dress drew the crowds that came to hear me it was well. They heard - the message I brought them, and it has borne abundant fruit. - - “My paper had many contributions on the subject of dress and that - question was for some time kept before my readers. Mrs. Stanton - was a frequent contributor and ably defended the new style. She - continued to wear it at home and abroad, on the lecture platform - and in the social parlor, for two or three years; and then the - pressure brought to bear upon her by her father and other friends - was so great, that she finally yielded to their wishes and returned - to long skirts. - - “Lucy Stone, of the _Woman’s Journal_, adopted and wore the dress - for many years on all occasions; but she, too, with advancing - years, saw fit to return to the old style. We all felt that the - dress was drawing attention from what we thought of far greater - importance—the question of woman’s right to better education, to a - wider field of employment, to better remuneration for her labor, - and to the ballot for the protection of her rights. In the minds of - some people, the short dress and woman’s rights were inseparably - connected. With us, the dress was but an incident, and we were not - willing to sacrifice greater questions to it. - - “* * * I have not worn the short dress for thirty years, and it - does seem as though in that time the interest concerning it must - have died out. My reasons for abandoning I have in substance - stated above. I never set up for a dress reformer, like Anna - Jenness-Miller of the present day. Mrs. Miller, if I understand her - correctly, really believes the short skirt and trousers the true - style for woman’s costume; but that the time for its adoption has - not yet fully come. Women are not sufficiently free and independent - to dare to strike for health and freedom. Jenness-Miller is going - over the country lecturing on dress and disposing of patterns, - and is doing a vast amount of good. I am glad to know that she is - not assailed and made the butt of ridicule and caricatured by the - press.” - -In reference to the further connection of Mrs. Bloomer with the dress -she wrote to a friend, in 1865, as follows: - - “It is very true that I have laid aside the short dress which I - wore for a number of years, and to which the public (not I) gave - my name. I have not worn the dress for the last six years or more. - * * * As to my reasons for laying aside the dress, they may not - satisfy you, though they were sufficient for me. It was not at my - husband’s dictation, by any means, but was my own voluntary act. - * * * After retiring from public life and coming to this land of - strangers where I was to commence life anew and make new friends, - I felt at times like donning long skirts when I went into society, - at parties, etc., and did so. I found the high winds which prevail - here much of the time played sad work with short skirts when I - went out, and I was greatly annoyed and mortified by having my - skirts turned over my head and shoulders on the streets. Yet I - persevered and kept on the dress nearly all the time till after - the introduction of hoops. Finding them light and pleasant to wear - and doing away with the necessity for heavy underskirts (which - was my greatest objection to long dresses), and finding it very - inconvenient as well as expensive keeping up two wardrobes—a long - and short—I gradually left off the short dress. I consulted my own - feelings and inclinations and judgment in laying it off, never - dreaming but I had the same right to doff that I had to don it, and - not expecting to be accountable for my doings, or required to give - a reason to every one that asked me. There were other questions - of greater importance than the length of a skirt under discussion - at the time, and I felt my influence would be greater in the dress - ordinarily worn by women than in the one I was wearing. * * * I - always liked the dress and found it convenient and comfortable - at all times, and especially so for a working dress. I never - encountered any open opposition while wearing it, though I have - traveled much in the dress and freely walked the streets of all our - large cities. On the contrary, I was always treated with respect - and should continue to be, I have no doubt, did I still wear it. * - * * When I saw what a furor I had raised, I determined that I would - not be frightened from my position, but would stand my ground and - wear the dress when and where I pleased, till all excitement on the - subject had died away. And I did so.” - -As to just how the reform dress should be prepared, Mrs. Bloomer gave -her idea as follows in the _Lily_ at the time when the subject was -most prominently before the public eye: - - “We would have the skirt reaching down to nearly half way between - the knee and the ankle, and not made quite so full as is the - present fashion. Underneath this skirt, trousers made moderately - full, in fair mild weather coming down to the ankle (not instep) - and there gathered in with an elastic band. The shoes or slippers - to suit the occasion. For winter or wet weather the trousers - also full, but coming down into a boot, which should rise at - least three or four inches above the ankle. This boot should - be gracefully sloped at the upper edge and trimmed with fur or - fancifully embroidered, according to the taste of the wearer. The - material might be cloth, morocco, mooseskin and so forth, and made - waterproof if desirable.” - -The above describes the dress as Mrs. Bloomer wore it at the time -it was written, but she afterwards abandoned the elastic band and -allowed the trousers to hang loose about the ankle. The general -opinion expressed in those early days was favorable. - -Mrs. Russell Sage, now a venerable and highly respected matron, was a -young woman and a resident of Syracuse at the time of Mrs. Bloomer’s -visit to that place to attend a Temperance convention; in a recent -interview, she thus describes her appearance at that time: - - “Mrs. Bloomer came as a delegate and her appearance excited some - attention. Her manner was unpretentious, quiet and delicately - feminine. Her costume showed a total disregard for effect, and was - mannish only to the extent of practicability. Her bodice was soft - and belted at the waist, her collar simple and correct, as was also - her prim bonnet; her skirt fell half way from knee to ankle, and - then the bloomer—really a pantalet—made of black material, as the - rest of her costume, reaching to her boot tops.” - -The interviewer continues: - - “As Mrs. Sage so knew Mrs. Bloomer, she agreed she was entirely - what she aimed to be—a practical woman, progressive and competent - of realizing results from her theories.” - - -WOMAN’S ATTIRE. - -On this subject Mrs. Bloomer, in an elaborate review (only a part of -which is here presented) of a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Talmage in which -he had quoted Moses as authority for women not wearing men’s attire, -wrote as follows: - - “There are laws of fashion in dress older than Moses, and it would - be as sensible for the preacher to direct us to them as to him. The - first fashion we have any record of was set us by Adam and Eve, and - we are not told that there was any difference in the styles worn - by them. ‘And they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves - aprons’: Genesis, iii., 7. Nothing here to show that his apron was - bifurcated, and hers not; that hers was long, and his short. We are - led to suppose that they were just alike. - - “The second fashion was made by God Himself, and it would be - supposed that if He intended the sexes to be distinguished by their - garments explicit directions would have been given as to the style - of each. ‘Unto Adam, also, and unto his wife, did the Lord God make - coats of skins and clothed them’: Gen. iii., 21. Not a word as to - any difference in the cut and make-up of the coats. No command to - her that she must swathe and cripple herself in long, tight, heavy, - draggling skirts, while he dons the more comfortable, healthy, - bifurcated garment. God clothed them just alike, and made no signs - that henceforth they should be distinguished by apparel. And for - long years there was little, if any, difference.” - -After showing the character of the dress of different ancient -nations, Egyptians, Babylonians, Israelites, Persians, Romans, -Saxons, Normans, Turks, and Chinese, and that there was no essential -difference between the dress worn by men and women, Mrs. Bloomer -proceeds: - - “With all the history of male and female attire before him, and - with so much proof of the similarity in dress, how can Mr. Talmage - set up the claim that men have a right to any particular style, and - that if women dare to approach that style they break divine law and - commit great sin and wrong? It is a presumption and insult which - women everywhere should resent. - - “It matters not to us what Moses had to say to the men and women - of his time about what they should wear. Our divine entirely - disregards the command of the ancient lawgiver by not putting - fringes and blue ribbons on his garments. Common sense teaches us - that the dress which is the most convenient, and best adapted to - our needs, is the proper dress for both men and women to wear. - There is no reason why woman should burden herself with clothes - to the detriment of her health, comfort and life, while man adopts - a style that gives freedom of limb and motion. There is no divine - law requiring such doings. A hundred other laws and customs of the - days of Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses are as binding upon the men - and women of this day as the text from which he gives his lecture. - Judging from the present customs, men have transgressed that law - more than women. - - “We do not advocate the same style of dress, altogether, for both - sexes and should be sorry to see women dress just like men; yet we - should like to see a radical reform in woman’s costume, so that - she might be the free, healthy being God made her instead of the - corseted, crippled, dragged-down creature her slavery to clothes - has made her. No law of God stands in the way of her freedom. Her - own judgment and inclination should be her guide in all matters of - attire. - - “If divine law or vengeance is ever visited upon woman because - of the cut of her garments, it will be upon the wearers of the - suicidal long, heavy skirts, instead of upon those who have rid - themselves of the grievous burden. That sorrow and suffering are - visited upon woman because of her clothes we know, and that her - sin is visited upon her we know; and yet how dare she throw off the - burden and the sin, when the clergy from the pulpit hold over her - head the threatenings of divine vengeance! - - “No sensible woman can sit under such preaching. Would that women - had the independence to act out the right in defiance of such - sermons, and in disregard of all laws that condemn her to the - slavery of a barbarous age. - - “A. B.” - - -FASHION IN DRESS. - -On the general subject of “Fashion in Dress,” Mrs. Bloomer wrote to -Charlotte A. Joy, June 3, 1857, as follows: - - “Your letter inviting me to attend the annual meeting of the - National Dress Association to be held in Syracuse on the 17th inst. - is received. Owing to the great distance and my imperfect health, - it will be impossible for me to be with you on that occasion, much - as I should be pleased to meet some of the members personally and - listen to their deliberations on so important a subject as a reform - in woman’s costume. - - “At the present moment there is perhaps no subject which is more - frequently pressed upon the attention of the public than that of - dress. Our magazines are radiant with fashion plates illustrating - the latest styles; our newspapers abound with allusions and - discussions bearing upon the subject, as though it were a matter - of national concernment; and it is continually the theme of - conversation and a subject either of praise or satire wherever men - and women meet together. It would be fortunate, indeed, if this - discussion should result in securing a reform in all those styles - and modes of woman’s dress which are incompatible with good health, - refined taste, simplicity, economy and beauty; and it is to be - hoped that the labors of your association may be so discreetly - directed and so faithfully prosecuted, that they may go far to the - accomplishment of this end. - - The costume of woman should be suited to her wants and necessities. - It should conduce at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; - and, while it should not fail also to conduce to her personal - adornment, it should make that end of secondary importance. I - certainly need not stop to show that these conditions are not - attained by the present style of woman’s dress. All admit that - they are not. Even those who ridicule most freely the labors of - your association are ready to admit the folly and inutility of the - prevailing styles. - - “It is well, perhaps, in the present aspect of the movement, that - its friends should abstain from prescribing any particular form of - dress. It is better to learn wisdom from the experience of the past - and, while successively lopping off all excrescences, produce at - last that outward form of personal garniture which shall most fully - secure the great end to be attained. - - * * * * * - - “What may be the next feat of the fickle goddess of Fashion, or - how near or how soon it may approach the more rational and more - desirable form recommended by your association, none can say. - At present, we must admit, the reform dress is quite obnoxious - to the public and all who bear testimony in its favor, either - by precept or example, must expect to meet with some trials and - discouragements; yet it may, as you believe it will, be ultimately - adopted. In bringing about such a result your association will have - a leading part to perform, and in your labors you will have the - good wishes, if not the active coöperation, of all who desire the - emancipation of woman from the tyranny of prejudice and fashion. - - “A. B.” - - - - -CHAPTER FIFTH. - - -THE _LILY_ PROSPEROUS. - -As intimated by Mrs. Bloomer in the preceding pages, the circulation -of her paper was largely increased through the notoriety given to -it by her adoption and defense of the new costume. Nearly every -newspaper in the land had to have its comments on it, as well as -upon those who had the courage to wear it. Some denounced, some -ridiculed. Besides receiving numerous letters on the subject, many -persons called to see how the little woman appeared in the short -dress and trousers. Fortunately or otherwise, they became her very -well; usually they were becoming when worn by small persons or those -of medium stature. People generally retired well pleased with their -interview with her. She said but little about it in her paper, as -she had subjects of much greater importance to engage her attention -and fill its columns. Occasionally a sharp article appeared in -its defense. She had many offers to take the platform as a public -speaker. Even the stage was suggested as a fit place for bringing the -new costume before the public. The interest in the subject was not -confined to this country only, but extended to England, also; the -matter was commented on by the press of Great Britain very generally, -and the London _Graphic_ contained pictures of the new costume more -or less correct. - -All these proposals for public action were declined by Mrs. Bloomer; -but nevertheless the suggestion as to public speaking, the advocacy -by woman of temperance and woman’s rights through the medium of -the public platform and her own voice as a public speaker, were -not forgotten by her and brought forth from her very much in these -directions in future years. But for the time being she continued -on in the even tenor of her work, transforming her paper steadily -more and more, as the months went by, into an advocate of woman’s -enlargement in various directions. “Devoted to the interests of -woman,” was now its motto, and she strove to faithfully carry out -the legend. It was still the ardent advocate of temperance, but -it insisted also that the evils of intemperance could only be -effectually overthrown by giving to woman a more potent voice both -in the making and enforcement of the laws designed to overthrow that -great evil. - - -WOMAN’S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. - -We now copy again from Mrs. Bloomer’s writings: - - “In the Spring of 1852 a few of the daughters [of Temperance] - celebrated an open two-days temperance meeting at Rochester, N. - Y. It was very largely attended, between four and five hundred - women being present at the first session. The numbers increased, - and at the later sessions the large hall, which would contain - 1,800, was packed to the platform with eager, earnest temperance - men and women. This meeting was not only not secret, it was - not exclusive,—men forming a large part of it and doing their - share of talking. It was at this meeting that I first let my - voice be heard in public after much persuasion. Able men came to - our aid—among them I remember the Rev. William H. Channing (the - younger), an eloquent divine of those days; and the meeting was - very enthusiastic, and was the beginning of much in the same - direction that followed. This convention resulted in organizing a - woman’s state Temperance Society, which became very effective and - had much to do in breaking down the barriers and introducing women - into temperance and other work. Some half-dozen women were employed - by the society as agents on salaries of twenty-five dollars per - month and their expenses. These lecturers traveled through the - state, holding meetings, and securing membership to the society - and signatures to the pledge, and petitions to the legislature. - They were well received on all sides, partly because of the novelty - of a woman speaking, and partly because the principle of total - abstinence and Washingtonian temperance was stirring all hearts. Up - to these times no woman had thought of speaking in public outside a - Quaker meeting-house. To have attempted such a thing at an earlier - day would have called down upon her much censure, and St. Paul - would have been freely quoted to silence her. Now, however, women - took matters Into their own hands and acted as their own impulses - prompted and their consciences approved. And it was surprising how - public sentiment changed and how the zeal of temperance men and - women helped on the new movement of women.” - -Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony were secretaries of this convention, -and Elizabeth Cady Stanton president; in the final organization Mrs. -Stanton was made president, Mrs. Bloomer corresponding secretary, and -Miss Anthony and Mary C. Vaughan recording secretaries. - - -MRS. BLOOMER ON DIVORCE. - -At this convention, Senator Gale used very strong language in -regard to women who had petitioned the legislature for a Maine -Law. Mrs. Bloomer criticised him for saying in a sneering way -“that representatives were not accustomed to listen to the voice -of women in legislating upon great public questions.” A resolution -was proposed in the convention that “no woman should remain in the -relation of wife to the confirmed drunkard, and that no drunkard -should be father of her children.” On this Mrs. Bloomer said: - - “We believe the teachings which have been given to the drunkard’s - wife, inculcating duty—the commendable examples of angelic wives - which she has been exhorted to follow—have done much to continue - and aggravate the vices and crimes of society growing out of - intemperance. Drunkenness is ground for divorce, and every woman - who is tied to a confirmed drunkard should sunder the ties: and if - she do it not otherwise, the law should compel it, especially if - she have children. - - “We are told that such sentiments are exceptional, abhorrent, - that the moral sense of society is shocked and outraged by - their promulgation. Can it be possible that the moral sense of - a people is more shocked at the idea of a pure-minded, gentle - woman sundering the tie which binds her to a loathsome mass of - corruption, than it is to see her dragging out her days in misery - tied to his besotted and filthy carcass? Are the morals of society - less endangered by the drunkard’s wife continuing to live in - companionship with him, giving birth to a large family of children - who inherit nothing but poverty and disgrace, and who will grow up - criminal and vicious, filling our prisons and penitentiaries and - corrupting and endangering the purity and peace of the community, - than they would be should she separate from him and strive to - win for herself and her children comfort and respectability? The - statistics of our prisons, poorhouses, and lunatic asylums teach us - a fearful lesson on this subject of morals! - - “The idea of living with a drunkard is so abhorrent, so revolting - to all the finer feelings of our nature, that a woman must - fall very low before she can endure such companionship. Every - pure-minded person must look with loathing and disgust upon such - a union of virtue and vice; and he who would compel her to it, - or dissuade the drunkard’s wife from separating herself from - such wretchedness and degradation, is doing much to perpetuate - drunkenness and crime and is wanting in the noblest feelings of - human nature. Thanks to our legislature, if they have not given us - the Maine law they are deliberating on giving to wives of drunkards - and tyrants a loophole of escape from the brutal cruelty of their - self-styled lords and masters. A bill of this kind has passed the - house, but may be lost in the senate. Should it not pass now, it - will be brought up again and passed at no distant day. Then, if - women have any spirit, they will free themselves from much of the - depression and wrong which they have hitherto by necessity borne.” - - -CONVENTION INFLUENCE. - -Probably, no single event ever had so great an influence in promoting -the cause of woman’s enlargement as this Rochester convention. It -opened the door wide for women to enter. It brought out a number -of faithful workers in that cause, as well as in the cause of -Temperance, who from that time devoted their lives to the work. -Some took a wider view of their work than others, but all devoted -themselves with a singular fidelity and earnestness to the noble -aims before them. Nor was the influence confined solely to women who -took part in that convention. Others, in every part of the country, -soon enlisted in the cause and became zealous advocates of woman’s -redemption from the thralldom of evil habits and unjust laws. Mrs. -Stanton and Miss Anthony continued a tower of strength for half a -century and upwards, and Mrs. Bloomer nearly as long, but in the -latter years of her life not so prominently; and there came to their -aid Lucy Stone, Frances D. Gage, Mrs. C. H. Nichols, Antoinette L. -Brown, Mary A. Livermore, Lydia A. Fowler, and many more who might be -mentioned. - -Mrs. Bloomer, as corresponding secretary of the new society, was -brought into immediate and close connection with its agents and -friends. Her home was at all times open to them, and they often -visited and consulted with her and Mrs. Stanton, who resided in the -same village. Mrs. Vaughan, Mrs. Albro, and Miss Emily Clark, besides -Miss Anthony, were earnest workers in the good cause. Mrs. Bloomer’s -correspondence was also very extensive; but in her removals from -place to place it has been mostly destroyed, and the death of nearly -all her correspondents renders it impracticable to procure copies of -her letters to them. - - -THE WOMEN REJECTED AT SYRACUSE. - -At the Rochester convention Gerrit Smith, Mrs. Bloomer, and Miss -Anthony were appointed delegates to the state convention then soon -to meet in Syracuse. The call was to all temperance organizations to -send delegates to it, and clearly included the Woman’s Temperance -Society. Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony accepted the appointment and -attended; but their simple appearance caused a tremendous hubbub, -and after a whole day spent by the men in discussing the question of -their admission they were excluded. Mrs. Bloomer describes the scene -as follows: - - “The women had friends in the convention who were as determined - on their side that women should be recognized, and so they had - it, each side determined to have it’s way—a dozen men talking at - the same time all over the house, each claiming the floor, each - insisting on being heard—till all became confusion, a perfect babel - of noises. No order could be kept and the president left his chair - in disgust. Time and words fail to give you the details of this - disgraceful meeting. The ringleaders were prominent clergymen of - Albany, Lockport, and Buffalo. Their names and faces are indelibly - engraven on my memory. During this whole day’s quarrel of the - men, no woman said a word, except once Miss Anthony addressed the - chair intending to prefer a request for a donation of temperance - tracts for distribution by our society. She got no farther than - ‘Mr. President,’ when she was rudely called to order by one of the - belligerent clergymen and told to sit down. She sat down and no - other woman opened her mouth, though they really were entitled to - all the rights of any delegate, under the call; and the treatment - they received was not only an insult to the women present, but to - the organization that sent them.” - -In referring to this incident, on page 488 Vol. I. of History of -Woman Suffrage, it is said: “Rev. Luther Lea offered his church just -before adjournment, and Mr. May announced that Miss Anthony and Mrs. -Bloomer would speak there in the evening. They had a crowded house, -while the conservatives scarcely had fifty. The general feeling was -hostile to the action of the convention. The same battle on the -temperance platform was fought over and over again in various parts -of the state, and the most deadly opposition uniformly came from -the clergy, though a few noble men in that profession ever remained -true to principle through all the conflicts of those days in the -anti-slavery, temperance, and woman’s rights movements.” - - -CONVENTION IN ALBANY. - -In the winter of 1852 and 1853, meetings of both the regular -state Temperance societies were held in Albany for the purpose -of influencing the legislature then in session to pass the Maine -prohibitory law. Mrs. Bloomer attended the women’s convention, and -delivered an elaborate speech in the Baptist church. She herself -gives the following report of the proceedings at the convention: - - “The ladies were there with their officers and lecturers. During - the day they held meetings in the large Baptist church which was - packed, seats and aisles, to its utmost capacity. During the - morning session a committee of three ladies, previously appointed, - slipped out through a back entrance and wended their way to the - capitol bearing between them a large basket filled with petitions - from 30,000 women of the state, each petition neatly rolled and - tied with ribbon and bearing upon it the name of the place from - which it came, and the number of names it contained. We were met - at the state-house door by Hon. Silas M. Burroughs, of Orleans, - according to previous arrangement, and escorted by him within the - bar of the house. Mr. Burroughs then said: ‘Mr. Speaker, there is - a deputation of ladies in this house with a petition of 30,000 - women for a prohibitory law, and I request that the deputation may - present the petition in person.’ He moved a suspension of the rules - for that purpose. Some objection was raised by two or three members - who sneered at the idea of granting such privileges to women, but - the vote was taken and carried; and then the committee and the big - basket, carried by two of us by the handles at each end, passed - up in front of the speaker’s desk, when one of our number made a - little speech appealing for prohibition and protection from the - rum power in the name of the 30,000 women of the state whom we - represented. The petitions were sent up to the clerk’s desk, while - we retired again to the bar where we were surrounded and received - congratulations of members. We soon after retired and returned to - the meeting at the church. On the announcement being made to the - meeting of what we had done and our success, it was received with - a perfect shout of congratulation by the vast audience. It was an - unheard-of thing for women to do, and our reception augured success - to the hopes of temperance people for a prohibitory law. But alas! - Our petitions availed us nothing, as we learned in due time. Those - 30,000 petitioners were only women; and what cared our so-called - representatives for the petitions of a disfranchised class? Our - meetings were kept up during the day and evening, women doing all - the talking though men composed full half the audience. In the - evening, in addition to the Baptist church meetings were held in - another church and in the representatives’ hall, the capitol having - been placed at our service, our lady speakers separating and going - by twos and threes to each house; and all were crowded, every foot - of standing room being occupied.” - -It should be added, that Mrs. Bloomer was one of the Committee -of Three who appeared before the legislature and presented the -petitions. The other members were Miss Emily Clark and Mrs. Albro. - - -A LECTURER. - -Mrs. Bloomer’s life during the latter part of 1853 was a very busy -one. In addition to her duties as editor and publisher of the _Lily_ -and clerk in the post office, she was also frequently invited to -deliver addresses on Temperance. A few of these invitations she -accepted, and appeared before well-pleased audiences in villages of -western New York. She never until later years acquired the habit -of extemporaneous speaking, but all her addresses were carefully -written out and delivered from manuscript. There is a big pile of -her writings now before me. They are all characterized by great -earnestness in appeal both to the reason and sympathies of her -hearers. - -Mrs. Bloomer’s appeals were mainly addressed to her own sex, but she -never failed to call upon the men also to practise total abstinence -and give their influence in all proper ways for the overthrow of -the liquor traffic. She also introduced other questions into her -addresses. She insisted that the laws relating to women were narrow -and unjust and should be changed. She thought that women should have -a voice in making the laws and also in their enforcement. When this -change should be brought around, she had hopes that woman would be -relieved from the curse of drunkenness under which she suffered -so keenly. And it so happened that it was frequently said of Mrs. -Bloomer that “she talks on temperance, but she gives us a large -supply of woman’s rights, also.” To this Mrs. Bloomer in the _Lily_ -in April, 1853, made the following reply: - - “Some of the papers accuse me of mixing Woman’s Rights with our - Temperance, as though it was possible for woman to speak on - Temperance and Intemperance without also speaking of Woman’s Rights - and Wrongs in connection therewith. That woman has rights, we - think that none will deny; that she has been cruelly wronged by - the law-sanctioned liquor traffic, must be admitted by all. Then - why should we not talk of woman’s rights and temperance together? - Ah, how steadily do they who are guilty shrink from reproof! How - ready they are to avoid answering our arguments by turning their - attention to our personal appearance, and raising a bugbear about - Woman’s Rights and Woman’s Wrongs! and a ready response to the - truth we utter wells up from women’s hearts, and breaks forth in - blessings and a hearty God-speed in our mission.” - - -IN NEW YORK CITY. - -We now quote from Mrs. Bloomer’s personal reminiscences: - - “In February, 1853, in company with Miss Susan B. Anthony, Rev. - Antoinette L. Brown, and Mrs. L. N. Fowler, I held three meetings - in the city of New York. We had been attending a Temperance mass - meeting in the city of Albany, where we had both day and evening - been addressing the assembled temperance hosts that had come - together from all parts of the state in response to a call for that - purpose. At these meetings we were met by parties from New York, - who invited us to visit that city and hold a series of meetings, - assuring us that every preparation would be made and we should be - received by good audiences. We accepted the invitation and in a few - days went to New York to fill the engagement. Full notice had been - given and all things put in readiness for us. These meetings were - held in Metropolitan Hall, where Jennie Lind made her _début_ on - arriving in this country, which has since been burned down; and in - the old Broadway Tabernacle; and in Knickerbocker Hall. - - “That was in the early days of the woman’s movement, and - women speaking in public was a new thing outside of a Quaker - meeting-house. We were the first to address an audience of New - Yorkers from a public platform; and much curiosity was excited - to hear and see the wonderful women who had outstepped their - sphere and were turning the world upside down by preaching a new - doctrine which claimed that women were human beings, endowed with - inalienable rights, among which was the right to life, liberty, and - the pursuit of happiness. - - “The halls at each of these meetings were filled to their utmost - capacity, from 3,000 to 5,000 persons being the estimated number - in attendance. At the Metropolitan, Horace Greeley and wife, - Dr. S. P. Townsend, Colonel Snow, and a number of others were - seated with us on the platform; and in all the after meetings, - Mr. Greeley was present and manifested much interest in our - work, taking copious notes and giving columns of the _Tribune_ - to reports of our speeches. While in the city we were guests of - the great phrenologist, L. N. Fowler, one of the editors of the - _Phrenological Journal_, and his wife, and Mrs. S. P. Townsend; and - the evening was spent at the home of the Greeleys. - - -“AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE. - - “At the latter place we met about a dozen of New York’s literati. - Of these I only remember Charles A. Dana, then on the _Tribune_ - staff; Mrs. E. F. Ellet, a prominent story writer of that time; and - Alice and Phœbe Gary, the poet sisters. I remember the latter as - dressed with very low necks and arms bared to the shoulders, while - their skirts trailed upon the floor. Around their necks were hung - huge boas, four feet long, the style of that day; as a protection, - I suppose, from the cold. These being heaviest in the middle were - continually sagging out of place, and kept the wearers quite busy - adjusting them. I confess to a feeling short of admiration for this - dress display at a little social gathering in midwinter, and my - estimation of the good sense of the Cary sisters sank accordingly. - And I never read of them to this day but those bare necks and - shoulders and trailing skirts appear before me. They, no doubt, - were as much disgusted with my short dress and trousers which left - no part of the person exposed. Tastes differ, that is all; and I - was not used to seeing women in company half-dressed. - - “It was in the early days of spiritualism, when the Rochester - rappings had excited much wonder throughout the country. Horace - Greeley was known to have taken a good deal of interest in the - subject, to have given time to its investigation, and to have - entertained its first propagandists, the Fox sisters, for days at - his house. During the evening of our visit that subject came up and - Mr. Greeley warmly espoused the side of the spiritualists. He said - many things in confirmation of his belief in the new doctrine of - spirit visitation. Standing midway of the two parlors and pointing - to a table that stood against the wall between the front windows, - he said: ‘I must believe what my eyes have seen. I have seen that - table leave its place where it now stands, come forward and meet - me here where I now stand, and then go back to its place without - any one touching it, or being near it. I have also seen that table - rise from the floor, and the weight of a man sitting on it would - not keep it down. I cannot deny the evidence of my own eyes.’ Miss - Fox was in the house at the time of this occurrence, but not in the - room. This he said in answer to questions.” - - -AT METROPOLITAN HALL. - -Of the meeting in Metropolitan Hall, the New York _Tribune_ -stated that it was nearly as large and fully as respectable as -the audiences which nightly greeted Jenny Lind and Catherine -Hayes during their engagements in that hall. Mrs. Lydia N. Fowler -presided, and delivered an address. The _Tribune_ gave a full report -of the meeting. It said: “Mrs. Bloomer was attired in a dark-brown -changeable tunic, a kilt descending just below the knees, the skirt -of which was trimmed with rows of black velvet. The pantaloons were -of the same texture and trimmed in the same style. She wore gaiters. -Her headdress was cherry and black. Her dress had a large open -corsage, with bands of velvet over the white chemisette in which was -a diamond-stud pin. She wore flowing sleeves, tight undersleeves and -black lace mitts. Her whole attire was rich and plain in appearance. -* * * She was introduced to the audience and proceeded to her address -which occupied more than an hour.” And as giving a fair expression of -Mrs. Bloomer’s then views on the subject of temperance and woman’s -duty in reference to it, the _Tribune’s_ full report of her address -is here given: - - -MRS. BLOOMER’S SPEECH. - - “Mrs. Bloomer, of Seneca Falls, was introduced and proceeded to - read an address which occupied nearly an hour. She commenced - by remarking that, from the earliest agitation of the subject - of temperance down through the whole past course of the cause, - woman has had a great and important part to perform in the great - struggle for freedom. And most nobly has she performed her part, - according to the light she possessed. She has done all that the - custom of the time permitted her to do. She has faithfully attended - temperance meetings and listened to many wise discourses from - temperance lecturers. During all this woman has imagined that she - was doing the cause good service. But lo! she still sees the great - destroyer passing triumphantly on in his work of death; she sees - poverty, wretchedness and despair still rampant in our midst; she - sees that her prayers to rumsellers to desist from their murderous - work have fallen upon hearts of stone; she sees that, in spite of - her remonstrances, the stream of death still flows on and that - thousands and tens of thousands are still going to destruction. - But, though she is often weary, yet is she not hopeless; she - still has faith to look beyond the clouds to the bright prospect - beyond—still has faith to look beyond the efforts of man to One who - is mighty for deliverance. - - “Yet, notwithstanding the efforts already put forth in this work, - woman was not without guilt in this matter. While man endeavors - to compel obedience to his laws, and make woman dependent upon - him and an echo of his thoughts, while man has greatly sinned in - thus usurping this great prerogative, woman has greatly sinned in - submitting to this power. Woman has suffered her individuality to - be merged in a name. She forgets that God created them equal; she - forgets that our Heavenly Father has not made one to rule over the - other. She forgets that she is as necessary to his happiness as he - is to hers. They are created to work hand in hand, bearing equally - the burden of life; and though we may fail to do our duty on earth, - yet will our individuality be recognized and held to account on the - Last Day. The plea often raised that it is immodest and unladylike, - that we are out of our sphere in thus battling against the evils of - intemperance, will not avail in the sight of God who has commanded - that even one talent should be put to a good use. He has created - woman intelligent and responsible and given her a great work to do, - and woe unto her if she does it not! Woe unto him who hinders her - in its fulfillment! Her individuality must be recognized before the - evils of intemperance can cease to exist. How absurd the idea, how - degrading the thought, that before marriage woman can enjoy freedom - of thought, but afterwards must endorse her husband’s sentiments be - they good or bad! Call you not this slavery? But if she acts the - part of true womanhood, the path of duty will be made so plain that - she cannot err therein. - - “The speaker next said that she proposed to show how woman, by - her own acts, had retarded the cause of temperance. And, first, - woman had done much to retard the cause by herself partaking of - stimulating drink during lactation, and thus transmitting it - through the system of her infant. She imagines that this gives her - stimulus and strength. But in this she sins from ignorance. As - the child grows, his appetite grows perverted, and he will desire - still stronger stimulus such as tobacco and cigars. Let mothers - study the physiology of themselves and their children that they may - know how to feed them so as to give them regular appetites. Woman - has also done much to retard the cause of temperance by presenting - the intoxicating cup to her guest. Not unfrequently does the first - glass taken from the hands of woman destroy both body and soul - forever. Home is said to be woman’s sphere; herein, at least, she - should forbid the intoxicating cup to enter. Women, Christian - women, as you hope for salvation, let not this guilt rest upon your - souls! - - “Woman has also retarded the cause of temperance by using - intoxicating drinks for culinary purposes. Such an one voluntarily - yields up her children to the Moloch of intemperance. Let no woman - think this a little matter. Let no woman think that because she - occupies a high place in society the destroyer will pass her by. - Such is not his course. He delights to cut down the high and noble - and trample them beneath his iron hoofs. - - “Another class who in my view greatly retard the cause of - temperance principles are those who profess love for our cause - and hope that it will triumph, but do nothing for it. They say we - have men to attend to this work and that it is none of woman’s - business. Deliver us from such dead weights on society and on the - spirit of Progress! None of woman’s business, when she is subject - to poverty and degradation and made an outcast from respectable - society! None of woman’s business, when her starving, naked babes - are compelled to suffer the horrors of the winter’s blast! None of - woman’s business, when her children are stripped of their clothing - and compelled to beg their bread from door to door! In the name - of all that is sacred, what is woman’s business if this be no - concern of hers? (Great applause.) None of woman’s business! What - is woman? Is she a slave? Is she a mere toy? Is she formed, like a - piece of fine porcelain, to be placed upon the shelf to be looked - at? Is she a responsible being? or has she no soul? Alas, alas - for the ignorance and weakness of woman! Shame! Shame on woman - when she refuses all elevating action and checks all high and holy - aspirations for the good of others! (Applause.) Sisters, the liquor - traffic does concern woman deeply; and it is her business to bring - her influence to bear against it, both by private and public acts. - Some mothers say it is as much as they can do to look after their - own children without going to the trouble of looking after children - of their neighbors. If all mothers would do this and train up their - own children in the right way, it would be all well. But such is - not the case; and therefore are we to go out into the world and - help reclaim the children of poverty and crime around us. - - “Another obstacle to the progress of temperance principles is that - women live in close companionship with drunken husbands. This - may be a delicate point upon which to enter and many may object - to mentioning it, but nevertheless the truth must be spoken. In - my mind no greater sin is committed than by woman consenting to - remain the wife of the drunkard, rearing children in poverty and - wretchedness and thus transmitting his sins. A pure and virtuous - woman tied to such a piece of corruption, and giving birth to - children who will grow up to be a curse to themselves and society! - The drunkard knows that the gentle being is bound close to him and - is literally his slave, and that she will remain with him be his - conduct what it may. Thus are thousands surrounded by these gentle - and loving creatures, when they are not worthy to have even a dog - for a companion. (Applause.) - - “And yet public sentiment and law bid woman to submit to this - degradation and to kiss the hand that smites her to the ground. - Let things be reversed—let man be made subject to these various - insults—and how long would he suffer anger, hunger, cold and - nakedness! How many times would he allow himself to be thus - trampled upon! (Applause.) Not long—not long—I think! With his - right arm would he free himself from such degrading bondage. - (Applause.) But thanks to a few brave hearts, the idea of relief - to woman has been broached to society. She has dared to stand - forth and disown any earthly master. (Applause.) Woman must banish - the drunkard from her society. Let her utterly refuse to be the - companion of a drunkard, or the man who puts the intoxicating cup - to his lips, and we shall see a new order of society. - - “Woman must declare an unceasing war to this great foe, at all - times and upon every occasion that presents itself. She must not - wait for man to help her; this is her business as much as his. Let - her show to the world that she possesses somewhat of the spirit - and the blood of the daughters of the Revolution! Such thoughts as - these may be thought unladylike; but if they are so, they are not - unwomanly. (Applause.) - - “Mrs. Bloomer then made a brief argument in favor of the Maine Law, - and concluded her remarks amid long continued applause. - - “It will be seen that Mrs. Bloomer’s address was almost entirely - confined to women, and marked out an entirely new field in - temperance thought; and it therefore attracted not a little - attention.” - -The meeting in New York city did not end the work of the three -ladies in the Temperance cause during the winter. They made a tour -of the state, holding meetings in Brooklyn, Poughkeepsie, Sing Sing, -Hudson, Troy, Cohoes, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Lockport, Buffalo, -and other places along the Hudson River and the line of the Central -Railroad. They were everywhere received by great crowds of people -anxious to see the now famous speakers and listen to their words. -It was a new thing for women to speak in public; and no doubt the -fashion of the dresses worn by Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony had -something to do with calling out the people to their meetings. - - -IN BUFFALO. - -Mrs. Bloomer described the closing meeting of the series at Buffalo -as follows: - - “Townsend Hall was crowded at an early hour by the curious and - interested portions of the community, who came together to see the - women who had made themselves notorious by their boldness in daring - to face a city audience, and to listen to the strange and ‘funny - things’ they might utter on the worn and rather unpopular subject - of temperance. The capacity of the hall is said to be sufficient - to seat 1,000. Every spot where a standing place could be had was - occupied, and very many went away unable to gain admittance. Steps - were immediately taken by some friends here to secure a hall for - another meeting the next evening. Townsend Hall and American Hall - were both engaged, and the Eagle-Street Theatre was secured; - and last night, for the first time in many years, I attended a - ‘theatre’ not as a looker-on but as an actor in the play. I don’t - know the capacity of the theatre but it was estimated that fully - 1,200 persons were present, the body of the house and lower gallery - being densely filled, while many occupied the lower gallery and the - rostrum. Seldom I think is a theatre put to better use, and pity it - is that all its performances and performers are not as truthful and - earnest in laboring for the good of humanity. The audience appeared - interested, and was for the most part quiet and attentive. - - “We received calls from a large number of ladies of the city who - were interested in our movement, and we hear from all the same - expression of feeling and that is: ‘We must have the Maine law; - what can we do to obtain this law?’ I find there is a strong - woman’s-rights sentiment prevailing on the subject among those whom - I have met here. All feel that the only way in which women can do - anything effectually in this cause is through the ballot-box, and - they feel themselves fettered by being denied the right to thus - speak their sentiments in a manner that could not be misunderstood. - If voters would but all do their duty, all would be well and we - should soon have a prohibitory liquor-law; and methinks that if - voters who claim to be temperance men could hear all comments made - by women upon their actions, and see themselves in the light that - women see them, they would blush and hang their heads in shame at - their treachery and inefficiency.” - - -AT HOME. - -On returning home from one of her tours, Mrs. Bloomer wrote as -follows: - - “After an absence of two weeks, we again find ourselves in our own - loved home, where we meet with a hearty welcome. Most forcibly do - the words of the poet come before our mind as we enter our quiet - sanctum, and from the depths of our heart we endorse them: ‘Home, - sweet home! be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.’ - - “During the two weeks spent in jaunting through some of the cities - and villages of the beautiful Hudson, we have seen much of the - grand and beautiful in nature and made the acquaintance of some - of the choice spirits of that section of the state. It has been - a relaxation from cares we much needed, and we trust will prove - time profitably spent both to us and to those who listened to the - message we bore them.” - - -HATING THE MEN. - -The editor of the Utica _Telegraph_ having charged Mrs. Bloomer with -“hating the men,” she replied to the insinuation as follows: - - “Bless your soul, Mr. _Telegraph_! we dearly love them all—except - rumsellers and those editors who patronize and sustain them in - their ruin-and-death-dealing business. Hate the men? Why, such an - idea never entered our head and we are sure our tongue never gave - expression to such a thought! You must have had a curtain lecture - before going to the meeting that night, Mr. _Telegraph_, which - soured your feelings toward all womankind so that you saw through - green glasses and heard through a cracked ear-tube; or else you - must be a devotee to the wine cup, and are frightened lest the - women are going to adopt some measure to make it unlawful and - disreputable for you to gratify your low appetite. Oh, dear! how - people are worried about our domestic relations. How much sympathy - our ‘bigger half’ receives because of his sore domestic troubles! - Strange that the _Telegraph_ forgot to speak of our ‘five neglected - children’! They have met with great sympathy from many people, but - are entirely overlooked by this student of the ‘Natural Sciences.’ - We do wish those editors who are so much interested in our domestic - affairs would appoint a committee to investigate the matter and - devise some plan of relief for our poor suffering husband and ‘five - children.’ Ha, ha! we should like to see the workings of our ‘gude - man’s’ face as they offered words of condolence and sympathy, and - hear the kind and unruffled tones in which he would thank them for - their tender solicitude and politely bid them return and bestow - equal care on their own domestic relations.” - - -GOOD TEMPLARS. - -Up to 1852-3 women were excluded from the several temperance secret -fraternities which had come into existence, such as the “Sons of -Temperance” and similar societies. To give to women a chance to -work for the cause in the same way the order of the “Daughters of -Temperance” was organized, but Mrs. Bloomer persistently refused to -connect herself with them for the reason that she believed that -women and men should be admitted to all such societies on a footing -of perfect equality. The church opened its doors to both alike; so -she insisted the secret societies should do the same. But in the -latter part of 1852, the order of “Good Templars” was organized in -Onondaga County, and soon spread out over the adjacent counties. It -admitted women to membership and to all offices on an entire equality -with men. Mrs. Bloomer was greatly pleased with the idea, and when a -lodge of the new order was established in the village she soon became -an active member, took great interest in its work, and held various -positions in the lodge. She believed that it furnished an opening for -women’s work in the Temperance cause which should not be neglected. -In a notice of this new temperance organization, in the July number -of the _Lily_, Mrs. Bloomer says: - - “Of course, to those who believe that women should not work - together with the men in the Temperance Cause this organization - presents insuperable objections. No man who is not willing to - admit woman to entire equality with himself in labors, duties, - honors and offices, who is not willing that her vote should be - deposited with his in the same ballot-box, and her voice be raised - with his on all questions relating to its affairs, need apply for - membership in this order. But the number of such men is small, - indeed, and is daily growing beautifully less. It has long been the - desire of many Sons of Temperance to admit women into their doors, - and the recent omission of the National Division of that order to - comply with that desire has sadly disappointed many of its best - members. But what the Sons of Temperance have refused to do, the - Good Templars amply provided for, and this feature we believe to be - one of its chief excellencies, and which more than any other will - commend the order to the hearty approval of the high-minded and - right-thinking portion of the temperance community.” - -The first State gathering of the new order was held in Ithaca, in -June, 1853. Mrs. Bloomer was appointed a delegate to it from her -local lodge, along with her husband, and when the state grand-lodge -was organized she was admitted to that, also. A Rev. Mr. Wilson had -been engaged to deliver the address, but he failed to attend. Mrs. -Bloomer described the result as follows: - - “They then selected me to take his place. On the morning of the - public demonstration, an unthought-of trouble arose. The church - which had been engaged to Mr. Bristol was now refused to a woman. - Its trustees would not open it for a woman to speak in. This caused - a great excitement among the men. They gathered in the lodge-room - to consider the situation. They were puzzled to know what to do. - They would not give up their speaker. There was talk of going - to a grove, but it was too far; talk of speaking in the street, - but there was no shade; and the lodge-room was not large enough. - Finally the Baptists came to their relief and offered their church, - and I did the talking to the immense throng who gathered there.” - - -IN THE PULPIT. - -At the time of the above occurrence it was a new thing indeed for -women to appear in public, and especially to stand in the pulpit to -deliver their thoughts. All this is now greatly changed. Mrs. Bloomer -in writing on this subject in subsequent years says: - - “The pulpit was sacred ground, that no woman’s foot must profane. - One minister in Syracuse preached a sermon against us and had - it printed in pamphlet form. These he sent out by hundreds to - ministers of his church throughout the state for them to scatter - among the women of their congregations, hoping to head off this - new movement of women. Whether these determined opponents of other - days who meant to crush the women’s movement in the bud ever became - reconciled to the part she has since played in the world’s doings, - I don’t know. Some of them, and probably all, have passed to their - account where they have learned that God’s ways are not man’s ways. - I suppose that we cannot greatly blame them when we remember that, - up to that time, the world had been educated to believe woman an - inferior creation; that she had been placed by her Creator in an - inferior and subordinate position; and that St. Paul’s injunction - to the uneducated women of his day to keep silence in the churches - was intended for the women of all time, included public halls as - well as churches, and political, social, temperance and all other - subjects as well as the gospel of Christ, of which women were to - know nothing except what they learned from their husbands at home. - We find a very different state of things in these days, when the - clergy everywhere are ready to listen to women—nay, to welcome and - invite them to their desks; and even dismiss their own services - that the women may be heard. They must have learned a new gospel, - or a new interpretation of the old one. In those early days, - ministers before hearing us would refuse to open our meetings with - prayer—feeling, I suppose, that we had gotten too far out of our - sphere to be benefited by their prayers. Now, they hesitate not to - lend us all the aid in their power. There may be here and there one - who turns the cold shoulder, but the cause is too far advanced to - be affected by anything such can bring against it.” - - -IN ROCHESTER AGAIN—A CHANGE. - -In May, 1853, the annual meeting of the Woman’s State-Temperance -Society convened in the city of Rochester. It was very largely -attended by many of the prominent Temperance workers in the state. -Mrs. Bloomer was present and took an active part in the proceedings. -At the convention, the question of admitting men as members came up -and excited a great deal of interest. It was agreed that, as both -sexes were equally interested in the work, they should all bear an -equal responsibility in guiding the doings and sharing in the labor -of the society. Those who took this view insisted that it should be -placed on the broad grounds of equal rights and equal duties for all. -Others thought the time had not yet come for so radical a change in -the constitution, but preferred that it should continue to be an -exclusively feminine organization. Mrs. Bloomer took this view and so -the majority decided, with the result that Mrs. Stanton declined a -reëlection as president and Miss Anthony also declined a reëlection -as secretary. - -In their places, Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan was elected president; Mrs. -Angelina Fish, secretary; Mrs. Albro, chairman of the executive -committee, and Mrs. Bloomer corresponding secretary. These ladies -continued the work of the society with great zeal and fidelity. It -kept its lecturers in the field and continued to labor earnestly in -promoting its temperance work. Mrs. Bloomer’s connection with it -ended with her removal from the state at the end of the year. She -always exceedingly regretted that this divergence of views occurred -between her and Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony, but their old-time -friendship continued on as of old and Mrs. Stanton continued her -interesting contributions to the columns of the _Lily_. - -The proceedings of this convention, as also of the Good-Templars -meeting at Ithaca, were printed as a double number of the _Lily_ -soon after the adjournment of these bodies. Many extra copies were -also printed, for which there was a very active demand. Mrs. Bloomer -insisted that the work of the Woman’s Temperance Society should go -on vigorously, as in the preceding years, and she exerted all her -influence to that end as one of its officers. She however did not -long remain a resident of New York, and after leaving the state she -was no longer responsible for the work. The zeal of some of the -workers may have become cold, or rather (which seems to have been -the fact) was turned into other channels. Mrs. Bloomer always looked -upon her connection with the society as one of the most useful and -interesting events of her life. - -After the close of the convention Mrs. Bloomer visited Niagara Falls -for the first time, accompanied by her husband, spending a couple of -days of much needed rest and recreation. While there they looked over -nearly all the most noted points, including a visit to Termination -Rock under the mighty cataract itself, passing on their way under -Table Rock, which has since disappeared. - - -A LECTURE TOUR—FOURTH OF JULY. - -Of one of her lecturing tours, Mrs. Bloomer gives the following -report: - - “We left home on Saturday the second instant for Harford, where - we were engaged as orator for the celebration on the Fourth. The - weather was fine and the trip up the lake a delightful one, made - doubly so by meeting some old acquaintances and the forming of some - new ones on the boat. Arrived at Ithaca we found friends awaiting - from Harford, and were soon on our way to that place, where we - arrived after a pleasant carriage ride of sixteen miles at about - ten o’clock in the evening. The glorious Fourth was ushered in - by a salute at daybreak and another at sunrise. At an early hour - people began to arrive from the country, and the streets soon - presented a lively appearance. At ten o’clock the procession was - formed in front of the Union Church and, the Good Templars and Sons - of Temperance in the regalia of their orders first, led by a band - of music and followed by the people, proceeded to a grove where - seats and a stand handsomely decorated had been prepared for the - occasion. We were escorted by a committee of ladies all in short - dresses to the stand, where after the usual exercises came the - address; but of the merits of this it becometh us not to speak. - Suffice it to say that the large audience of fifteen hundred or two - thousand persons listened to us throughout with the most earnest - attention, and judging from their countenances the novelty of - hearing a woman was lost in the interest excited by the subject.” - -Mrs. Bloomer’s toast at the dinner was as follows: - - “By Mrs. Bloomer: ‘_The Women of the Revolution_. Although they - toiled along with the men of the Revolution for independence and - freedom yet they failed, when the struggle was over, to secure an - equality in those rights and duties which are the common birthright - of all. May their daughters of the present generation be more - fortunate in their struggle for rights so long withheld!’” - -After several sentences laudatory of her hosts, Mrs. Bloomer -continues: - - “On our return home we were escorted as far as Homer by our friends - from Harford. Homer is our native village, and as we had not been - there since the days of our childhood we took advantage of our stay - to stroll through the place in quest of our old home around which - clustered many fond recollections. We had no one to guide us in - the search, but the impressions left on our mind at six years of - age were so strong that we could not be mistaken. The place was - soon found and, though much altered, it still retained enough of - its former likeness to enable us to identify it after an absence - of twenty-nine years. Emotions both pleasurable and painful were - awakened as we gazed upon the spot where we first drew breath and - where we spent the early years of our life. Scenes long since - forgotten arose in memory as clearly as though but yesterday - enacted. Not to the old home only has change come, to us and ours - Time has brought much of change and somewhat of sorrow; yet upon - us personally has his hand rested lightly, to us he has imparted - kindness and blessing far more liberally than sorrow. With saddened - feelings we returned to the hotel where we left our friends. Here - we were soon surrounded by those who had known us in childhood and - were intimate friends of our parents. Somehow, they had gotten - notice of our being there and came forward to offer congratulations - and welcome us back to our early home. Intercessions were made for - us to remain with them for the night and give them a lecture, which - we decided to do. After bidding adieu to our kind friends from - Harford, who now turned their steps homeward, we were escorted to - the mansion of William Sherman who with his estimable wife and - family contributed largely to the pleasures of our visit to Homer. - - “The Presbyterian church was at once opened to us, and notice of - the meeting circulated as fully as possible in the brief time that - remained before the evening. The house though large was densely - filled with an attentive and intelligent audience. On the earnest - invitation of a committee of gentlemen we remained over another day - and spoke in the same church on the following evening, when the - body of the house and the large gallery were again as full as could - be comfortably seated. Though we interspersed our lecture pretty - freely with woman’s rights, or rather we might say with woman’s - wrongs, no one seemed at all alarmed; but, if we may believe the - assertions of the people, new trains of thought were awakened and a - most favorable impression made on the minds of the community.” - -Mrs. Bloomer then proceeded by stage to Glen Haven where she received -a most cordial welcome from Dr. Jackson, and at his request: - - “We addressed the patients and other inmates of the house in a - large sitting room on Thursday evening, and at his solicitation - concluded to accept the invitation of Judge Osborn, of Scott, - to return to that place and speak on Friday evening, instead of - returning home as we had intended to do. Accordingly on Friday - evening we rode over to Scott, a distance of three or four miles. - The church in which the meeting was held was densely filled, and - we could but wonder where all the people came from in so small a - place. Many warm though strange friends gathered around us here, - and bade us a hearty God-speed in our mission. They would have kept - us for another night, but home after a week’s absence was doubly - endeared to us and we could be detained no longer; so we again took - the stage for the Glen on Saturday morning, and from thence on - steamboat and cars returned home on Saturday evening. Altogether - the excursion was a delightful one and we have no cause to regret - that we were induced to accept the invitation of our Harford - friends to join with them in celebrating the 77th anniversary of - the birthday of our National Independence.” - - -RESTING. - -Mrs. Bloomer’s activities during the year had been so unremitting -that she now needed rest. Small in person and fragile in health, she -had been enabled to endure so much only by her indomitable courage -and the spirit of perseverance which ever controlled all her actions. -This needed rest she therefore sought at Dr. Jackson’s water cure, on -the beautiful shores of Skaneateles Lake. Here secluded from public -gaze she spent some weeks in retirement; and yet not entirely so, for -she was there invited and consented to deliver her lecture on Woman’s -Enfranchisement to the inmates of the cure. - - -NEW LECTURES. - -This lecture had been prepared during the early months of the year -and the closing months of 1852. She delivered it on many occasions -in subsequent years in various parts of the country, rewriting it -several times in whole or in part for that purpose. Towards the -closing years of her life she revised it once more, fully setting -forth her ideas and convictions on the subject of woman suffrage; -and in this completed form it is printed in full in the Appendix of -this work. It is believed to be one of the strongest arguments that -has ever been written in favor of woman’s right to the ballot. Mrs. -Bloomer also prepared lectures on woman’s right to employment and -education as fully in all respects as that enjoyed by the other sex. -These lectures, she delivered to audiences in different parts of the -country as occasion offered. They were radical in their claims for -equality for woman in all the employments and acquirements of life -with man, for at that time this claim was only just beginning to -be discussed. No colleges were then open to women. No universities -offered her the literary advantages of their halls and lecture rooms, -and the general opinion was entertained among the mass of the people -that the three studies of reading, writing and arithmetic were enough -for her. So also there was little for women to do but to sew and -stitch, and occasionally teach school for wages far below those paid -to men. There were no women lawyers, no women preachers, except among -the Quakers, no typewriters, no clerks in the stores, no public -offices filled by women. Mrs. Bloomer in her lectures insisted that -all this was wrong. She argued that the schoolroom, the workshop, -the public office, the lawyer’s forum and the sacred desk should -be opened to her sex on entire equality with man. These were then -unpopular doctrines to promulgate either in the public press or on -the lecturer’s platform; but Mrs. Bloomer was spared long enough to -see her rather radical ideas on this subject brought into practical -application, for at the end of 1894 woman’s right to both education -and employment on an equality with man had come to be almost -universally recognized. - - -A CLUB OF TALKERS. - -Mrs. Bloomer derived much mental culture from attending the -conversation-club which had been organized through Mrs. Stanton’s -exertions and was led by her. It followed largely the line of thought -and action set forth in the Life of Margaret Fuller Ossoli, published -about that time, who had conducted clubs of like character some -years before in Boston. It met from time to time in the parlors -of prominent residents of the village and many questions social, -literary and even political were freely discussed at its meetings, -each member being required to take some part in the conversation. It -was not exactly a ladies’ club, for gentlemen also were invited to -attend and did so to some extent; but the attendance and discussions -were mainly confined to the other sex. Mrs. Stanton was eminently -qualified to lead the club as she was and is a woman of great -general information, of large culture and literary attainments, and -an excellent talker. Occasionally an essay was read by some member -previously appointed, and on the whole the club added greatly to the -mental attainments of its members. Seneca Falls as a village was -noted at that time for its liberality in all reformatory movements. -It was the residence of Mrs. Stanton, of Bascom, of Tellman, and -other leaders in liberal thought, to say nothing of the Bloomers. - - - - -CHAPTER SIXTH. - - -AT THE WORLD’S CONVENTION. - -In September, Mrs. Bloomer attended the two great temperance -conventions held in that month in the city of New York. During her -stay of ten days she was the guest of Mrs. L. N. Fowler, where for -the first time she met her old correspondent, Mrs. Frances D. Gage, -between whom and Mrs. Bloomer there existed for many years and until -Mrs. Gage’s decease the warmest friendship. She also here again met -her old co-laborers in temperance and other reform work, Miss Lucy -Stone and Miss Antoinette L. Brown. When the World’s Temperance -Convention met in Metropolitan Hall a most bitter wrangle at once -commenced over the question of admitting women to seats in the -convention, and after one or two days spent in its discussion it -was decided in the negative. The Whole World’s Temperance Convention -then followed, over which Rev. T. W. Higginson presided. To this -convention both men and women were admitted as delegates, and the -proceedings throughout were intensely interesting. A public meeting -held in the Tabernacle was interrupted to some extent by a noisy -demonstration whenever a man attempted to speak, but the women were -listened to without interruption. Among the speakers were Miss -Stone, Miss Brown, Mrs. Gage, and Wendell Phillips. Mrs. Bloomer was -an intensely interested participant in all these meetings, and in -a quiet way took part in them, speaking briefly from the platform -in Metropolitan Hall. She also delivered a temperance address in -Broadway Tabernacle to a very large audience, Miss Emily Clark and -Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan being the other speakers. While in the city Mrs. -Bloomer also attended the Crystal Palace exhibition then open to -the public. It was a very interesting presentation of the progress -of the world up to that time in the several departments of human -skill, industry and the fine arts, but has been far exceeded in -extent and variety in subsequent years. One of the curious things -occurring at these gatherings was a vegetarian banquet held in the -Metropolitan Hall in which, it was said by the newspapers of the day, -were gathered all the reformers of every description then in the -city. The table was abundantly supplied with all kinds of fruit and -vegetable productions, but every form of animal food was strictly -excluded. Some speeches were made; but, on the whole, the affair was -not esteemed a very great success. On the following day Rev. Miss -Brown delivered a sermon from the platform in the same hall to a fair -congregation on that old subject, “The exceeding sinfulness of sin.” - -Of the Whole World’s Temperance Convention Mrs. Bloomer wrote as -follows: - - “It was largely attended, and passed off most happily. There were - no old fogies present to raise a disturbance and guy the speakers; - no questioning the right of each individual, whether man or woman, - to utter his thoughts on the great subject which they had met to - consider. All was peace and harmony and it did the heart good to be - there. - - “There were delegates present from some twenty states and Canada - and Europe, and a more earnest and intelligent set of men and women - were never met together. We had the pleasure of meeting and taking - by the hand many of our friends and co-workers to whom though - personally unknown we had long been attached. - - “The time allotted to the convention was too short to allow so - full and free an interchange of sentiment as was desirable. Many - who had come up hither with hearts burning with zeal for the good - cause, many from whom it would have been pleasant and profitable to - hear, were obliged to forego the privilege of speaking on account - of the limited time which had been fixed upon for the convention. - The ‘whole world’ could not possibly be heard in two days, yet all - appeared satisfied with the rich feast that had been furnished - them; and we trust that those who were not heard in New York have - gone home strengthened and better prepared to make themselves heard - and their influence felt in the coming contest.” - -Returning home Mrs. Bloomer issued another number of her paper, and -then with her husband started on a Western trip. Of the first part of -this tour, Mrs. Bloomer herself gave the following report: - - -A WESTERN TRIP. - - “Columbus, Oct. 10, 1853. We reached Cleveland about six o’clock - on Sunday morning, when we soon found our old friend C. E. Wheeler - and wife where we spent the few days of our stay very pleasantly. - We had heard much of the beauty of Cleveland, but in this respect I - think it has not been overrated. It is indeed a fine city full of - life and enterprise. The broad streets so nicely shaded give it an - appearance of health and comfort unlike that of any other city I - have ever visited. It is rapidly growing in population and wealth, - and great numbers of fine buildings are now in process of erection. - It is destined ere long to take rank in importance with any city in - the West. - - “On Monday evening, I addressed a large and attentive audience - at the Athenæum on the subject of temperance and the Maine law. - The subject is attracting great attention in this state this - fall, and great efforts are being made to secure the passage of a - prohibitory law at the next session of the legislature. Party lines - are set aside and the frowns and threats of party leaders entirely - disregarded in many sections. This is the only true course to be - pursued, and I rejoice to see the men thus breaking away from party - shackles and earnestly contending for the right. - - “Yesterday, the National Woman’s-Rights Convention commenced its - session. The attendance, though respectable, was not large. There - are many here from abroad, and I should judge the Northern states - were well represented. Mrs. F. D. Gage, our dear Aunt Fanny, is - president. I was prevented from attending the afternoon session - on account of having accepted an invitation extended to me by - the Temperance Convention to repeat before that body the address - delivered on Monday evening at the Athenæum. Gen. Gary, Dr. Jewitt, - and others of the great men were present. I was rather disappointed - in Dr. Jewitt; but I was under the necessity of leaving before he - finished his speech, to meet another engagement. - - “The attendance at the Woman’s-Rights Convention at the Melodeon, - in the evening, was very large. Mrs. Garrison read several - resolutions submitted by the business committee. I followed with - an address of about three-quarters of an hour on woman’s right of - franchise, after which Lucretia Mott occupied a half-hour or more - in her usual happy and interesting style of speech. - - “We next visited Mount Vernon, which is a pleasant village of - about 6,000 inhabitants, and where I addressed the people on the - Maine law. There are four papers published here; among them is - the _Western Home Visitor_, which is a reformatory paper of high - character and has a circulation of about four thousand copies. - Newart was our next stopping place. It has a rather bad reputation - for hard drinking, but it has a division of the Sons of Temperance - which is doing good work. I judge there is a considerable reform - spirit here, also, from the fact that the First Presbyterian church - was opened to me by the unanimous consent of the trustees, that I - might be heard on the Maine law. - - “We arrived in this city on Saturday, and stopped at the Niel - House where the attendance is excellent. Just opposite is the - magnificent state house in process of erection, which when - completed will be second in size and grandeur only to the National - Capitol at Washington. I addressed a large audience on Saturday - evening on the Maine law, and this evening I propose speaking again - on intemperance and the wrongs of woman. I had the pleasure of a - call from Mrs. Janney, secretary of the Woman’s State-Temperance - Society of this state, from whom I learned that the society is far - less efficient than ours though it is slowly gaining ground. The - reason for this inefficiency is doubtless the fact that its leaders - are unwilling to send out agents of their own sex to lecture and - gather funds to promote the cause. To-morrow we leave here and - travel westward.” - - -CONTINUES HER JOURNEY. - -Mrs. Bloomer then passed on to Richmond, Indianapolis, Detroit, -Chicago, and Milwaukee. Unfortunately, her own report of her visits -to these cities is lost and cannot be reproduced. She remained -one or two days in each of them, and in each delivered one or two -addresses,—certainly two in Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee, one on -temperance and one on woman’s enfranchisement in each city. In all -she was favored with large audiences and listened to with the closest -attention, and highly favorable notices of her lectures appeared in -the newspapers of all the cities visited. With the exception of Lucy -Stone, who had previously spoken in some of them, she was up to that -time the first woman who had been heard on the platform in the large -towns of the great West. - -But the journey, with all she did during its continuance, was really -beyond her strength and she was very glad to return home the latter -part of the month and secure the rest she so greatly needed. But she -could not keep quiet, and her pluck and perseverance enabled her to -go on with her work. The issues of the _Lily_ were resumed, and she -was soon again in the lecture field in reply to pressing invitations -from surrounding towns. Her last lecture, at this time, in New York -was delivered at the courthouse in Ovid, in which beautiful town some -of the earlier years of her life had been spent. - - -AN ANNOUNCEMENT—A REMOVAL. - -The December number of the _Lily_ contained the following -announcement: - - “Our husband having purchased an interest in the _Western Home - Visitor_ published at Mount Vernon, Ohio, and determined upon - moving to that place forthwith we, as a true and faithful wife, - are bound to say in the language of Ruth ‘where thou goest, I - will go’; and so, before another number of the _Lily_ reaches its - subscribers, we shall if all is well be settled in our Western home. - - “This announcement, we are well aware, will be an unpleasant - surprise to many of our readers and friends in this state; yet - we trust that our change of location will not be deemed by them - sufficient cause for deserting us. We go but a short distance - to the west. The _Lily_ will continue to be published and its - character will be in no wise changed. ‘Uncle Sam’ will carry it as - safely and regularly to the homes of our friends as he has done - heretofore, and also convey all letters and remittances to us as - safely and securely in Ohio as in New York. Then, friends, we pray - you let not our change of location affect our intercourse with each - other; but remember that, there as well as here, we shall labor - for the promotion of the great and good cause to which we have - devoted so many years of our life. We look confidently to you for - that support and encouragement which you have bestowed so liberally - heretofore, and we trust that your efforts in behalf of the _Lily_ - will be increased rather than diminished. - - “We feel that it matters little in what part of the vineyard we - are placed, so we but improve and cultivate to the best of our - ability the part assigned us. And this feeling bears us up under - the heart-sorrow occasioned by the sundering of the many ties that - bind us to home and friends in our native state. We bid farewell to - all with an aching heart. - - “Yet our grief in parting with associations so dear, is mingled - with hope for the future. We prefer to look on the bright side - of every picture, and to do what we can to render life’s journey - pleasant and happy rather than darken and embitter it by mournings - and grief. So we will dash aside the tears, and school our heart - to bear with fortitude this the greatest sorrow ever laid upon us; - believing that it is for our interest to take this step, though it - be so agonizing to part with those we love. - - “We go to seek a home among strangers, not knowing what will be - our reception, or whether kindred spirits are there to gather - around and cheer our loneliness; but in this, too, we have hope - that we shall be met in the same spirit of kindness which we bear - with us. - - “We have never been pleased with the appearance of our paper in - folio form, and so have determined to change it back to a quarto; - and we shall hope, with the increased facilities which we shall - have for printing it at Mount Vernon, that _The Lily_ will present - a more respectable appearance than it has done the past year.” - -The removal of Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer from Seneca Falls excited a good -deal of interest, as they had been many years residents of that -place and had taken an active part in the events of village life. A -public meeting was called and largely attended by their friends and -admirers, at which speeches were made and a fine supper served. A -report of this gathering will be given in full. The editor of the -_Courier_, Mr. Isaac Fuller, who had been intimately acquainted with -Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer for many years, published the following article -in his paper: - - -A TESTIMONIAL. - - “_The Lily._ This paper will hereafter be published at Mount - Vernon, Ohio, its editor and proprietor having moved with her - husband to that place. Although we disapprove of some of the - measures advocated in the _Lily_, we part with it and its - worthy editor with sincere regret. It is now five years since - its publication was commenced, and during the whole time Mrs. - Bloomer has had the entire direction of it, both editorially - and financially, displaying talents and business qualifications - possessed by few of the gentler sex and which but few of her - friends were prepared to see her exhibit. The ability and energy - with which the _Lily_ has been conducted have attained for it a - circulation of over four thousand copies in different parts of the - Union, thus giving to our enterprising village notoriety which it - would not have otherwise obtained. Our business engagements with - Mrs. Bloomer have been such as to give us a knowledge of the facts - above mentioned, to which we add that she possesses in an eminent - degree, those social virtues which everywhere command respect and - which give value to character in every position occupied by members - of refined society. We say this because we know that strangers - are wont to consider the editor of the _Lily_ a coarse, unrefined - woman possessing few or none of the traits which adorn the female - character, and as cherishing a disregard of the duties devolving - upon woman in the domestic relations of society; whereas just the - reverse is the fact. We hope the _Lily_ will lose none of its - vitality from being transplanted, and may its amiable editor enjoy - a long and happy life!”[1] - - -DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT TO MR. AND MRS. BLOOMER. - - “D. C. Bloomer, Esq., having made known his intention to remove - from the village where he has resided for sixteen years past, the - numerous friends of himself and wife assembled by appointment at - Union Hall, on Tuesday evening last, for the purpose of publicly - testifying their respect for them. The proceeding originated with - the Good Templars, a temperance order to which Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer - belong, but was participated in by citizens of all classes. The - assemblage composed about equally of both sexes was very large, - numbering we should judge from 400 to 500 persons. Five tables - most bountifully spread and extending the whole length of the hall - were twice filled. After the refreshments were disposed of C. - Salisbury, Esq., was called to the chair, and speeches and toasts - followed. Appropriate and extended remarks were made by Gilbert - Wilcoxen, Esq., C. H. Reed, Esq., S. D. Tillman, Esq., Rev. Mr. - Fraly, and others. We are not able to report what was said, but - the sentiments offered were highly complimentary to Mr. and Mrs. - Bloomer, both of whom responded in a very handsome manner. The - following resolutions were presented and passed by a hearty and - unanimous ‘aye’: - - “_Whereas_ we have learned that our respected friend and - fellow-citizen, Dexter C. Bloomer, and his wife, Mrs. Amelia - Bloomer, are about to remove from this village; - - “And _whereas_ they have, during the long period they have resided - among us not only sustained the character of good citizens, but - have been known as efficient and active workers in the cause of - temperance; therefore, - - “_Resolved_ that we, the temperance men and women of Seneca Falls - here assembled on this occasion, do tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer - our warmest and most sincere acknowledgments for their faithful and - devoted service in promoting the noble work of redeeming the world - from the evils of intemperance. - - “_Resolved_ that, as citizens of the village, we also desire to - tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer an expression of the high regard - we entertain for them, and to bear our willing testimony to - the general esteem and respect in which they are held by their - neighbors and associates among whom they have so long resided. - - “_Resolved_ that, while we part with our friends with sincere - regret, our warmest wishes for their future welfare will go - with them to their new home, and we shall always hear of their - prosperity with the greatest satisfaction. - - “The serious part of the proceedings having been gotten along - with, music and dancing were introduced and the festivities were - prolonged to a late hour, when the assembly dispersed and all - retired to their homes with a consciousness of having discharged - their duty to valued friends who were about removing from their - midst. - - “The whole of the proceedings passed off most agreeably and - pleasantly, and we regard the affair as the very highest compliment - that could have been paid to those in whose honor it was gotten up.” - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] From _Seneca County Courier_, Dec. 1853. - - - - -CHAPTER SEVENTH. - - -AN ASSISTANT EDITOR. - -On taking up her residence in Mount Vernon, Mrs. Bloomer became -assistant editor of the _Western Home Visitor_, of which her -husband was editor and one of the proprietors. This was a weekly -family paper, having a large circulation and printed in folio -form on a large sheet. It was devoted to educational progress and -all reformatory questions designed to advance the interests of -the community in which it circulated. It advocated temperance and -sound morality, and its columns were filled weekly with matter -appropriate to be read in the family circle. Its columns contained -no advertisements, and it depended for its support solely on -its patrons’ yearly subscriptions. We give below Mrs. Bloomer’s -salutatory, and also her first additional article on assuming her -position as assistant editor: - - “_Salutatory._ Following the custom set to me by my husband, I make - my editorial bow to the readers of the _Visitor_. I suppose it is - not necessary for me to enter into any detailed account of myself, - as the papers have already done that for me. Neither do I suppose - it necessary to make any statements in regard to my sentiments and - principles, as they are already generally well known to the public. - What I have been in the past, I expect to be in the future,—an - uncompromising opponent of wrong and oppression in every form, and - a sustainer of the right and the true, with whatever subject it - may be connected. I have no promises to make, preferring to stand - uncommitted and at liberty to write as the spirit moves me, or as - the circumstances of the case may require. Having a separate organ - of my own independent of any other paper or person through which - I can speak forth my sentiments on the great reform questions of - the day, freely and independently, I probably shall not introduce - into the columns of the _Visitor_ anything particularly obnoxious - on those subjects; yet I may frequently come in contact with old - prejudices and bigoted notions, for it is impossible for the free - progressive spirit of the present day to be bound by the opinion - and prejudices of a former age. I trust, however, that my readers - will bear with me and listen to me even though they do not approve, - and if I say anything very bad, attribute it to my womanly folly - or ignorance. And, as it is but right that I should bear whatever - censure my doings may deserve, I shall write over my own initials - in all matters of any moment. With this much for an introduction - I extend to you, readers of the _Visitor_ one and all, a cordial - greeting, and wish you not only a ‘Happy New-Year’ but that it may - prove happy and prosperous to you to its close.” - - “_Woman’s Right to Employment._ To woman equally with man has - been given the right to labor, the right to employment for both - mind and body; and such employment is as necessary to her health - and happiness, to her mental and physical development, as to his. - All women need employment, active, useful employment; and if they - do not have it, they sink down into a state of listlessness and - insipidity and become enfeebled in health and prematurely old - simply because denied this great want of their nature. Nothing has - tended more to the physical and moral degradation of the race than - the erroneous and silly idea that woman is too weak, too delicate - a creature to have imposed upon her the more active duties of - life,—that it is not respectable or praiseworthy for her to earn a - support or competence for herself. - - “We see no reason why it should be considered disreputable for a - woman to be usefully employed, while it is so highly respectable - for her brother; why it is so much more commendable for her to be - a drone, dependent on the labors of others, than for her to make - for herself a name and fortune by her own energy and enterprise. A - great wrong is committed by parents toward their daughters in this - respect. While their sons as they come to manhood are given some - kind of occupation that will afford not only healthy exercise of - the body and mind but also the means of an honorable independence, - the daughters are kept at home in inactivity and indolence, with no - higher object in life than to dress, dance, read novels, gossip, - flirt and ‘set their caps’ for husbands. How well the majority of - them are fitted to be the companions and mothers of men, every - day’s history will tell. - - “Certainly, our girls would be far better and happier than now - if they were educated and encouraged to occupy their hands and - minds in some useful business occupation; and parents do a great - injustice to their daughters when they doom them to a life of - idleness or, what is worse, to a life of frivolity and fashionable - dissipation. - - “It was said by a distinguished clergyman of one who had passed - away from earth, ‘She ate, she drank, she slept, she dressed, she - danced and she died.’ Such may be truly said to be the history of - many women of the present day. They eat, they drink, they sleep, - they dress, they dance and at last die, without having accomplished - the great purposes of their creation. Can woman be content with - this aimless, frivolous life? Is she satisfied to lead a mere - butterfly existence, to stifle and crush all aspirations for a - nobler destiny, to dwarf the intellect, deform the body, sacrifice - the health and desecrate all the faculties which the Almighty - Father has given her and which He requires her to put to good - use and give an account thereof to Him? While all other created - things both animal and vegetable perform their allotted parts in - the universe of being, shall woman, a being created in God’s own - image, endowed with reason and intellect, capable of the highest - attainments and destined to an immortal existence, alone be an - idler, a drone, and pervert the noble faculties of her being from - the great purposes for which they were given? - - “It will not always be thus; the public mind is undergoing a rapid - change in its opinion of woman and is beginning to regard her - sphere, rights and duties in altogether a different light from - that in which she has been viewed in past ages. Woman herself is - doing much to rend asunder the dark veil of error and prejudice - which has so long blinded the world in regard to her true position; - and we feel assured that, when a more thorough education is given - to her and she is recognized as an intelligent being capable of - self-government, and in all rights, responsibilities and duties - man’s equal, we shall have a generation of women who will blush - over the ignorance and folly of the present day. - - “A. B.” - -And for six months thereafter, the _Visitor_ contained nearly every -week one or more articles from her pen. Some were on temperance, some -on woman’s “fads” and foibles of that day. She aimed to sustain every -good word and deed and to rebuke vice in all its forms. - -Of course she did not escape criticism in prosecuting her work. -Especially, people at that early day would not listen quietly to her -severe analysis of the laws bearing upon the legal rights of women. -They sometimes denied her positions, and at other times doubted the -wisdom of the changes which she advocated. Between her and the editor -of another paper published in the city, quite an extended controversy -arose which ran through several numbers of their respective papers, -Mrs. Bloomer sustained her side of the debate with numerous -quotations from legal writers, and she had the satisfaction of seeing -her position substantially admitted by her opponents. - - -PROSPERITY OF THE _LILY_. - -But Mrs. Bloomer’s attention and time were given chiefly to the -_Lily_, the publication of which in her new home was commenced on -the first of January. Printed in new type on a steam press, it -presented a very neat and handsome appearance. The people of the -state were greatly pleased with its removal to their limits and new -subscriptions came in with surprising rapidity; its semi-monthly -issue soon reached over six thousand copies. Mrs. Bloomer was greatly -encouraged by these signs of approval and renewed her exertions and -labors to make the _Lily_ in all respects acceptable to its many -friends. She wrote from one to three pages each week of original -matter for its pages, and was aided at the same time by numerous -correspondents. She continued to write continuously in advocacy of -temperance, making that the leading object of her work, but she also -wrote for woman’s advancement in all the fields of honest endeavor. -She asked for her plenty of work and good pay; she insisted that to -her should be opened every educational institution; and she demanded -for her also the right of suffrage as her inalienable right. Some -extracts from her editorials will follow. - - -ENFRANCHISEMENT OF WOMAN. - -Replying to and commenting upon an article on an alleged corruption -in the state legislature, Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows: - - “Where then shall the remedy for purifying and healing the nation - be found? We answer, in the education and enfranchisement of woman! - Loose the chains that bind her to the condition of a dependent, a - slave to passion and the caprices of men. Open for her the doors - of our colleges and universities and bid her enter. Hold up before - her a pattern for womanly greatness and excellence, and bid her - to occupy the same high positions held by her brothers. Teach her - to aspire to that true knowledge that should fit her to become - the future mother and teacher of statesmen and rulers. Resign to - her control the children committed to her care, and bid her guard - them from all temptation and danger that threaten to assail them - both at home and abroad. Restore to her her heaven-born right of - self-government, and give her a voice in making the laws which are - to govern for good or evil the actions and sentiments of society - at large. Let _her_ say whether the grogshop, the gaming house - and the brothel shall be suffered to open wide their doors to - entice her sons to ruin. Let her say whether man shall have power - to override virtue and sobriety and send the minions of evil into - our halls of legislation to make laws for the people. Let her say - whether we shall have a Maine Law, and whether such a law shall - be observed and enforced——Do this, and we shall soon see a great - change wrought in society and in the character of our rulers! Our - only hope for the future of our country lies in the elevation - of woman physically, mentally, socially and politically, and in - the triumph of the principles which lie at the foundation of the - so-called ‘Woman’s Rights’ reform.” - - -WOMAN’S RIGHT. - - “Woman _has_ a right to vote for civil officers, to hold offices, - and so rule over men. If any law against it exists in the Bible, it - has been overruled by divine sanction. Deborah ruled Israel forty - years and, instead of being told she was out of her sphere, that - she had usurped authority over men, we are assured that she was - highly approved and that she ruled wisely and well. No one calls - in question the right of Queen Victoria to rule over her kingdom - notwithstanding there are some men in it; nor do we believe, if - she is a wise and faithful sovereign, that she will be condemned - at the last great day for thus ruling over men. What was right for - Deborah was right for Queen Victoria. If it is right for Victoria - to sit on the throne of England it is right for any American Woman - to occupy the Presidential Chair at Washington. All that is needed - is votes enough to elevate her to that post of honor and of trust - and sufficient ability to discharge its duties. Of the latter - requisite, judging from some of those who have already occupied - that seat, no great amount is demanded.” - - - WOMAN’S CLAIM. - - “A correspondent asks what it is that we and other advocates of - woman’s rights want? - - “We answer, we claim all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution - of the United States to the citizens of the republic. We claim to - be one-half of the people of the United States, and we deny the - right of the other half to disfranchise us.” - - - DESTROYING LIQUOR. - - “We hold in all honor the names of those noble women of Mount - Vernon who, a few years ago, boldly entered the rumshop and - gambling house and poured out the liquors and destroyed the - implements wherewith their husbands and brothers had been at - once robbed of their reason and their money, and converted into - dupes and madmen. And we believe, if the same spirit now dwelt in - the hearts of all the women of this beautiful city, that every - rumshop would soon be closed, no matter whether legislators or - councilmen passed ordinances or not. Woman has neither made nor - consented to laws which leave her, and her children, at the mercy - of heartless rumsellers and she should never submit to them. She - has a right—nay, it is her duty—to arise in her own defense and - in the defense of the souls entrusted to her keeping and insist - that, either with or without law, the destroyer shall be driven - from the land. And if men have not the courage to boldly attack - the foe, then let woman meet him face to face and never retire - from the contest till she can do so as a victor. Horace Mann tells - that woman may with propriety go into the dark lanes and alleys of - our great cities and endeavor to conquer men to virtue. If it be - proper for her to visit such haunts of iniquity on such an errand, - it would be far more praiseworthy for her to apply her efforts to - remove the cause which produces vice and crime.” - - - GOLDEN RULES FOR WIVES. - - “Faugh, on such twaddle! ‘Golden rules for wives’—‘duty of - wives’—how sick we are at the sight of such paragraphs! Why - don’t our wise editors give us now and then some ‘golden rules’ - for husbands, by way of variety? Why not tell us of the promises - men make at the altar, and of the injunction ‘Husbands, love your - wives as your own selves’? ‘Implicit submission of a man to his - wife is disgraceful to both, but implicit obedience of the wife - to the will of the husband is what she promised at the altar.’ So - you say! What nonsense! what absurdity! what downright injustice! - A disgrace for a man to yield to the wishes of his wife, but an - honor for a wife to yield implicit obedience to the commands of her - husband, be he good or bad, just or unjust, a kind husband or a - tyrannical master! Oh! how much of sorrow, of shame and unhappiness - have such teachings occasioned. Master and slave! Such they make - the relationship existing between husband and wife; and oh, how - fearfully has woman been made to feel that he who promised at the - altar to love, cherish and protect her is but a legalized master - and tyrant! We deny that it is any more her duty to make her - husband’s happiness her study than it is his business to study her - happiness. We deny that it is woman’s duty to love and obey her - husband, unless he prove himself worthy of her love and unless his - requirements are just and reasonable. Marriage is a union of two - intelligent, immortal beings in a life partnership, in which each - should study the pleasure and the happiness of the other and they - should mutually share the joys and bear the burdens of life.” - - - THE CLERGY. - - “It is too true that the majority of this class of men stand - aloof from the humanitarian questions of the day, and exert their - influence to prejudice their people against them and to prevent - their hearing the truth; yet it is not less true that there are - among them many warm-hearted, earnest and true men; and for this - reason the charges brought by reformers should be limited. We find - that it is with clergymen as with other people; there are some - very open and liberal, and others very conservative and bigoted. - Some would think it a desecration to allow a woman to lecture in - their church, while others not only freely offer their church - for temperance, but also for woman’s-rights lectures. Some think - it an abomination for women to speak in public on any subject, - while others wish that there were a hundred to take the platform - in behalf of temperance where there is but one now. We have - discussed temperance and woman’s rights in numerous churches and - have had clergymen for our listeners. While we would by no means - excuse those who so coldly and scornfully turn away from the woman - question and its discussion, yet we feel unwilling to see the more - liberal classed with them and subjected to censure. We know of no - other course for reformers to pursue, but to be sure they are right - and then ‘go ahead’ without regard to the opposition of the clergy - or any other class of men.” - - - MALE BLOOMERS. - - “Under this head, many of our brother editors are aiming their wit - and ridicule at those gentlemen who have donned the _shawl_ as - a comfortable article of wearing apparel in cold weather. There - is a class of men who seem to think it their especial business to - superintend the wardrobes of both men and women, and if any dare - to depart from their ideas of propriety they forthwith launch - out all sorts of witticisms and hard names, and proclaim their - opinions, their likes and dislikes, with all the importance of - authorized dictators. As to the shawl, it would be well if it - could be banished from use entirely, as it is an inconvenient and - injurious article of apparel, owing to its requiring both hands - to keep it on and thereby tending to contract the chest and cause - stooping shoulders. But, if worn at all, men have the same right - to it that women have. If they find it convenient that is enough, - and no one has a right to object to their wearing it because women - wear shawls. Indeed, we think the shawl of right belongs to men as - it answers so well to the description of the garment prescribed - for them in Deut., xxii. 12: ‘Thou shalt make thee fringes upon - the four quarters of thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thyself.’ - True, men have departed from this injunction in former years, and - resigned to women the dress prescribed for themselves and worn by - their fathers in olden times. But that is no reason why they should - not resume it.” - - -WOMEN MECHANICS. - -It having been stated that a woman in New Jersey had made a carriage, -Mrs. Bloomer comments as follows: - - “This is told as though it were something wonderful for women to - have mechanical genius when, in fact, there are thousands all over - the country who could make as good mechanics and handle tools with - as much skill and dexterity as men, if they were only allowed to - manifest their skill and ingenuity. A girl’s hands and head are - formed very much like those of a boy; and, if put to a trade at the - age when boys are usually apprenticed, our word for it she will - master her business quite as soon as the boy at the same trade, be - the trade what it may. Women have taste and ingenuity for something - besides washing dishes and sewing on buttons, and so people will - find out some day, hard as it is now to believe it.” - - -WOMAN’S DRESS. - - “Our counsel to every woman is, wear what pleases you best. Pursue - a quiet and independent course in the matter, turning neither to - the right nor the left to enquire who is pleased or displeased; - and, if others do not see fit to keep you company by patterning - their dress after yours, you will at least be left in the peaceable - enjoyment of your own comfortable attire, and real friends will - value you according to your worth, and not according to the length - of your train.” - - -WOMEN DRUNKARDS. - - “Pity the law couldn’t be brought to bear upon a few more - respectable lady drunkards—and respectable gentlemen drunkards, - too—and shut them in a dungeon till they could learn in what real - respectability consists! The so-called ‘respectable ladies,’ the - upper-ten drunkards, are in our view decidedly vulgar, and should - be classed in public estimation with the drunken occupant of the - shanty or the frequenter of the low drunkery. They are even worse - than these, for their influence is much greater.” - - -PROGRESS. - - “The signs of the times cheer on the honest true-hearted laborers - in this cause to greater devotion in the work in which they are - engaged. They point to a triumph in the future, to the coming - of that brighter day when the mists of ignorance and barbarism - that have so long rested upon the life and hopes of women will - be dispelled, and when justice and right will bear sway. For be - it remembered that these things point, as unerringly as does the - needle to the pole, to the wider and fuller emancipation yet in - store for our sex, to the acknowledgment of her civil as well as - her social and legal rights. And that this end will be achieved we - believe to be as certain as that time will continue to roll on in - its course and humanity continue to struggle against selfishness, - bigotry and wrong in whatever form they may present themselves.” - - -SEWING MACHINES. - -The question having been asked Mrs. Bloomer, What will women do now -sewing machines are coming into use? she replied as follows: - - “It will be no strange thing to see, within a few years, - women merchants, women bookkeepers, women shoemakers, women - cabinetmakers, women jewelers, women booksellers, typesetters, - editors, publishers, farmers, physicians, preachers, lawyers. - Already there are some engaged in nearly or quite all these - occupations and professions; and, as men crowd them out of their - old places, the numbers will increase. It is well that it is so. - Woman has long enough stitched her health and life away, and it is - merciful to her that sewing machines have been invented to relieve - her of her toilsome, ill-paid labor, and to send her forth into - more active and more lucrative pursuits where both body and mind - may have the exercise necessary to health and happiness. Men are - aiding to forward the woman’s-rights movement by crowding women out - of their old places. Women will be the gainers by the change, and - we are glad to see them forced to do what their false education and - false delicacy have prevented their doing in the past.” - - -GOVERNOR SEYMOUR’S VETO. - -A Maine Law, having passed the New York legislature, was vetoed by -the governor; on which Mrs. Bloomer commented as follows: - - “The news of this treacherous act on the part of the governor was - celebrated by the liquor party with firing of cannon, bonfires - and illuminations, with shouts of rejoicing and drunken revelry. - The devils in hell must have rejoiced, while the angels in heaven - must have wept, over the scene. And how was it in the home of the - drunkard? Ah, who can picture the agony and despair, the wailing - and agonizing prayers that went forth from the hearts of the poor - stricken women who saw all their hopes of deliverance thus dashed - to the earth and themselves and famishing babes consigned to - hopeless degradation and misery! While those who are called their - protectors, and those who are heaping upon them every injury and - killing them inch by inch, are enjoying their fiendish orgies, - those poor sorrowing ones sit desolate and heart-broken in their - dreary cellar and garret homes bowed with shame and anguish. Would - that the man who has wrought all this sorrow and wretchedness could - be made to behold the work!” - - -FIGHTING HER WAY. - -Referring to a strike in a Philadelphia printing office because two -women had been employed as typesetters, Mrs. Bloomer wrote: - - “Thus we see that woman has to fight her way as it were at every - step. Her right to employment is denied, no matter how great her - wants, unless she find it in the limited sphere prescribed to our - sex by custom and prejudice. Yet we rejoice that there are men who - are sufficiently liberal to open to her, here and there, a wider - field for her industry, and who will see justice done her even - though themselves are for a time inconvenienced thereby. Let not - women be discouraged by such hostile manifestations on the part - of men, but rather let them press forward until they break down - every barrier which is raised to obstruct their advancement; and - if they are but true to themselves, they will come off victorious - and thenceforth find their way to every lucrative employment clear - before them.” - - -ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM. - -During Mrs. Bloomer’s year of residence in Ohio, she received a -great many invitations to deliver her lectures. Some of these she -accepted. The first one was at Zanesville; and, although she stated -in giving a report of it that she had been told she would meet with -only a cold reception, yet she declared she had never found warmer -friends or was treated with greater respect than at that place. “My -lecture was listened to by a very large and attentive audience; -indeed, all who came were not able to get within the doors. Judging -from the expressions after the meeting, people were well satisfied -with the lecture on woman’s rights. I was earnestly requested to -lecture again in the evening; but as I had made an appointment in -Columbus to-night, I was under the necessity of declining.” And -substantially the same report might have been made as to all lectures -delivered in different parts of the state. But she did not confine -her work on the platform to Ohio only. During the summer she visited -Indiana, also, and was listened to by large meetings held in Richmond -and other towns. - -Of some of her experiences in her lecture tours, Mrs. Bloomer gave -the following report: - - “At M. I lectured by Invitation before a young men’s literary - society. No price was fixed upon in advance, and I expected but - little; but having been told that no lecturer, unless it was Horace - Mann who preceded me, had drawn so large a house and put so much - money in the treasury, when they asked me how much they should pay - me I said, ‘You say I have done as well for you, and even better - than did Horace Mann, pay me what you paid him and it will be - right.’ I think they were a little surprised that a woman should - ask as much as a man; but seeing the justice of my demand, they - paid it without a word. At that day lecturers were more poorly - paid than since, and for a woman to have the same pay for the same - work as a man was no doubt a new idea to them. At Z. a gentleman - invited me and made all other arrangements. On my arrival there he - called on me and said that some society, thinking that money would - be made by my lecture, were talking of seeing me on my arrival - and arranging with me for a certain sum and they would take the - balance. He advised me to have nothing to do with them if they - should propose it, as I could just as well have the whole. Men - were so accustomed to getting the services of women for little or - nothing, that they seemed jealous when one got anything like the - money that would cheerfully be paid to men for the same service.” - - -AT THE OHIO STATE CONVENTION. - -Mrs. Bloomer attended the meeting of the Ohio Woman’s -State-Temperance Society, held at Columbus early in January, -and took an active part in its proceedings. She was elected its -corresponding secretary, and was a member of the committee which -proceeded to the State Capitol and presented a petition to each -branch of the legislature then in session asking for the enactment -of stringent prohibitory laws. Not being entirely satisfied with -the regular report of the committee on resolutions, she offered a -series on her own responsibility. These declared in substance, that -the redemption of our race from the manifold evils of intemperance -is of greater importance than the triumph of any political party; -that the question must go to the ballot-box for final settlement; -that, as men regard women as weak and dependent beings, women ask -protection at their hands; and that it should be their duty to make -themselves acquainted with woman’s sentiments on this great question, -and honestly carry them out. In support of the resolutions, she -said she considered many of the temperance men really responsible -for the protracted rum interest. They were so wedded to party that -they heeded not their duty to the welfare and morals of society. In -spite of all that had been done, the cause lingers and the rumsellers -and manufacturers triumph. The temperance men are to blame for not -acting consistently or independently for the cause. They will not act -together as for a paramount interest; they do not strike the nail -on the head. It is useless to dally thus from year to year and not -strike a blow to tell upon the evil and the curse. The resolutions, -after discussion, were unanimously adopted. - - -A WOMAN TYPESETTER. - -Fully believing that she should carry out in practice what she -advocated in theory, Mrs. Bloomer secured early in the spring the -services of Mrs. C. W. Lundy, of New York, as typesetter; previously -to coming to Mount Vernon, she had had three months’ experience in -the work. The fact of her employment and coming into the office -was freely talked of in the presence of the employees, all of whom -were men, and no word of dissent or disapproval, to Mrs. Bloomer’s -knowledge, was expressed. It was agreed that her employee should -receive all necessary instructions from Mr. Higgins himself, he -being a practical printer, or from the men engaged in the office. It -was soon seen that the men employed in typesetting, and especially -the foreman, looked with disfavor on the movement and by various -uncourteous acts and remarks endeavored to make the situation an -unpleasant one. - - -A STRIKE FOLLOWED. - -Mrs. Bloomer herself gave the following report of this strike of the -male typesetters. After alluding to the employment of Mrs. Lundy and -her introduction into the printing office of the _Home Visitor_, she -proceeds: - - “Nothing, however, occurred of sufficient magnitude for us to - notice till the fourteenth of last month. On that day, in the - absence of both Mr. Bloomer and Mr. Higgins, Mrs. Lundy asked our - opinion in relation to the proper indention of a piece of poetry - which she was at work upon. As we are not a printer, we could - only give a guess at its correctness; so we advised her to step - into the other room and ask one of the men about it. She did so, - and directly returned saying they refused to give the desired - information. We went directly in and asked an explanation of their - conduct; when all hands, with the foreman of the office as leader, - avowed their determination not to work in an office with or give - instruction to a _woman_. And, further, they said they had drawn up - a paper to that effect which had been signed by all the printers - in town. The foreman also defied us to find a printer in Ohio who - would give instructions to a woman. - - “This was placing us in a ‘fix,’ truly. We must do one of two - things: either break our word with Mrs. L. and sacrifice our - preferences and principles, or else the place of these men must - be supplied by others who were more gentlemanly and who did not - despise the efforts of woman to place herself in a position - where by her own talents and industry she could earn for herself - an honorable independence. The question was at once decided in - our mind, and we knew well that in their decision we should be - sustained by the proprietors of the _Visitor_. We took the first - opportunity to acquaint Mr. Higgins with the state of affairs; - and, on Mr. Bloomer’s return the next day, we also informed him - how things stood. They then repaired to the _Visitor_ office - and held a long conference with their workmen, telling them it - was not their intention to employ women to set the type of the - _Visitor_, but that Mrs. L. would remain and work on the _Lily_, - and that they should expect of them that they should give her all - the instructions she might need in her work. If they would do - this willingly and cheerfully, well; if not, they might consider - themselves discharged. They would not yield to such an arbitrary - rule on the part of those in their employ. To this, the printers - replied that they were firm in their resolutions and would not - depart from them; whereupon all hands took up their march out of - the office. - - “This action on the part of the printers has resulted in the - employment of women to set the type for the _Visitor_. Three women - were at once engaged for that purpose. A journeyman was immediately - procured from Columbus, and other help has since been engaged; - so that the proprietors have been enabled to get out their paper - regularly, without acceding to the unreasonable demands of the - printers of Mount Vernon. - - “We have removed our _Lily_ cases into the _Visitor_ office, - and now the work on both papers is done in the same room, four - women and three men working together peaceably and harmoniously. - It does our heart good to see the happy change which has been - wrought in the office by the attempt to crush woman’s efforts - in her own behalf. The moral atmosphere has been purified, - and superciliousness has given place to friendly and cheerful - intercourse.” - - -LUCY STONE APPEARS. - -While Mrs. Bloomer’s troubles with her printers were under way, Miss -Lucy Stone visited the city and gave an address on “Woman and Her -Employment.” Mrs. Bloomer says: - - “This happened most fortunately in the midst of the excitement - about our difficulties in our office, and her words were like - soothing oil on the troubled waters. It seemed as though an - overruling Providence had directed her steps hitherward to allay - the excitement and to subdue the angry feelings, to plead the cause - of womanhood, to proclaim the eternal principles of justice and - right; and she was in a great degree successful. We have heard no - word of dissatisfaction or disapproval, but on the contrary all - were highly pleased with her remarks, and we trust those who heard - her are wiser and better for having listened to her.” - - -A VISIT TO NEW YORK STATE. - -During the summer, Mrs. Bloomer visited her former home at Seneca -Falls, N. Y., where she received a very warm welcome from her many -co-workers and friends of former days. Writing home to the _Visitor_, -she says: - - “Seneca Falls! There is a charm in that word, D——, that will ever - arrest our attention and awaken an interest whenever and wherever - we may see or hear it. So many years of our lives have been spent - here, and so intimate and dear are many associations connected with - the place and the people, that they can never be forgotten however - attractive or absorbing may be the future events and associations - of life’s journey. You will feel a thrill of pleasure, not unmixed - with sadness, when you know that I am again on the spot thus - endeared to memory, and again surrounded by those with whom we have - long held social and business intercourse. Would that you were - with me here for a little time, would that you could walk with me - again the streets so often trod by us, and note with me the changes - that a few months have wrought! Would that you could see face to - face the friends of old, and receive the hearty grasp of the hand - which would meet you at almost every step, and above all that you - could gaze with me upon our dear cottage home which we took so much - pleasure in improving and beautifying and in which we found so - much real enjoyment! I can hardly realize that it is not my home - still, that I should not if I passed within find everything as of - old, and you to welcome my return.—A. B.” - - -AT THE NEW YORK STATE CONVENTION. - -While in New York, Mrs. Bloomer went to the second annual meeting -of the Woman’s State-Temperance Society held at Utica on the 7th -day of June. It was largely attended, and was presided over by Mrs. -Mary C. Vaughan who made an able and eloquent opening address. Great -interest prevailed among the temperance workers in the state at that -time, owing to the veto by Gov. Seymour of a prohibitory liquor law -which had passed the legislature. Various resolutions bearing upon -this subject, and upon the reasons assigned by the governor for his -action, were offered and discussed. One resolution, aimed at the use -of tobacco as a fruitful cause of drunkenness and of injury to the -boys and young men of the country, was also offered; on this, Mrs. -Bloomer took the floor and spoke as follows: - - “She said the resolution under consideration seemed to her one of - great importance. The tendency to this vice in the young boys of - the day cannot escape the attention of any observing mind; if one - may believe the statements of some of the best physicians of the - country in relation to the use of tobacco, it is a fruitful source - of disease and crime. That it creates a thirst, is admitted by - those who use it; and that thousands are led to quench that thirst - in the intoxicating bowl, is a truth that cannot be denied. One of - these poisons seems to imply and call for the other. Tobacco comes - first in order, alcohol follows. - - “In view of these facts, what must we anticipate from the boys - of our country who have so early become addicted to the use of - the weed? Is there not fear that their future career will be an - inglorious one, and that they will be led to slake the unnatural - thirst which tobacco has occasioned in the cup? Does not this - thought call loudly to the parents to look well to the habits - of their sons, to fathers to set them an example of virtue and - sobriety by themselves abstaining from the use of the filthy weed, - and to both fathers and mothers by their wise commands and counsels - to lead them to hate and shun the vice as they would that of its - twin brother, drunkenness? - - “It is a mournful truth that too many parents regard the tendency - to evil on the part of their sons with indifference, as an innocent - harmless habit. They seem to think it a matter of course that they - should grow up filthy tobacco chewers and smokers; and hence we see - little fellows who have hardly escaped from their frocks smoking - the cigar or long pipe in perfect imitation of their elders, and - this, too, without reproach or warning from those who should teach - them better. The practice if followed will prove ruinous to health, - if no more terrible results follow. Parents should take this - into consideration and act accordingly, as they value the future - happiness of their children.” - -Of this New York Convention, Mrs. Bloomer on returning home wrote for -the _Lily_ as follows: - - “The meeting passed off most happily and we trust it will be - productive of great good to the cause. The officers and agents of - the society, with one or two exceptions, were present. The report - of the executive committee and the treasurer show the society to be - in as prosperous a condition, if not even more prosperous than at - its annual meeting one year ago. A determination was manifested on - the part of all to go forward in the work so long as their efforts - were needed. Five or six agents have been in the field during the - year, and their collections have amounted to nearly two thousand - dollars. This money has been expended for the good of the cause. - One of the agents told us that she had lectured one hundred and - fourteen times since last October. This shows an amount of labor - expended in the cause equal to, if not exceeding, that given by any - man in the state. Altogether, the convention was highly interesting - and pleasant and it afforded us much pleasure to be present at its - meetings.” - - -GOOD TEMPLARS IN OHIO. - -During the year the temperance order of Good Templars was introduced -into the state and its lodges established in several of its cities -and villages, so that towards the close of the year a state -grand-lodge was organized at Alliance. The first lodge was instituted -at Conneat, and the second at Mount Vernon. - -This latter lodge was called Star of Hope lodge, and soon numbered -among its members many of the leading Temperance men and women of the -city. Mrs. Bloomer, for reasons already given, took great interest -in the spread of this order. For that purpose she visited different -parts of the state, and also several towns in Indiana, in some of -which she instituted lodges, special authority having been given her -for that purpose. She also occupied a prominent position in her home -lodge, and had the pleasure as presiding officer of assisting to -initiate into its mysteries Hon. William Windom, afterwards Secretary -of the Treasury, and Hon. William F. Sapp, both of whom were -residents of Mount Vernon, together with other prominent citizens. It -cannot be doubted that the institution of this lodge, together with -Mrs. Bloomer’s labors in the cause, had a controlling influence in -the temperance work in Mount Vernon during the year 1854. - -On leaving Mount Vernon, in December, Mrs. Bloomer published the -following card: - - “Star of Hope lodge in this city continues to prosper. Its members - now exceed 150 and are constantly increasing. Its weekly meetings, - which are very fully attended, are deeply interesting and we hope - are productive of great good to the cause. Our association with the - members of this lodge has been pleasant and agreeable, and we shall - part with them with real regret. Our wish and prayer is that Star - of Hope lodge may long continue to hold its weekly meetings, and - that its members may never falter in unwavering fidelity to their - pledges. When far away we shall often refer to hours spent in their - lodge-room during the last year as among the pleasantest passed in - Mount Vernon.” - - -THE _LILY_ SOLD. - -But another change now came to Mrs. Bloomer. Her husband in July had -sold out his interest in the _Western Home Visitor_ to his partner, -Mr. E. A. Higgins, and both his connection and that of Mrs. Bloomer -with the _Visitor_ then ceased, except that the former continued to -aid Mr. Higgins for a few months in its editorial management. This, -of course, made no change in the publication of the _Lily_. In -September, Mr. Bloomer made an extensive tour in the West proceeding -as far as western Iowa and Nebraska. After looking the ground -carefully over, he determined to locate at Council Bluffs, on the -Missouri River, in Iowa, and made purchases of property at that -place. In relation to this change of residence and the disposition of -the _Lily_, Mrs. Bloomer in reply to a statement that her paper had -died of “fun poked at it” wrote in 1890 as follows: - - “My husband after leaving the _Visitor_ determined on locating - in this far-away city (Council Bluffs), then three hundred miles - beyond a railroad. There were no facilities for printing and - mailing a paper with so large a circulation as mine, except a - hand press and a stagecoach, and so it seemed best for me to part - with the _Lily_. Finding a purchaser in Mrs. Mary A. Birdsall, - of Richmond, Indiana, I disposed of the paper to her and it was - removed to that city. Mrs. Birdsall published it for two or three - years and then suffered it to go down, from what cause I never - knew. But this much is true, it did not die of ‘fun poked at it.’ - It had long outlived fun and ridicule and was highly respected - and appreciated by its thousands of readers. It had done its - work, it had scattered seed that had sprung up and borne fruit - a thousandfold. Its work can never die. You say rightly that - the _Lily_ was the pioneer journal in the Northwest for woman’s - enfranchisement. Other journals have taken its place, and the - movement has gone steadily forward and nears its final triumph.” - -The above was written about 1890. - - -SHE IS SORRY. - -In announcing the change in her residence and the transfer of the -_Lily_ to Mrs. Birdsall, at Richmond, Ind., Mrs. Bloomer wrote among -other matters connected with the change as follows: - - “We have deeply cherished _The Lily_, and we have been greatly - cheered by the daily evidence we have had of the good it was doing. - This has encouraged us to go forward even when we were nearly - fainting under our self-imposed task, and did circumstances favor - it we should probably labor on, weary as we have sometimes felt and - great as has often been the effort necessary to the discharge of - duty. But the _Lily_, being as we conceive of secondary importance, - must not stand in the way of what we believe our interest. Home and - husband being dearer to us than all beside, we cannot hesitate to - sacrifice all for them; and so we cheerfully resign our pet to the - care of its foster-mother, feeling well assured that our readers - will lose nothing by the change, if they will only put forth their - hands to strengthen her in her undertaking. - - “As will be seen by the prospectus, we do not entirely sunder our - connection with the _Lily_, but only throw off its greater burdens. - As Corresponding Editor, we shall hold frequent chats with our old - friends and readers provided they will listen to us and welcome - it to their homes as of old. We have no idea of retiring into - obscurity, but shall keep the public posted as to our whereabouts, - and tell them of the events occurring in our far-distant home amid - the Bluffs of the Missouri.” - - - - -CHAPTER EIGHTH. - - -Mrs. Bloomer gave up her residence in Mount Vernon with sincere -regret, but with the earnest hope that it would bring a much-needed -rest and improved health. She had mingled freely among the people, -and many social courtesies had been extended to her. She had worked -faithfully in the temperance cause, through the medium of the Good -Templars and in other ways, and enjoyed greatly the fact that the -sale of intoxicating drinks had been almost entirely suppressed in -the town. - - -ON HER TRAVELS. - -On leaving Mount Vernon she proceeded to Richmond, Indiana, where -she transferred the _Lily_ and all belonging to it, type, cases, -subscription books and lists, to Mrs. Mary Birdsall, the new editor -and proprietor. She spent several days there very pleasantly -visiting, among others, the family of Mr. James S. Starr, a resident -of Richmond. On its becoming known that Mrs. Bloomer was in the town, -an invitation was soon extended to her to deliver her lecture on -woman’s wrongs and rights. This she accepted, and was greeted with -a large audience. She gave to Mrs. Birdsall all information in her -power relative to the new work she had taken upon herself in assuming -the publication of the _Lily_, and promised to write frequently for -its columns, a promise which she faithfully discharged so long as the -paper continued to be published; but of these productions it is now -impossible to obtain a copy—at least the writer hereof has found it -so. - -The two or three months following were spent in travel and in -visiting relatives and friends. She first journeyed to Indianapolis, -reaching there on the first day of January, 1855. The city was -resonant with the sounds of rejoicing on the advent of the New Year -and firecrackers and toy pistols were ablaze on all the streets. On -the following evening, she delivered her lecture on woman’s rights in -one of the principal public halls of the city to a large audience. -Leaving the next day, she passed on to Cincinnati, viewing on the way -the point on the Ohio River known as North Bend from which General -Harrison had been taken to assume the responsible duties of the -presidential office, which he was able to meet only for a single -month. In Cincinnati she delivered but one lecture, having been -taken dangerously ill and being in consequence confined to the hotel -for several days. With the first signs of returning strength, she -left for the home of a relative in central Ohio where she remained -until her health was partially restored. She was then able to accept -invitations to lecture in surrounding towns; among those she visited, -was West Jefferson where she met Mrs. Mary Swan and her son, Mr. A. -B. Walker, who subsequently became respected and useful residents -of Council Bluffs and renewed their acquaintance with Mrs. Bloomer. -Leaving Ohio towards the end of the month, she spent the remainder of -the winter with relatives in her old home in New York. - -[Illustration: Amelia Bloomer picture] - -Brothers and sisters both of herself and of her husband were then -living, and all were in the prime of life. The journey was made by -rail from Cleveland to near the head of Seneca Lake, where some -days were passed. Then down the lake to Geneva, at which place and -at Buffalo, Canandaigua, Waterloo, and Seneca Falls their relatives -mostly resided. Mrs. Bloomer delivered one or more of her lectures -during the winter; but this was a season of rest for her, and one -she greatly needed. Her long years of work on the _Lily_ had ended, -although she still continued to write monthly communications for its -columns. The little village of Aurora, the place of her husband’s -nativity, was also one of her stopping places. Near it was a Friends’ -or Quaker neighborhood, and her sojourn was with some of these -kind-hearted people. One of them was Humphrey Howland, a venerable -man and an old resident. With these kind hosts Mrs. Bloomer attended -a fifth-day morning meeting in their plain frame meeting house, and -had an opportunity of witnessing their peculiar customs and their -mode of religious service. The building was of the plainest kind -and wholly devoid of paint. The people sat on wooden benches, in -profound silence, the women on one side, the men on the other with -their hats on. After the stillness had lasted nearly half-an-hour a -comparatively young woman arose, and after laying aside her bonnet -proceeded to deliver a most earnest exhortation to all present to -live holy lives. And so Mrs. Bloomer on that day listened to a woman -preacher. Then ensued a season of quiet thinking; after which all -arose to their feet, handshaking followed all round, and the good -people departed to their homes. By special invitation, Mrs. Bloomer -delivered one of her lectures in the village. And so the winter -passed among relatives and friends rapidly and pleasantly away, and -the time drew near when she must leave for her new home in the far -distant west. - -This had been purchased by her husband while on a visit to Council -Bluffs, in the state of Iowa, the previous autumn. It was in those -days a long journey to undertake, especially as a large portion -of it must be made either in stagecoach or by steamboat, and was -therefore looked forward to with a great deal of interest. - - -STARTS FOR IOWA. - -Finally making her adieu to her parents, to brother, sisters and -relatives, she started westward about the 20th of March. A few days -were spent with Mr. C. A. Bloomer, a brother of her husband, at -Little Rock near Buffalo, and several more in the family of Mr. F. V. -Chamberlain, in Chicago. That city was just then beginning to put on -metropolitan airs and had a population of 40,000 or 50,000. Here Mrs. -Bloomer bade good-bye to a niece who had accompanied her thus far, -and who took the cars to meet a brother in the central part of the -state. Leaving Chicago, the travelers proceeded by railroad to Alton. -The country on either side of the road exhibited the vast prairies -of the state in an almost unbroken condition for a great part of the -way, and it is recollected that from the car windows deer and other -game were frequently seen running at large. Springfield, the state -capital, was then only a small village. The railroad terminated at -Alton, and from thence the passage was by steamboat to St. Louis. At -that city, then just beginning to loom up in importance among the -great western towns, the halt was first at a hotel; but a call having -been made at the hospitable home of Mrs. Frances D. Gage, her house -thereafter became the home of the travelers until they embarked on a -steamer on the Missouri River for their destination. - -We now give Mrs. Bloomer’s reminiscences, written some years later by -herself: - - -“EARLY DAYS IN THE WEST. - - “In compliance with the wishes of my old-settler friends, I have - called to remembrance and jotted down some of the events connected - with the early years of my residence in this western land. I fear - they will not prove as interesting to my readers as they were to me - at the time of their occurrence and are now as I recall them after - a lapse of thirty-eight years. - - “One beautiful spring day in the middle of April, 1855, I first set - foot on Iowa soil in our neighboring city of Glenwood. We came - from our New York home to settle in Council Bluffs. The only public - conveyance at that time to this section of the country was the - stagecoach across the state from Davenport and the Missouri-river - steamer hailing from St. Louis. Preferring the steamer we went to - St. Louis to embark for our destination, but learned on reaching - there that owing to low water no boat had yet been able to come as - far as this city, St. Joseph having been the farthest point reached. - - -“DELAYED IN ST. LOUIS. - - “Encouraged with the hope that by tarrying in St. Louis a week - we could come all the way through by steamer we restrained our - impatience and spent a week very pleasantly with our old-time - friend, Frances D. Gage. She was a noted writer and lecturer of - that day, but has since laid down the burden of life and gone to - her reward. - - “During our stay in St. Louis Mrs. Gage and I together held a - woman’s-suffrage meeting in the library hall of that city, which - was largely attended and well received by press and people. At - the end of a week as there was yet no prospect of a rise in the - river we took a packet and came on to St. Joseph. Here we had to - wait two days for the stage, which only made tri-weekly trips to - Council Bluffs and had left the very morning of our coming to the - Missouri town, some hours before we arrived. The hotel at which we - were obliged to stop was a very ordinary affair, as was common to - western towns at that early day. The waiting was long and tedious. - We could not even walk about and view the city because of a high - wind that prevailed and sent the dust in clouds into our faces. - - -“THE MISSOURI RIVER’S RAVAGES. - - “Here we first saw the devastations the Missouri River was making - in eating its way up into the city and undermining great brick - buildings and swallowing them up in its waters. The second day - of our arrival it got out that we were at the hotel, and all - unknown to us some progressive or curious ones went about and - obtained numerous signatures to a paper requesting me to give them - a lecture. The first intimation I had of this was after supper, - when I was summoned to the parlor to meet two gentlemen who, after - introducing themselves, made known the object of their call - and presented me with the paper largely signed by the citizens - begging me to give them a woman’s-rights lecture before leaving - the place. Thanking the gentlemen for their kindness, I informed - them of my intended departure in a few hours and that it would be - impossible to comply with the request. They replied they were aware - of my going and for that reason they wanted the lecture that very - evening. There would be time before the stage left at ten o’clock - in the evening. ‘This evening, gentlemen!’ said I; ‘how can that - be when there has been no notice given?’ One of them looked at - his watch and said: ‘It is a little after seven o’clock. We will - give you a good house in an hour if you will consent to speak, the - lecture to commence at eight o’clock.’ - - -“CONSENTS TO DELIVER A LECTURE. - - “Being so urged I reluctantly consented, though with many - misgivings, for I could not understand how an audience could be - collected in an hour. I had never yet refused to proclaim the new - doctrine of woman’s rights when I found people anxious to hear and - opportunity offered and I could not go back upon it now. - - “My consent obtained the gentlemen left, while I hastened to my - room to make known to my husband the extra effort I was to make - in the few hours intervening before we started on our homeward - journey. And it was an extra effort, for my trunk was packed and - strapped and must be opened, for I was not willing to go upon the - platform in my traveling dress. I, who had ‘turned the world upside - down’ by preaching a new gospel and was being sorely criticised - therefor, must make as good an impression as possible with my - clothes at least. Immediately after I reached my room we were - startled by hearing a great outcry and ringing of bells on the - street. Rushing to the window we soon learned the cause. Passing - along the sidewalk under our window was a large black man ringing a - dinner bell. - - -“ODD METHOD OF ADVERTISING. - - “Every other minute the bell would stop and then come forth the - stentorian cry: ‘Mrs. Bloomer will lecture at the courthouse at - eight o’clock.’ Then the bell again, and again the cry, and the - same cry and ringing of bells off on the other streets, till the - town was alive with noise. We were greatly amused over this novel - western way of giving a notice and calling a crowd together, and we - realized then how fully a notice could be given in the time fixed. - - “My preparations were delayed somewhat over this new use to - which slaves could be put, for it was in slavery days and the - bell-ringers were slaves. However, we were at the courthouse on - time, and sure enough the place was filled with an eager and - curious crowd that had come to see and listen to that strange woman - whose name and doings had startled the world from its old-time - peace and sobriety. It was the first time one of the ‘women - agitators’ had come so far as St. Joseph, and it was not strange - that an anxious audience awaited me. - - -“OFF IN A STAGECOACH. - - “Returning to the hotel after the lecture, I hardly had time to - remove my hat when I was again summoned to the parlor, there to - meet the gentlemen who had called on me a few hours before. They - had come to ask for another lecture, and on my declining urged - that if necessary Mr. Bloomer could go on to Council Bluffs by - himself and I follow a day or two later. They had heard enough to - whet their appetite for more and were very anxious to hear me - again. But I was firm in denying their request. I had given them - one lecture with considerable inconvenience to myself. I was far - from well, was anxious to reach the end of my journey, and could - not think of traveling by myself on a stagecoach through a strange - land and would not be persuaded to tarry with them longer. At two - o’clock on a rainy morning, feeling tired and sick and suffering - from a severe cold and want of sleep and rest, we bade adieu to St. - Joseph and took the stage for Council Bluffs. - - “The coach was filled with passengers, but no women were aboard but - myself. There were several young men bound for the newly organized - territory of Nebraska, and the famous Kit Carson returning to his - home in Nebraska. Having heard much of him we eyed him with a good - deal of interest and curiosity, but saw nothing remarkable about - him except his clothes, which were of buckskin, fringed around the - bottom, wrists and collar, a style entirely new to me. One of the - young men had come from the far east, Massachusetts, I think, going - to Nebraska to seek his fortune. He had run out of money and found - himself without means in a land of strangers. - - -“BEFRIENDS A STRANGER. - - “At one of the stations where they changed horses, he approached - Mr. Bloomer and asked for a loan, offering his watch as security. - Though an entire stranger Mr. Bloomer concluded to befriend him, - so gave him the money he asked and took his watch. But when the - time came for him to leave us and cross into Nebraska, Mr. Bloomer - gave him back his watch. He felt that he could trust him and that - he would need his watch. It was not a misplaced confidence, for - in due time the money was returned. All of the passengers left us - before we reached Glenwood at some point below to cross a ferry - into Nebraska, and from there on to Council Bluffs we were the only - passengers. It was a real relief to have the coach to ourselves, - after riding two days and a night crowded in with six or eight men, - and we saw them leave without regret. - - -“ARRIVES AT GLENWOOD. - - “On the afternoon of April 15, 1855, we reached Glenwood; and - here, while our driver tarried to change horses, we left the coach - and took a survey of our surroundings. The place was small, the - hotel uninviting, but the country beautiful. Being tired with our - long cooped-up ride, we strolled on in advance of the stage and - soon reached a lovely grove. Here we sat down upon a log to enjoy - the scenery and eat a light lunch from our basket. The stage soon - came along, and we took our seats inside feeling refreshed by our - walk and rejoicing that we were nearing the end of our 1,500-mile - journey. - - -“EARLY HARDSHIPS. - - “At about five o’clock the second day out from St. Joseph we drew - up in front of the Pacific Hotel in this city, which was then _the_ - hotel of Council Bluffs and comprised about half of what has since - been known as the Inman House. Here we remained two weeks hoping - in vain that a rise in the river would float a boat bringing our - household goods up from St. Louis; but finally went to housekeeping - with a few things kindly lent us by a friend in a home purchased - some months before and in which, with some additions, we have - continued to reside for thirty-eight years. We had brought with us - from our eastern home a trunk full of choice shrubbery and fruit - grafts. It was necessary that these should be planted and cared - for; so we went into our home under these discouraging conditions, - and only planted out our shrubbery to see it sicken and die under - the burning sun for want of water. - - -“SUFFER FROM DROUTH. - - “For weeks there was no rain and no water in the well to give the - thirsty plants, which had beautifully sprouted in the trunk, and so - we lost them all. One morning a great mystery came to us. We had - set out a patch about twelve feet square with apple grafts. These - were budded and growing about two feet high, when all at once we - discovered that every one had been cut off near the ground with a - sloping, smooth cut as with a sharp knife. We could come to but one - conclusion, and that was that some one envying us the trees had - taken off half of them, thinking to root the tops. But why did they - not pull them up and take the whole? was our query. It was to us - ‘a nine days’ wonder,’ but was finally solved by our learning that - rabbits had been the thieves and had cut them off so smoothly with - their teeth. - - -“FURNITURE WAS SCARCE. - - “Our first housekeeping in Council Bluffs was in two rooms with - bare floors and bare walls. The furniture consisted of two old - wooden chairs, an old table, a bed made on the floor, and three - trunks. The bedstead lent us with the bed went together with - screws, but as the screws could not be found the bedstead was - useless and the bed had to lie on the floor. To these borrowed - things, we added an old-fashioned cook stove that we were so - fortunate as to find here and a few common dishes. Here, with - these surroundings, I received my first calls and made my first - acquaintances. If more than two happened to call at the same time - the two chairs were utilized as far as they would go and I and the - others sat on the trunks. It was sometimes unpleasant and a little - mortifying, but I made the best of it, knowing it would not always - last. - - -“DAYS OF HOSPITALITY. - - “And really I don’t know as my furniture and surroundings made - one bit of difference in my welcome to Council Bluffs society. - I afterwards learned that many others were little better off, - and that there were no furniture and carpet stores in the city. - Nevertheless, I was more than glad when word was brought us, on the - morning of July 4th, that a steamer had arrived with our household - goods. I was glad to get carpets down and my rooms made more - comfortable, for our own sakes. On that Fourth of July the citizens - were so patriotic as to have a celebration. The oration was - delivered in ‘Hang Hollow,’ so called because an emigrant murderer - had been hung there, but by later citizens named Glendale. We - attended this celebration and had pointed out to us the tree from a - limb of which the man was hung. The reader and orator for the day I - do not remember. - - -“EARLY OMAHA. - - “Having joined the people of Council Bluffs in celebrating in the - forenoon of this Fourth of July, 1855, we took a carriage and drove - over to Omaha about noon, crossing the Missouri on a ferry-boat. - This being the first Independence Day in Nebraska since it had - become a territory, the people of Omaha showed their patriotism - in common with the rest of the country by celebrating. It was the - first time, too, that I had stepped foot on Nebraska soil, so the - day possessed more than usual interest. We found that an oration - had been delivered by Secretary Cuming, then acting governor. - This had been followed by the usual reading of the Declaration of - Independence. The exercises were over when we reached the Douglass - House, then the only hotel in Omaha. Across the road from this - place a speaker’s stand had been erected. A dinner table was placed - on the east side of the house and covered with boughs cut from - trees for shade. Liquor flowed freely. - - “Council Bluffs was then a city of 2,000 or 3,000 inhabitants. - The buildings were mostly of logs. There were no sidewalks. The - streets were not opened, beaten paths through fields of sunflowers - answering for thoroughfares in many places. The place was well - supplied with hotels. Besides the Pacific House there was the City - Hotel, a little low log building on the corner of Broadway and Glen - Avenue, kept by Mrs. Dunn; and farther up on Broadway, where the - blue barn now stands, the Robinson House kept by G. A. Robinson. - This was also an old log building covered with cottonwood boards on - the outside and lined with muslin tacked to the logs on the inside. - - -“PLASTERED HOUSES WERE SCARCE. - - “I think there were but two or three plastered houses in the city - at that time, and no greater number built of lumber. Nearly all - were of logs covered outside on the front with cottonwood boards - and on the inside, both walls and ceiling, with unbleached muslin - sewed together and nailed on. - - “Bancroft Street, now Fourth, where we had made our home, was open - but a little way from Willow Avenue, the bright bluffs extending - across to Main Street. Besides our house, which was newly built, - the frame house adjoining and a log house just below were all the - street contained, and from Bancroft to the river there was not a - house to obstruct our view. Bluff Street was not opened, and no - house of any description was built upon it. It was only a high - bluff, which extended down across Bancroft Street to Main Street. - Turley’s Glen was the only opening, being a resort for the Indians, - who frequently pitched their tents and camped there for days - together. The little valley between the bluffs contained Broadway, - the only street. No good buildings were on it except a few log - structures. - - -“WORSHIPPED IN LOG CHURCHES. - - “Of churches I think there were but two. The Methodists had a - small frame building on the side of the hill in rear of where the - Ogden House now stands. The Rev. Mr. Shinn was the pastor. The - Congregationalists worshipped in a log building on Broadway, west - of Atkins’ drugstore. The Rev. George Rice owned this property at - that time. He lived with his family in one log house, and held - services in the one adjoining. This latter was fitted up for a - church with a row of seats around the wall made of slabs with the - flat side turned up and sticks put up through the holes bored in - the floor for legs. The pulpit was a dry-goods box turned up on - end with the open side next the preacher. The congregation was not - large and was made up of people from several denominations, many of - whom were new arrivals in the city. - - -“EARLY CHURCH WORK. - - “One morning soon after we were settled in our new home, I had a - call from the Rev. Mr. Rice, of the Congregational church, inviting - me to attend a meeting of the sewing society at his house in the - afternoon. I went and found there about half-a-dozen ladles. - This was the annual meeting, and officers were to be elected for - the ensuing year. This church had commenced the erection of a - new edifice on a lot donated by S. S. Bayliss, on Main and Pearl - Streets, opposite the park. It was of brick and the walls already - up, but they had no money to go further. The object of the ladies - was to raise money for flooring and seating the new church, and - they evidently wanted to infuse new spirit and aid into their - society. I was consequently chosen their president, and Mrs. Sophia - Douglass who was also a newcomer was elected first director—thus - putting their affairs into the hands of two Episcopalians. Inasmuch - as there was no church of our own here and we were attendants upon - the Rev. Mr. Rice’s instructions, we took hold of the work with a - will and the following winter carried through a very successful - fair by which we raised money enough to put the new church in shape. - - -“DEFENDS WOMAN’S RIGHTS. - - “Thanksgiving evening, 1855, by invitation of the Rev. Mr. Rice, - I gave a temperance lecture from the pulpit of the new church - and a little later, about the last of November, one on ‘Woman’s - Enfranchisement’ at the Methodist church, by invitation of the - Men’s Literary and Debating Society; and again, by invitation of - the same society and the Rev. Mr. Rice, Jan. 18, 1856, I spoke - on ‘Female Education’ at the Congregational church. During the - following years I gave several lectures on some phase of the woman - question. - - “At the close of my lecture on ‘Woman Suffrage’ in the Methodist - church, in November, 1855, I was approached by Gen. William - Larimer, then of Omaha, but recently of Pittsburg, Pa., and a - member of the first Nebraska legislature, with a request that I go - to Omaha and repeat my lecture before the legislature. A few days - later I received a formal invitation from the legislature, signed - by twenty-five of its members, to give them a lecture on woman - suffrage or such phase of the woman question as I might select. - - “Jan. 8, 1856, I made my appearance in the House of Representatives - of Nebraska, having accepted the invitation to appear before that - body. I was escorted to the platform by Gen. Larimer, who made - way for me through a great crowd who had congregated to hear me. - Indeed, it was a packed house, men standing up between those who - were sitting on benches around the room, and leaning against the - wall, and the platform was so packed up to the very desk that I - hardly had elbow-room. Gen. Larimer introduced me amidst silence so - profound that one could almost hear a pin drop, and I was listened - to with the most absorbed interest to the end. Then came great - applause and a request that I give the lecture for publication. - This latter I declined doing. Omaha was hardly large enough and - was without daily papers and, besides, I felt that I might wish to - make further use of the lecture and publishing it would prevent its - again being brought out. - - -“THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE INTERESTED. - - “The papers gave very flattering notices of the lecture, and - it caused a great deal of excitement among the members of the - legislature; those opposed to the principles it discussed showing - opposition, while its friends, who were in the majority, were loud - in extolling it. The result of the lecture was the bringing in of - a bill in favor of woman suffrage some days later, which passed - the lower house, and was read twice by the senate, and only failed - of a passage because the session came to an end before it could - be reached for a third reading—the last hours being consumed by - the wrangling of the members over the fixing of county boundaries - and the location of city sites. Men talked to kill time till the - last hour expired and the session adjourned _sine die_. A number - of important bills were not reached, the woman-suffrage bill among - them. I was assured by Gov. Richardson and others that the bill - would undoubtedly have passed had a little more time been allowed - them. The session was one of only forty days and it was near its - close when the bill was introduced. Other matters engrossed the - attention and the speaker’s gavel stopped all further discussion of - matters in dispute. - - -“DANGERS MET IN CROSSING THE MISSOURI. - - “In the year following I gave a lecture on ‘Woman’s Education,’ - on invitation of the Library Association of Omaha, and for its - benefit. I so well remember that trip to Omaha! It was in the - winter. The river was breaking up and when I reached it I found the - ice floating and no way to get across except on a flatboat, which - was poled across. I feared to place myself upon it and came near - turning back. But I remembered my engagement and saw a carriage - waiting for me on the other shore; so, with many misgivings and - assurances from the boatmen, I ventured on board and was landed - safely on the other side. The lecture that evening was given in - the Presbyterian church to a full house, Dr. Miller presiding and - introducing me. But if I ran a risk in crossing to Omaha my heart - fairly stood still coming back. A high wind was blowing and when I - reached the river I found it filled with great blocks of floating - ice that endangered any boat it encountered. The ice was running - badly, and there was no conveyance over, except a skiff rowed by - two boatmen. The flatboat could not be managed in such a gale. The - skiff was in great danger of being swallowed up by the high tossing - waves or struck by the great cakes of floating ice and capsized. - - -“BUFFETS THE ICE IN A SKIFF. - - “The boatmen at first positively refused to take me into the skiff. - The man waiting could go, they said, but the woman must be left - behind. I thought of my danger in embarking and being swallowed - up by waves; and I thought of husband and child awaiting me at - home, and no one to care for them; then I asked why I could not - cross as well as the man. The boatmen said, because women would - get frightened and jump and rock the boat and upset it, and there - was really great danger. Then I said if I will promise to sit very - still and not stir, can I go? The gentleman interceded, and on my - promise I was allowed to get into the boat. I sat in the middle - of my seat and held on to each side of the boat, and I am sure I - never stirred a muscle or winked an eye or hardly breathed while - those brave men guided their skiff over the tossing waves, which - seemed to engulf us at times and anon bore us on their tossing - crests. Soon we were safely over and landed, ready to take stage - for home, feeling that we had been mercifully preserved on our two - very dangerous trips, and on my part resolved never to incur a like - danger again. - - -“WOMAN’S EQUALITY IN LAW. - - “On my previous trip to Omaha, I had gone in an old-fashioned - stagecoach and crossed the river on a ferry-boat. But the - ferry-boat was laid up at this time on account of the ice, so there - was no way of crossing but the skiff and the flatboat while the ice - was running. Thanks to enterprise and skill, we at this day know - nothing of such inconvenience and danger. And thanks to progress - and enlightenment, woman’s cause has so far advanced that there - is little need of her making extra effort to bring her claims and - the knowledge of her rights to equality in law with man before the - people.” - -DESCRIBES COUNCIL BLUFFS. - -Writing in 1855, soon after her arrival in her new home, Mrs. Bloomer -describes it as follows: - - “Council Bluffs is located on the east side of the Missouri River, - in Iowa, instead of on the west or Nebraska side, where it is - placed on most of the maps. It lies about three miles from the - river, the level lands or bottoms being about that distance in - width; and then commences a chain of high hills, or bluffs, which - line the Missouri for thousands of miles and which, at this point, - extend eastward in the state some five or six miles. These bluffs - are composed of immense piles of yellow marl varying in height - from fifty to two hundred and fifty feet and thrown into every - conceivable shape and form—rounded, oblong, conical, and peaked. - Sometimes we see them covered with trees and bushes, but most - commonly with only grass and flowers. They present at this season - of the year, robed in their rich carpet of green, a delightful - appearance. Among these bluffs are numerous beautiful valleys, - some of them sufficiently extensive for large farms, and through - which clear and pellucid streams of water flow gurgling down to - join the mighty Missouri, forming as they find their way across - the bottoms streams which glisten as pure as silver in the sun. It - was along one of these valleys, a fourth of a mile in width and - extending for upwards of half-a-mile into the bluffs, that the old - town of Kanesville was built. Here a log city was constructed, and - here for several years dwelt from two to eight thousand of those - singular people who have now found a home in the vicinity of Great - Salt Lake. These people, or most of them, remained here until - 1852 when they took their departure, selling out or surrendering - up their claims to the gentiles. Hundreds of the log cabins in - which they lived have disappeared, but many are still standing. - The gentiles who succeeded the Mormons soon began to build better - houses. Several good frame and brick buildings have already been - constructed, including a three-story brick hotel and the land - office, besides a number of stores and private residences. - - “Others are in process of creation and will be carried forward - as fast as materials and labor can be obtained. On all sides we - see the work of beautifying the town going forward. Gardens are - being fenced, trees planted, streets opened and graded, and every - preparation made for accommodating the population. The city is - extending out on the bottoms towards the river, the bottom lands - being here high and dry and in no danger of being overflowed, and - the probability is that at no distant day they will be covered with - dwellings. These lands are considered very valuable and are held - at high prices by their owners. The soil is extremely rich and - productive and finely adapted to either farming or gardening. - - “Situated as we are three hundred miles west of the railroads - connecting the Mississippi with the cities of the East, we of - course neither hear the shrill whistle of the locomotive nor see - the trains of cars dashing through our streets with a velocity that - outstrips the speed of the light-footed deer; but we are living in - full expectation of the day when these things will be as familiar - to us as they now are to my eastern readers. This city will be the - western terminus of the first railroad built across the state, and - it is fondly hoped and expected that three years hence we shall - be startled by the shrill whistle of the iron horse as he comes to - bathe his head in the waters of the Missouri, and from here, or - from Omaha, directly opposite, will he set out on his long journey - to the most western limit of the continent. Then Council Bluffs - will no longer be ‘out of the world,’ but directly in the centre - of it, and many who now hesitate about making their home here will - regret that their doubts and fears debarred them from uniting their - labors with their more enterprising countrymen in building up a - great and prosperous community in the very centre of the Union.” - -It will be noted that the above was written in 1855; and with what -remarkable correctness Mrs. Bloomer prophesied as to the future of -the country in which she had just taken up her residence must strike -every one, except that it was nearly ten years instead of three -before the railroad reached Council Bluffs. - -She then goes on to advise people to come West and acquire land (then -to be had at government price) and thus secure homes for themselves, -and then continues: - - “My residence is on a gentle elevation at the foot of one of the - highest bluffs in the city, with a western front commanding a - fine view of the grass-carpeted bottoms upon which hundreds of - cattle are grazing, of Omaha across the river, and of the plains - of Nebraska beyond which stretch away in the distance as far as - the eye can reach. I love to ascend the bluffs in the rear of our - house, and watch the setting sun as it descends below the horizon - far off towards the blue and peaceful waters of the Pacific; and as - I do so, I contemplate the day when the wild valley before me will - be filled with the hum and stir and thronging multitude of a great - city, and these bluffs covered with elegant residences and tasteful - retreats from the turmoil and activity that will reign below,—for - no one here doubts that such is to be the future of Council Bluffs.” - - -DESCRIBES HER NEW HOME. - -Here is also another letter written by Mrs. Bloomer in May, 1855, -giving a further description of her home in the west and of its -surroundings: - - “COUNCIL BLUFFS, _May_, 1855. - - “MY DEAR MRS. VAUGHAN: - - “From my far-distant home among the bluffs of the Missouri I send - you greeting. We have now been here four weeks, and for two weeks I - have been installed as housekeeper in my own house. The business of - housekeeping, as you well know, is not new to me; but it is a long - time since I have confined myself to that business alone, and it - seems a little strange after the many and various duties devolving - upon me for the last six or seven years to be relieved of the - greater part of them and to settle down in this strange place with - nothing to care for save my house and garden. - - “Far from the place of my nativity, far from the spot where since - childhood all the years of my life have been spent, save one, far - from dearly loved kindred and highly cherished friends, far from - all the noble spirits with whom I have long labored in the cause of - humanity, far from all I have ever best known and loved save him - who is my companion in life’s journey, I have commenced life as it - were anew. Here, surrounded by lovely flower-decked prairies and - nestled down among the hills that overlook the Missouri and the - vast plains of Nebraska beyond, we have chosen our future home and - shall do what we may by our aid and influence for the upbuilding - and prosperity of this infant city. - - “Do not imagine us in a wild and uncultivated country, deprived - of the comforts of life, and of the enjoyments and advantages of - refined society, for it is not so. Neither are we surrounded by - hordes of savage Indians and in danger of falling victims to the - tomahawk and scalping-knife, as some people in the east imagine. * - * * We do not consider ourselves as far out of the world as we are - set down by those who realize nothing of the immense emigration - into the mighty West, or of the energy and ‘goaheadativeness’ of - the people who come hither. We see some Indians occasionally, it - is true, but they are only visitors from Nebraska, they do not - belong to this state. A party of Pawnees some two weeks ago pitched - their tent on the summit of a high bluff near our house where they - remained until last Sunday, when they struck their tent, packed - it and all other movables on the back of a mule and then took up - their line of march to the westward, the men riding on horseback - while the ‘squaws’ went on foot. The mule was led by a squaw. Two - squaws had papooses on their backs, and another carried a dog in - the same manner. I had frequent visits from some of them while they - remained here, and on leaving they called to bid us good-bye, in - tolerably fair English. There is something interesting to me in - these children of nature and I almost regretted their departure. - - “The Indians who come here are perfectly harmless and no one pays - any attention to them. They come and go at their pleasure. We shall - see little of them hereafter, as the government has just paid off - its indebtedness to the Omahas and they were then removed to the - new quarters assigned them about a hundred miles to the northward, - in Nebraska. They were all collected at Omaha City, and from - thence started on their journey accompanied by the Indian agent - who is to pay them twenty thousand dollars in cash when they reach - their destination. The tribe now numbers but eight hundred and - five, counting men, women and children, and has but two hundred - men capable of bearing arms. Ten years ago they numbered sixteen - hundred. Their parting from their old home and the graves of their - fathers is said by those who witnessed it to have been exceedingly - interesting and pathetic. The women and the aged men wept, and - the stout-hearted warriors could ill conceal their emotion of - tenderness and affection. - - “People are now flocking in here in considerable numbers, either - to settle or to make investments in real estate, in the hope and - expectation of realizing a fortune by the rise in the value - of property. We have dally stages from the east and south, and - they generally come loaded inside and out to the extent of - their capacity. The land-office is crowded both by settlers and - speculators eager to enter the choicest lands remaining unsold. The - land directly adjoining the town, and for some five or six miles - back, is all taken, and one cannot buy a farm at Uncle Sam’s prices - within that distance of the city. Good land can be obtained at - second hand for from five dollars to ten dollars per acre. - - “By the laws of the state, women can own and hold property, both - real and personal, and I am happy to know that many women are - availing themselves of these provisions by securing to themselves - a share of its broad acres. I do wish that more women would become - owners of the soil, and I am especially anxious that you, Mrs. - Vaughan, and those women who labored so untiringly with you in - the cause of humanity, should come in for a share. I know that - such women do not usually carry long purses, and are not very well - rewarded for their wearing toil, yet with land at $1.25 per acre it - does seem as though they ought to be able to secure at least eighty - acres. One woman who is supporting herself by typesetting in your - state has secured an interest in this vicinity, and she is now - hoarding her wages that she may add a few acres more to those she - has already. A few years hence, these lands will be valuable and - the owners will realize something from their sale, if they do not - wish to retain them. - - “This city is the western terminus of railroads to be located - across this state, and it is ardently hoped and expected that ere - many years the shrill whistle of the iron horse will be heard among - the bluffs of the Missouri. There are two newspapers published - here and both are well sustained, I am told. There are two church - edifices nearly completed, Methodist and Congregational. Each has - a settled pastor and services are held regularly on Sundays. The - people who settle here are mostly from the east, and are nearly - all Americans; consequently we have an intelligent, well-ordered - community. Omaha, the capital of Nebraska, is situated directly - opposite, on the western bank of the Missouri, and in full view of - this city. It now contains about four hundred inhabitants. - - “A. B.” - - -The personal reminiscences of Mrs. Bloomer given above show very -fully that, in removing to Council Bluffs, she did not give up any -of her wonted zeal in behalf of those reforms to which so much of -her life had been devoted. She continued to write for the _Lily_ so -long as its publication was kept up, and the productions of her pen -frequently appeared in the columns of the city papers, and of other -papers in the state and throughout the Union. - - -LIFE IN COUNCIL BLUFFS. - -But the first months of her life in Council Bluffs were quiet ones. -They gave her opportunity to gain the much needed rest which years -of labor and activity had rendered necessary. She spent many hours -in roaming over the bluffs and valleys. Life seemed to have opened -a new page for her, and in its daily duties she found sufficient -employment. The population of the city was small and social -intercourse amongst its members, as in all new western communities, -was pleasant and unconventional. Everybody knew everybody else, -and all whose characters were clean and untarnished met each other -on a footing of perfect equality. All attended the same church and -all joined in the same festivities. It was in many respects an -ideal state of society; being far away from railroads and the great -centres of population, there was great exemption from the cares and -anxieties of older communities. Housekeeping was the first duty that -fell upon Mrs. Bloomer, and she strove to make her new home pleasant -and inviting. It soon became the resort of many new as well as old -friends. People coming to the city very often desired to meet her and -she always received them kindly, extending to all a generous welcome. -With her husband she early joined with others in the organization of -a literary club, taking an active part in its proceedings. - - -AGAINST STRONG DRINK. - -Mrs. Bloomer had begun her public life in New York state as an -advocate of Temperance. She had opposed at all times the use as a -beverage of intoxicating drinks in all their various forms, and in -her adopted state she continued the earnest advocate of these ideas -and principles. She wrote and spoke when called for in their advocacy -and defense. When a lodge of Good Templars was organized in 1856, she -became an active member and continued her membership in it so long as -it was kept up. - -Though the custom of using strong drinks at social gatherings was -common in her new home, yet she firmly set her face against it and -nothing of the kind was ever found in her dwelling. When societies -were organized, plans adopted, money expended in promoting temperance -principles she was always found among the most zealous in promoting -sobriety in all its forms. - -In subsequent years, Mrs. Bloomer became an active worker in the -Women’s Christian Temperance Union; and in an address delivered -before it in Council Bluffs, some ten years before her death, she -referred to her own and others’ labors in the city as follows: - - -HER EXPERIENCES. - - “I have thus given you, as briefly as possible, a sketch of - the introduction and early efforts of woman in this cause of - temperance. It may not be so interesting to you as to those of - us who encountered the opposition, bore the suffering, endured - the struggle, who were subject to ridicule, censure and frowns - for the cause’s sake and for woman’s sake. It is well that you - of this later generation should know something of what has gone - before; that you should know that, long before the W. C. T. U. - arose, organizations of women did as great and greater work than - that large body of women are doing. We had a cause and a purpose, - and there was no lack of zeal and enthusiasm. There was no - cold-hearted, half-way work with the Washingtonians and those who - enlisted under them. I must mention Rev. George G. Rice, of this - city, as among the liberal-minded men of early days. On my coming - to Council Bluffs, he very soon called upon me and invited me to - give a temperance lecture in his church; and later, at his request, - I spoke on the education of girls from his pulpit, and also the - church was freely given me for woman’s-rights lectures. - - “Council Bluffs has always been a hard field for temperance work. - Originally a frontier town, it was for many years almost completely - in the hands of the gambling and liquor-drinking classes of the - community. On my first coming here, in 1855, Sunday was hardly - recognized at all as a day of rest or religious observance. It was - the carnival day of the pleasure-seeking of every kind. Business - was carried on as usual. The saloons were open and games of - chance openly carried on along the streets. But even then there - were a faithful few. A division of the Sons of Temperance had - been organized, and very soon after we came we assisted in the - organization of a lodge of Good Templars. These two societies - handsomely fitted up and carpeted a large hall in Empire Block, - opposite the Pacific House, and held regular meetings on different - evenings of each week for several years. But financial troubles - coming on, they were unable to meet their expenses, and before - 1860 both had ceased to exist. I do not know whether the Sons of - Temperance ever renewed their organization, but think they did - not. But the Good Templars have at different times started up anew - and I am glad to hear are quite prosperous at the present time. I - have a strong feeling of sympathy with this organization because - I was connected with it in New York, Ohio, and here, in my earlier - days, and because it admits women to its membership on a footing of - equality with men, and it was through its membership women passed - through struggles for recognition. I have frequently assisted in - the formation of lodges, and one of my last acts before coming to - Council Bluffs was going by myself as deputy grand-chief templar - to Indiana to organize two new lodges. Other organizations for - promoting temperance work have existed here at different times. - The late D. W. Price was president of one of the most effective - of these, and really did a good work. Moved by his eloquent and - effective pleadings, many votaries of strong drink were reformed - and restored to their right minds and still remain sober citizens. - - “The women of the city have not been wholly remiss in their duties - to this cause, though they have not done all they could and should. - In 1874 a society was organized, a constitution adopted, and a - committee appointed to canvass the city to obtain memberships, and - signatures to a petition to the city council asking that the laws - enacted for their protection against liquor selling be enforced, - and the license law amended. But their petitions passed unheeded, - as those of tens of thousands of women in other sections had done - before them. They were laid on the table as unworthy of notice, - and when taken up received but one vote in their favor. What cared - our city fathers for the petitions of disfranchised women? They - had no votes to give to affect them at the next election, while - the veriest drunkard had; and so should they not consult their - constituents? Temperance workers, either men or women, have never - received much help from the constituted authorities either of our - city or county. Generally they have looked upon violations of - the law with indifference. That is the case at the present time. - Although we have a rigid prohibitory law now in force in this - state, its provisions are openly violated and whatever effort is - made to enforce it comes not from the men sworn to enforce the - law but from individuals in private life, who are thus compelled - to give their time and money to do that which should be done by - officers elected for that purpose.” - -Mrs. Bloomer fully believed in the virtue of prohibitory legislation. -She rejoiced when this principle was adopted into the laws of Iowa -and strove in all suitable ways to secure the advancement of those -laws. She wrote frequently and largely in their defense and the -columns of the city press bear witness to the zeal with which she -advocated her views. She was greatly distressed when her rector -came out in his pulpit and preached sermons against the virtues of -prohibition, and censured and criticised his position with great -force and spirit. - - -FOR WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT. - -But beyond all other questions, Mrs. Bloomer’s thoughts, hopes and -labors were given to Woman’s Enfranchisement. In that cause she was a -pioneer. She studied, considered and dwelt upon it in all its various -bearings. She believed most sincerely that the Temperance principle -of which she was an ardent advocate could never fully triumph until -Woman’s voice could be fully and decisively heard in its settlement. -This was her position in all her writings and addresses on that -subject, and these were continued and frequent so long as her -strength lasted. Moreover, she fully believed that the unjust legal -enactments coming down from a semi-barbarous age, together with the -harsh teachings of legal writers, would have to be completely changed -in letter and spirit before woman could occupy the high place for -which she was designed by her Creator and become in very deed and -truth a helpmeet for man. And finally she insisted that the precious -right of suffrage, the high privilege of casting a ballot along with -man, should be accorded to woman as her inalienable birthright, and -that she should exercise that right as a solemn duty devolving upon -her as a responsible human being and as a citizen of a free republic. -These were unpopular doctrines when she first commenced to espouse -and uphold them in her paper, more than fifty years before her -decease; but she never failed to maintain them, in all suitable ways -and at all proper times, throughout her subsequent career. - -Her house in Council Bluffs was always the welcome resort of those -who were engaged in proclaiming these doctrines and urging them upon -the favorable consideration of the people of the great West. From -time to time, especially in the earlier days, nearly all these -prominent advocates were her guests. Among them may be named Miss -Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary A. Livermore, Anna -Dickinson, Mrs. M. H. Cutler, Frederick Douglass, Phœbe Cozzens, and -many others. And frequently when these advocates of her favorite -reform visited her she arranged for public meetings for them in -church or hall, so that through Mrs. Bloomer’s instrumentality -her neighbors and friends were afforded opportunity of listening -to some of the most noted lecturers of the day; and it is here no -more than strict justice to record that she was, in all her work of -promoting temperance and woman’s enfranchisement, aided and sustained -by the cordial assistance and support of her husband. No note or -word of discord ever arose between them on these subjects (and, -indeed, very few on any other); they passed their long lives happily -trying to alleviate the sufferings and right the wrongs of their -fellow-travelers through the journey of life. - -Mrs. Bloomer’s pen was also very busy and she frequently wrote for -the newspapers in her own city and in other parts of the country. -Whenever an attack was made, either upon her personally or upon her -favorite ideas, it was sure to call forth from her a vigorous reply. -She did not confine herself to temperance and woman’s rights; but -wrote freely and often upon other kindred subjects, also. It would -extend this work far beyond its prescribed limits, to republish even -a small part of the productions of her pen; but some articles will be -given further on. Just here we cannot omit to give one of her replies -to the objection that woman should not vote because she could not -fight: - - -VOTING AND FIGHTING. - - “My reply to the argument of our opponents that ‘if women vote they - must also fight,’ is this: All men have not earned their right to - the ballot by the bullet; and, if only those who fight should vote, - there are many sickly men, many weak little men, many deformed men, - and many strong and able-bodied but cowardly men, who should at - once be disfranchised. These all vote but they do not fight, and - fighting is not made a condition precedent to the right to the - ballot. The law only requires that those of sufficient physical - strength and endurance shall take up arms in their country’s - defense, and I think not many women can be found to fill the - law’s requirement: so they would have to be excused with the weak - little men, the big cowardly men, and the men who are physically - disqualified. We know there are thousands of voters who never did - any fighting and who never will. Why then must woman be denied - the right of franchise because she cannot fight? If there are any - great strong women who want to fight for their country in its hour - of peril, they should be allowed to do so, and men have no right - to disarm them and send them home against their will. But as there - are other duties to be discharged, other interests to be cared for, - in time of war besides fighting, women will find enough to do to - look after these in the absence of their fighting men. They may - enter the hospitals on the battlefields as nurses, or they may care - for the crops or the young soldiers at home. They may also do the - voting and look after the affairs of government, the same as do - all the weak men, who vote and hold office and do not fight. And, - further, as men do not think it right for women to fight, and fear - it will be forced upon them with the ballot, they can easily make a - law to excuse them, and doubtless with the help of the women will - do so. There is great injustice, so long as the ballot is given - to all men the weak as well as the strong, without condition, in - denying to woman a voice in matters deeply affecting her interest - and happiness, and through her the happiness and welfare of mankind - because, perchance, there may come a time in the history of our - country when we shall be plunged into war and she not be qualified - to hold a musket! - - “This objection, like many others we hear, is too absurd to emanate - from the brains of intelligent men and I cannot think they honestly - entertain such views. If they will but give us a voice in the - matter, we will not only save ourselves from being sent to the - battlefield, but will, if possible, keep them at home with us by - averting the threatened danger and difficulties and so compromising - matters with other powers that peace shall be maintained and - bloodshed avoided. - - “A. B.” - - -PROGRESS. - -Mrs. Bloomer was mainly instrumental in organizing a woman’s-suffrage -society in Council Bluffs, in 1870, and was its first president. -Through her influence woman’s position was greatly enlarged in -that community. In 1880, she was enabled to write as follows: “The -trustees of the public library of this city are women, the teachers -in the public schools, with one or two exceptions, are women, the -principal of the high school is a woman, and a large number of the -clerks in the dry-goods stores are women.” - -The revised Code of Iowa, promulgated in 1873, almost entirely -abolished the legal distinction between men and married women as -to property rights. As to single women there was, of course, no -distinction. That code is still in force, and its liberal provisions -in regard to the rights of married women have been still further -enlarged. The wife may hold separate property, and may make contracts -and incur liabilities as to the same, which may be enforced by or -against her as though she were a single woman. So also a married -woman may sue or be sued without joining her husband in matters -relating to her separate property, and she may maintain an action -against her husband in matters relating to her separate property -rights. Their rights and interests in each other’s property are -identical. They may be witnesses for, but they cannot be against, -each other in criminal actions. - -It is not claimed that, for bringing about these beneficent changes -in the laws of Iowa, Mrs. Bloomer is entitled to the sole credit. -There were other efficient workers in the same field; but it is -certain that her long residence in the state, and her continued and -persistent advocacy of the principles of justice on which they are -founded, contributed largely to their adoption by the lawmaking -powers. - - -STATE SUFFRAGE SOCIETY. - -The first Iowa Woman’s State Suffrage Society was organized at Mount -Pleasant, in 1870. Mrs. Bloomer was present at this gathering of -the earnest workers of the state and took an active part in their -proceedings. Hon. Henry O’Conner, then attorney-general of the -state, was made its first president, and Mrs. Bloomer its first -vice-president. On her way home, she stopped over at Des Moines, -with Mrs. Anna Savary and with Mrs. H. B. Cutler; addressed in the -afternoon a large Temperance gathering on the capitol grounds, and -in the evening both ladies spoke on woman’s enfranchisement in the -Baptist church. The first annual meeting of the society was held in -Des Moines in October, 1871. Mrs. Bloomer presided and was chosen -president; she attended its annual meetings in subsequent years -so long as she had the strength to do so. She was for years in -constant correspondence with its members, and whenever the question -of woman suffrage was before the general assembly she did not fail, -by petition and otherwise, to do all in her power to promote its -success. In 1875 she was an inmate of the Cleveland Sanitorium, -and while there delivered to the inmates an address on the subject -in which she was so deeply interested. In 1867 she made a long and -wearisome journey, while in very poor health, to the city of New -York to attend the meeting of the Woman-Suffrage Association, and -was elected one of its vice-presidents, a position she continued -to hold so long as she lived. She was an interested listener to the -proceedings of the Woman’s Council held in Des Moines in 1883, but -took no part in them further than a very short address. - - -HISTORY OF IOWA SUFFRAGE WORK. - -Mrs. Bloomer furnished the main portion of the chapter on Iowa in -the third volume of the History of Woman Suffrage, published by Mrs. -Stanton and Miss Anthony in 1887. In short, the advocacy of woman’s -enfranchisement was her life-work from 1851 down to the end of her -days. She was in constant written communication with many of its -leading advocates not only in Iowa but all over the country. They -visited her often in her home, and she was subjected to frequent -interviews from newspaper reporters. A volume could be filled with -their writings called out by conversations with her. She always -treated them with kindness and courtesy, and received many kind -notices from the press. She always had a cheerful and pleasant -greeting for her many visitors. - -Mrs. Bloomer was spared to witness the triumph of many of the -reforms she had earnestly advocated. The temperance principle in -which her heart was so much absorbed made great progress during her -lifetime, and the prohibitive features she so earnestly advocated -were engrafted on the laws of her adopted state. She was not spared -to see woman accorded a right to the ballot in all the states, but -she was cheered by the wonderful progress in that direction that took -place all over the world. In Wyoming and Utah women had voted for -several years, and only a few weeks before her departure she learned -with infinite satisfaction from Mrs. Jennie A. Irvine, a favorite -niece residing in Colorado, that the right of suffrage had been -granted to women in that state. While therefore she was never herself -permitted to exercise that inestimable right, yet she died in the -full conviction that only a few years would elapse before it would be -accorded to women in all the free countries in the world. - - -ESSAYS BY MRS. BLOOMER. - -In the following pages are given the productions of Mrs. Bloomer’s -pen on a variety of subjects. Most of these essays have been printed -in newspapers located in different parts of the country, but are here -made public again in more durable form. It is believed they will not -be devoid of interest to the reader: - - -“WIFELY DUTIES. - - “‘_Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over - him._’—GEN., iv. 7. - - “These words were addressed to Cain by the Creator. They are the - same as those used to Eve, except that in the one case they were - addressed to the one to be ruled, and in the other to the one - who was to rule. The latter is more clearly a command than the - former. And if a command, then Cain only obeyed it in ruling over - his brother; and, as there was no limit fixed to the rule, was he - very much to blame for taking the life of his brother? Did not God - command him to rule and was not God responsible for the result? - - “And if God foretelling to Eve that her husband should rule over - her was a command to which all women were to be subject for all - time, does not this command to Cain to rule over his brother follow - the seed of Cain for all time, and are not all elder brothers - commanded to rule over the younger, and is it not the duty of the - younger to submit to such rule? - - “Clearly the Scripture quoted was not a command in either case. We - cannot throw upon God all the fearful consequences that have grown - out of and resulted from the construction so often put upon these - words. Read them as prophecy, substitute ‘wilt’ for ‘shalt’—as I am - told the original fully warrants—and they become clear enough. In - both cases it was a prophetic declaration of what was to follow, - and the prophecy as we all know has been fulfilled to the letter. - - “But read this Scripture as we may, I do not believe it has any - binding force at this day. However much the first Adam may have - ruled his wife, other Adams can derive no warrant from his case for - ruling their wives, except in the evil nature they have inherited - from him. The Adams still abound in the land, and will abound - until woman fully asserts her individuality and compels men to - acknowledge her equal right with themselves to life, liberty and - the pursuit of happiness. - - “The passages from the New Testament so frequently quoted have lost - their terrors. We all know that in the early days when they were - written woman’s position was one of ignorance and subjection. Peter - and Paul were imbued with the prevalent sentiment of the times, - and wrote of things as they found them. In writing of woman they - followed the law and custom of the day in which they lived. They - thought woman’s name was ‘submission’ just as many men think now, - and wrote of her just as they write now. - - “Barnard, in his ‘History and Progress of Education’ tells us that: - ‘In India it was a terrible disgrace for a woman to learn to read, - and the avowal of that knowledge was sufficient to class her with - the most abandoned of her sex. Her duties and attainments were only - such as would conduce to the mere physical comfort of her lord - and master.’ Again, in writing of the ancient Persians, he says: - ‘Female education was utterly neglected. The wife was the slave - of the husband, and every morning must kneel at his feet and nine - times ask the question, What do you wish that I should do? and, - having received his reply, bowing humbly, she must withdraw and - obey his commands.’ - - “Of Greece he says: ‘The female children were not allowed any - instruction except such as they might receive at home. The - condition of the female sex, except the abandoned portion of it, - at Athens was pitiable. Secluded from society and all intellectual - improvement, their lives must have been gloomy, dull and hopeless.’ - - “When we consider the condition of woman in the early ages we - cannot be surprised at the injunction laid upon her by the - apostles. But would John have her remain in that position? Clearly - he would; but not so her Creator. He has called her out of former - bondage and pointed out to her a higher mission. - - “It is worthy of note that the writers of the New Testament did - not give us a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ with any of the injunctions to - women, nor did our Saviour enjoin any such rules upon her. So while - we admit that the words of the apostles may have been proper at - the day and under the circumstances of their utterance, we claim - that the condition of woman has been so changed and her mind so - educated since that time that they are not applicable to her now. - We are told by some that her condition thousands of years ago was - her natural condition, that in which God placed her and intended - her to remain. If this be so, a great wrong has been done her - by taking her out of the condition of ignorance and depravity - in which she then existed. An educated mind cannot be kept in - slavery. Our system of education is all wrong if God intended her - to remain the ignorant slave of man she then was. How comes it - that, if that was her natural God-ordained position, we find her - condition so different at the present day? Whether right or wrong, - that condition has greatly changed ever since the introduction of - Christianity. And this work, this change, is not of herself, not - of man. We must recognize in her course the direction and guidance - of a Higher Power. If this change, this progress, tend to evil (as - its opponents predict), then He who rules and overrules is for some - wise purpose of His own bringing the evil on the world. But if, as - we believe, it is for the good not only of woman but of humanity - then, too, we should recognize the Higher Power that so orders it - and do what we may to help forward His work. In any case we cannot - by opposition, Bible argument, or indifference stay His work and - will. - - “Woman had a part to play in life that St. Paul never dreamed of, - and he who lives in the next generation will see greater changes - than the past has produced. As well say that men should be and - do as they were and did in the days of Abraham, as to say that - women should be kept in the state of bondage in which she existed - thousands of years ago. The world moves and woman must move with - it. She inherits the same blood, the same spirit of liberty, - that descends to her brother and for which her fathers bled and - died. To fight against this progression is like fighting against - the emancipation of the slaves. As the chains of the latter were - broken and the oppressed set free, in spite of opposition and - Bible argument, so will the All-Father, in His own good time and - way, bring about the emancipation of woman and make her the equal - with man in power and dominion that He proclaimed her to be at the - creation, that we may have— - - “‘everywhere - Two heads in council, two beside the hearth, - Two in the tangled business of the world, - Two in the liberal offices of life.’ - - “A. B.” - -Mrs. Bloomer, in commenting on an article in the Chicago _Tribune_ -stating that women should not be called by their husbands’ titles, -wrote for the _Western Woman’s Journal_ as follows: - - -NAMES OF MARRIED WOMEN. - - “I am glad the _Tribune_ has spoken out on this question, and - had it gone further and included names as well as titles in its - criticisms it would have done better. It has become so much the - fashion for women to call themselves and to be known by their - husbands’ names and titles that a woman’s Christian name is seldom - heard or known. Why a woman as soon as she is married is willing - to drop the good name of Mary or Elizabeth and take that of John, - Thomas or Harry I never could understand. And as to titles, why a - woman should be called Mrs. General, Mrs. Colonel, Mrs. Captain - or Mrs. Judge I don’t know except it be on the principle that - husband and wife are one and that one the husband, and the wife is - his appendage and must be known by his title instead of having an - individuality of her own. - - “So far is this matter of appropriating names and titles carried, - that women retain them after the death of the husbands and call - themselves Mrs. Colonel or Mrs. Doctor when there is no such doctor - or colonel in existence. It would seem as though, the man being - dead, his title would die with him and henceforth his wife assume - her Christian name. - - “Quite recently an inquiry came to me from New York for the - Christian name of a woman who had been quite prominent. On looking - over letters and papers bearing her name I found that in every - instance she had used her husband’s initials, and it was only after - sending a postal with the inquiry one hundred and fifty miles that - I learned her name and transmitted it to New York. This is but one - instance of the many where women use the name of the husband with - ‘Mrs.’ prefixed whenever they have occasion to write their names. - - “But women are not alone to blame in the matter. The press does - its part to keep up what the _Tribune_ calls a vulgar custom. We - have an instance at hand. Only a short time ago the daily press - announced that ‘Mrs. Colonel C. S. Chase, of Omaha, is very ill.’ - And again a short time after it announced ‘the death of Mrs. - Colonel Chase,’ thus following the woman to the grave with her - husband’s name and title. She was not a colonel, had never been a - colonel, and it surely would have been more proper to say Mary, - the wife of Col. Chase. Doubtless all have fallen into the custom - thoughtlessly. - - “Where a woman has earned a title of her own, it is right that she - should be called by it, and I see no reason why the prefix of Mrs. - should always be attached. It would be quite improper to say Mr. - Doctor Green; then why should we say Mrs. Doctor Hilton? - - “There are cases where it may be allowable and necessary to use the - husband’s initials when naming or addressing his wife, but usually - it is best for her to retain and be known by the name her parents - gave her. The name or title of her husband gives no additional - dignity or character to her, and it sinks her own individuality in - him; which no woman should allow. - - “Ever since the world began all women of note have been known by - their own Christian names. Adam named his wife Eve and we have no - account of her ever being called Mrs. Adam. Victoria of England has - never called herself Mrs. Albert Saxe-Coburg, nor has Eugénie been - known as Mrs. Emperor Louis Napoleon. Go back through all history - and all married queens, all members of royal houses, all married - women of any distinction such as artists, authors, scholars, - teachers, actresses, singers, etc., have ever been known and called - by their Christian names. In our own day and country this is the - universal custom. Lydia H. Sigourney, Emma Willard, Margaret - Fuller Ossoli, Lucretia Mott, Frances D. Gage, Mary A. Livermore, - Harriet Beecher Stowe, Paulina W. Davis, Isabella Beecher Hooker, - Lucy Stone Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Celia Burleigh, and - a host of others of equal or less note never called themselves - Mrs. John, Mrs. Tom and Mrs. Henry. Anna Mary Howitt, Dinah Maria - Muloch, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning may be given as instances - of English writers who have seen fit to drop their own names and - adopt the Christian name and title of their husbands. The wife - of our first president is known and revered in memory as Martha - Washington, instead of Mrs. George or Mrs. General Washington; and - Susannah Wesley is far better known than Mrs. Rev. John Wesley. - - “In law, women must use their own names and no document is legal - unless it bears the Christian name of the woman who signed it. Her - appointment to any office is always made in her own name and not - that of her husband. And yet many women have gotten the idea that - their husbands’ names and titles in some way add to their dignity - and importance and so appropriate them to their own use. - - “May the day soon come when all this will be done away and women - bear honored titles of their own, earned and conferred, but not - borrowed! - - “A. B.” - - -IS IT RIGHT FOR WOMEN TO LECTURE? - -Mrs. Bloomer answered this question through the press as follows: - - “The press has been very severe, in some instances, in its - strictures upon a certain woman of this state for leaving home and - husband to go before our public as a lecturer, thereby as they - claim causing her husband to commit a fearful crime. - - “Now supposing, instead of being out lecturing, and home - frequently, this woman had gone away on a three months’ visit to - friends—as many ladies are in the habit of doing—would the press - be as ready to blame her as it now is? Would she be, and are other - women, guilty of all the crime and wrongdoing which she or their - husbands may commit in their absence? And would it be right, would - it be manly, to publicly accuse these women and hold them up to - censure? Is not their suffering already sufficient without this - added sting? Why, pray, is it a more heinous offense to leave home - to lecture than to visit, to travel abroad, or to sojourn for - months at fashionable watering places? - - “I know nothing of the domestic affairs of the person referred to. - She has been to some extent a lecturer on temperance. Whether led - into it by pecuniary necessity, or solely from inclination or a - desire to do good, I never knew. But be the case as it may she is - the first woman lecturer, so far as my knowledge extends, whose - husband has ever disgraced both himself and her by such or any - similar crime or any crime at all; while the cases are frequent - of wives who are keepers at home and faithful guardians of family - relations being humbled and disgraced by husbands guilty of all - manner of crimes and wickedness. Men claim to be the stronger both - mentally and physically. Then why are they ready to shoulder upon - women the responsibility of their own wrongdoing? Why make the - so-called ‘weaker vessel’ the scapegoat to bear their sins? - - “But it was ever thus. The first Adam, the ‘lord of creation,’ - tried to shield himself by accusing Eve and putting upon her the - punishment of his transgression. And all Adams from that time to - this have imitated his weakness and meanness by doing the same - thing. Let the strong bear the burdens of the weak, is I believe - a Scripture injunction, but men have reversed this and put upon - the weak and powerless the burdens they are too cowardly to bear - themselves. In these days the Adams abound and, no matter of what - crime they may be guilty, some daughter of Eve must be made to - sorrow, not only over the fall of a loved one but by seeing herself - publicly accused of being in some way accessory to the crime. - - “If a man commits suicide, it is forthwith charged to unpleasant - domestic relations. If another, in a fit of insanity, takes himself - out of the world his wife’s extravagance is the cause. So, too, - ‘the extravagance of the wife’ is offered as an excuse for the - reckless spendthrift and defaulter. If a man deserts his wife and - family and goes after strange women, the wife is in some way to - blame for it; and if he gratifies his lust by the ruin of innocent - girls, there are enough of his fellows to come to his defense by - implicating his wife as the guilty cause of his ruin. And so on to - the end of the chapter, the same old story: ‘The woman whom Thou - gavest me did it.’ What a pitiful sneaking plea to come from the - self-styled ‘lords of creation,’ the boasted superiors of woman! - - “I object to this frequent blaming of women for the misdeeds of men - and in the name of all womanhood protest against its injustice. - - “A. B.” - - -WOMAN’S RIGHT TO PREACH. - -On this subject Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows: - - “The question of woman’s right to preach has been agitated more - since the action of the Brooklyn presbytery in arraigning Dr. - Cuyler for allowing Miss Smiley to occupy his pulpit than ever - before. Instead of this action having the effect of preventing a - repetition of the offense, or of convincing the people of its wrong - or sinfulness, and silencing women preachers, the discussion has - resulted favorably to the women and encouraged them in their good - work. - - “Two weeks ago Miss Smiley preached on Sunday both in a Methodist - and Presbyterian church in Buffalo, N. Y., by invitation of the - pastors of the churches, and she has preached in other orthodox - churches since the Brooklyn trial, and no one has been called to - account for a transgression of the rules. - - “In St. Louis, the women of the Union Methodist church lately - held a meeting to express their sense of the propriety and need - of an ordained ministry for women in the church. The meeting is - said to have been spirited and earnest, and embraced many of the - leading women of the Methodist church and of other denominations. - They offered their own prayers, made their own speeches, and called - no man to their aid. The proceedings and speeches are reported at - length in the _Democrat_, and reflect much credit upon the able - women engaged in them. The following memorial reported by the - committee was unanimously adopted: - - “‘To the General Conference of the Methodist Church. Fathers and - Brethren: We the undersigned members of the Methodist church - respectfully but earnestly petition your venerable body to take - such action, at your coming session in Brooklyn, New York, as may - be necessary to allow women to be ordained as preachers, subject - only to such requirements as are defined in our discipline.’ - - “In this, as in all other reforms, persecution and opposition - strengthen the cause they would crush. The result of the - anti-slavery movement should convince all that any God-ordained - progressive movement, though it may be stayed for a time, cannot - be killed and buried because men will it so.” - - -PETTICOAT PRESENTATION. - -Some ladies of Quincy having presented a petticoat to some obnoxious -individual, Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows: - - “It has long been customary for men, when they wish to express - great contempt for the action of an individual, or to hold him - up to the scorn and ridicule of the world, to present him with a - _petticoat_. No matter whether the action be one of meanness and - cowardice, or one of heroism in defense of a good cause, the man so - acting must be degraded in the eyes of the world by the offer of - a woman’s garment—no other being found sufficiently expressive of - the disgust of its contemners. It has always seemed strange to me - that men were willing to dishonor the mothers who bore them and the - wives they have chosen for life-companions by thus selecting one of - their garments as the most fitting badge of cowardice, of meanness, - of treachery, of weakness, of littleness of soul; and I have never - heard of an instance of the kind but my cheek has tingled with - shame and indignation—shame that men could thus unblushingly offer - insult to woman, indignation that woman must receive and submit - tamely to the insult. - - “But if such action on the part of men has been painful to me, - much more so is the action of the women of Quincy as given in last - week’s _Chronotype_. It is bad enough for men thus to dishonor - and insult us; but when woman imitates them in wrongdoing and - desecrates her own garment to so bad a use, it is doubly to be - deplored, for it is an admission that we are guilty of all the - weakness and meanness they attribute to us and that our garment is - chosen to represent. It should rather be woman’s part to frown down - all such acts with any part of her costume, and ever stand ready to - defend it from dishonor. - - “I by no means wish to condemn the ladies of Quincy for showing - their contempt of the ‘gallant soldier of Kansas.’ Far from it, - I admit their spirit and glory in their womanly courage; for I - hold it to be the right and duty of woman to mark the slanderer, - to speak out against wrong, to defend the injured and innocent, - and to drive out and put down immorality and crime, by the - power of her own might if need be. I only differ with them in - the manner of punishing the coward and would have counseled a - more womanly course. Had they waited upon the ‘slanderer’ and - ‘coward,’ expressed in strong terms their scorn and contempt for - his actions, and warned him to leave the town, it would have been - more creditable to them and to the sex than was the presentation - of the ‘red flannel garment’—a woman’s garment—as a badge of all - that is most despicable in man. I am too jealous of the good name - of woman, and hold in too much respect a woman’s petticoat to see - it disgraced by any ‘slanderer,’ ‘coward’ or ‘whipped puppy,’ and I - would to the last defend it from such disgrace. - - “If that garment is in reality the badge of cowardice and - inferiority that men would make it to be, then the sooner it is - abandoned by woman and one more appropriate to her true character - substituted the better. But it is not so. On the contrary it is - honored by having been worn by the good, the great, the noble, the - heroic, the virtuous, the honorable, the gifted, the most highly - praised and exalted among women; and so long as it continues to be - so worn it is entitled to respect from both men and women, and he - who dares treat it with disrespect should receive the censures of - men and the scorn of women. - - “The error of the Quincy women was one of the head and not of the - heart. Women are sometimes led into error by unthinkingly imitating - the follies and vices of men, or by acting under their direction. - In the ‘good time coming,’ when women learn to do their own - thinking and to rely more on their own judgments, they will rarely - be led into wrong or unwise action. May the day hasten speedily - on when woman’s dormant powers shall be so developed by education - that she will stand forth before the world in all the nobleness - and excellence of her being! Then no longer will men revile her - garments or taunt her as they now too often do, directly or - indirectly, with cowardice, inferiority and weakness of intellect. - - “A. B.” - - -OBJECTIONS TO WOMAN SUFFRAGE ANSWERED. - -While the woman-suffrage amendment was before the general assembly -of Iowa, Senator Gaylord, a member of that body, published a list of -twenty-one reasons why it should not be adopted. These Mrs. Bloomer, -in a letter to the Des Moines _Register_, answered as follows: - - “1. He says ‘it is not in the interest or in the disposition of - man to legislate against woman,’ etc. And yet for ages men have - legislated against woman and deprived her of all right to her own - person, her earnings, her property, and her children. The common - law places woman in a position little better than that of slavery. - And this law was made by men; and it was not until the agitation - of the woman’s-rights question by women, and their exposure of the - injustice of the laws and their demands for redress of grievances, - that changes were made in their favor. If the senator does not know - of this, let him read up the common law on these points and the - history of the woman-suffrage question for the last thirty years, - and he will find that up to that time it _was_ the ‘disposition of - men to legislate against’ every interest of woman. - - “2. He says ‘she ought not to be compelled by law to work out a - poll-tax in the public highway, nor to learn the art of butchery - on the battlefield.’ Most certainly she ought not, but she could - hire a substitute to do these things, just as Senator Gaylord does. - I venture the assertion, without knowing, that he did not earn - his right to the ballot by the bullet or by shoveling dirt on the - highways. If only those who do these things were allowed to vote - the number of voters would be small indeed. - - “3. ‘Because there is no evidence that the most intelligent women - ask for the miserable privilege of becoming politicians.’ Does the - senator think that it is a miserable privilege to have the right to - the ballot, the right to vote for good men and measures, the right - to self-protection, the right to sit in the halls of legislation - making wise and just laws for the government of his country, which - shall tend to the interest and happiness of the whole people? One - who prizes these privileges so lightly should be deprived of them - and the wonder is that, holding such opinions as he does, we find - a ‘miserable politician’ having his seat in the legislative hall - of this great state, where he surely ought not to be. The fact - that the women and the men who are asking for the enfranchisement - of women are among the most intelligent, refined, affectionate and - exemplary citizens is too patent to need proof from me. - - “4. ‘Because woman is superior to man, and she owes her superiority - to the fact that she has never waded in the dirty pool of - politics.’ Dear me! how worried this man is about the ‘dirty,’ - ‘miserable’ politics! And again how strange, knowing the pool to - be so muddy, that he has waded in so deep! and to think of his - going home to his family with all this filth upon him! Really, if - the place is so muddy it is high time that woman come in, with all - the purity and goodness he gives her credit for, and sweep out the - dirt that is befouling her husband and sons and make it a more fit - place for them. An atmosphere that is too impure for her to breathe - cannot but be dangerous to them, and it is her duty to rescue them - from the ‘muddy’ pool or so to cleanse it that it will be safe for - both. - - “5. Senator Gaylord may call himself a wizard if he likes, and - we shall not object; but women prefer not to be angels while - sojourning here below, but rather good, sensible, practical wives - and mothers, prepared to discharge life’s duties in whatever - situation they may be placed—in the home, at the ballot-box or in - legislative halls, wherever duty, interest and inclination may lead - them. - - “6. ‘Because a deference is now shown to women, which would be - denied,’ etc. Deference shown to women does not make up for - deprivation of rights, Mr. Gaylord. Besides, it is not a fact, but - on the contrary, that equality of rights, politically or otherwise, - leads men to disrespect woman. Give us rights and then, if you - must, withhold courtesy: I trust we should have strength to bear it. - - “7. ‘Because, if married women should vote against their husbands, - there would be war.’ And who would make the war, Mr. Gaylord? No - man, except one who wishes to play the tyrant in his family and - enslave his wife’s thought and actions, could ever utter so silly - a reason for depriving her of rights to which she is as justly - entitled as himself. Does he question the right of a man to do his - own thinking and vote as he pleases? Why then a woman? The very - fact that he thus claims the right to make her action subservient - to his wishes, or to make war upon her if she does not submit to - his own dictation, is reason sufficient why her individuality and - right to self-government should be recognized and secured to her by - making her an enfranchised citizen. - - “8. ‘Because there are bad women,’ etc. Well, why may not bad women - vote as well as bad men? If they had had a vote long ago perhaps - they would not be bad now, and perhaps there would not be so many - bad men either. I would sooner trust those women to vote right than - many men who now disgrace the ballot; and as to any contamination - at the polls, we no more fear it than on the streets, at public - gatherings, in the stores, and in various places where we meet and - brush by them unharmed. We have more to fear from the men who make - women bad. But, inasmuch as many women are compelled to associate - in the closest relations with these men, and we all have to - tolerate them in society, and come in contact with them in business - matters, we think no great harm can come to us by dropping a bit - of paper in the same box. But if there is really danger from such - contact, we can avoid it by having voting places for our own sex - away from theirs. - - “9. ‘Because, if a woman trains up her children right, they will - vote right.’ etc. No, not always. The training of the mother is - often counteracted by the influence, authority and example of the - father, and the two might differ as to what was right. The mother - might teach her son that the ballot is a high and sacred thing, a - mighty power to be wielded for the best interests and happiness - of humanity, a power for the putting down of evil and for the - forming and sustaining just governments; while the father might - teach him that the right of the elective franchise is a ‘miserable - privilege,’ that it leads to a ‘muddy pool’ into which all must - wade, that it is all ‘moonshine and monsoons’ and that the - ‘privilege of voting is not to be so much desired as the privilege - of being voted for.’ Which training is he to follow? Where lies the - danger? - - “10. The senator here claims that men are ‘vain, ambitious and - aspiring, caring more to be voted for than to vote,’ and he - fears that women will show the same weakness if permitted to - vote. It is to be hoped, for the credit of womanhood, that if a - woman ever takes his seat she will not disgrace herself by the - utterance of such senseless twaddle in opposition to any measure as - characterized his effort on the proposed amendment! - - “13. ‘Because there must be a dividing line, somewhere, between - those who may vote and who may not,’ etc. Then why not let the - educated, intelligent, sober and moral of both sexes vote, and shut - out the ignorant, drunken and immoral? Why let men vote and make - laws, no matter how low and vile they may be, simply because they - are men while those who are subject to the man-made laws are denied - the right to vote, simply because they are women? The line so drawn - is unnatural, unjust, and productive of great wrong to all parties. - The line as now drawn shuts out only Indians, idiots, and women. - - “14. Here our senator throws all the responsibility upon the - ‘All-wise Author of our natures,’ and claims that He has made laws - to prevent woman entering the ‘moonshine and monsoon of politics,’ - forgetting that God called Deborah to the political field and - made her a judge in Israel, and that for all time there have been - queens and rulers among women, evidently with God’s approval. - The All-Father gave woman an intelligent mind and capacity for - governing, and then left her free to exercise her gifts as she saw - fit; and if there be times when by sickness or other circumstance - she may be prevented from the discharge of political duties, so - also there are times and circumstances when men are kept from the - polls and from office, and if this be reason why the former should - not be enfranchised then it is also reason why the latter should be - disfranchised. - - “15. ‘Because the wife has a voice and a vote already, and her - husband is her agent to carry that vote to the ballot-box.’ How is - it about the thousands of women who have no husbands to do such - errands for them? How does this proxy-voting work when the wife - differs with the husband on the question to be voted on? Does he - waive his own preference and deposit the vote in accordance with - her wishes? If he does not, then does he represent her? The only - just course is to let her deposit her own vote; then both will be - represented. Now, they are not. Man deposits his vote regardless of - his wife’s interests and wishes. - - “17. ‘Because there cannot be two equal heads in the same family.’ - ‘Where the wife is anybody, the husband must be a nobody.’ ‘If - the wife has sense enough to vote, the husband is dwarfed.’ So, - according to our senator, the wife should be a weak-minded, - senseless thing deprived of all right of opinion, so that the - husband may rise to the dignity of a voter. Is not this sound - logic? Did the superior brain of man ever before conceive of so - strong an argument why woman should not vote? Two heads are better - than one, Mr. Senator, and there may be two equal heads in the - same family, at the same time, and neither of them be ‘dwarfed’ - or belittled by the superiority of the other. If such is not the - condition of your family, your wife is a subject for sympathy. - - “18. ‘Because politics would pervert and destroy woman’s nature, - the religious element,’ etc. God implanted in woman’s nature a - love of home and a love of her offspring, and also an instinctive - knowledge of what is proper and what improper for her to do; and - it needs no laws of man’s making to incite the one or compel the - other. Give her her rights and her own good sense will teach her - how to use them. Does the ballot change man’s nature for the worse? - Why then woman’s? - - “Pp. 11, 12, 19, 20 and 21. These concluding reasons show a - dreadful imaginative picture of the condition of things that would - exist in the family should women be permitted to go to the polls - and exercise the rights secured to them by the laws of their - country. ‘Strife, contention, jealousy, hatred, slander, rivalry, - intemperance, licentiousness, temper, retaliation, suicide, - suspicion, discord, divorce,’ all these are to come to our good - senator’s family when his wife has a right to vote. He anticipates - it all and is doing all he can to avert the dire calamity. But - while he is to be commiserated, he must remember that all families - are not alike, and where he sees only dire disaster other men see - the dawning of a better day and are ready to ‘turn the crank’ that - shall hasten it on. Other men do not fear and tremble; but calmly - await the time when they can take their wives on their arms and, - side by side, go to the polls and drop in the little paper that - declares them equal in rights and privileges. In these families - there will be no war, for such men are proud to own their wives - their equals and do not feel that they themselves are dwarfed - thereby. As the ballot elevates and ennobles man, so they believe - it will be with woman, and they cannot understand how rendering - justice to her is going to convert her into the coarse, vile, - quarrelsome thing our senator predicts, or how acknowledging her - the equal of her husband is going to ‘dwarf’ men and convert them - into ruffians and nobodies. - - “A. B.” - - -ON HOUSEKEEPING—WOMAN’S BURDENS. - -The following essay on this subject was read by Mrs. Bloomer before a -local society or club in Council Bluffs: - - “It has always seemed to me that there was something wrong in - the present system of housekeeping. Men have particular branches - of business to which they give their exclusive attention, and - never attempt to carry on three or four trades at the same - time. Housekeeping comprises at least three trades, that of - cook, laundress and seamstress, to which might be added that of - house cleaning; and yet it is expected of woman that she will - single-handed successfully carry on these various trades, and at - the same time bear and rear children and teach them to become great - and good. How long would men undergo a like amount of labor without - devising some means of lightening and separating its burdens? - - “I wish to call your attention to the fact that in the mythical - second chapter of Genesis, upon which men lay so much stress as - their authority for subjugating and belittling the position of - woman, no toil was imposed on our Mother Eve. The ground was cursed - for man’s sake, and he was to labor and eat his bread in the sweat - of his face. But to woman no command to labor was given, no toil - laid upon her, no ground or stove cursed for her sake. She was to - bear children; but motherhood was never cursed by the Almighty. - Woman is the mother of mankind, the living Providence (under God) - who gives to every human being its mental, moral and physical - organization, who stamps upon every human heart her seal for good - or for evil. How important then that her surroundings be pleasant, - her thoughts elevated, her mind imbued with the best and noblest - traits, her individuality acknowledged, her freedom assured, that - she may impart wise and noble characters to her children, surround - them with good influences and train them in all goodness and - virtue! This is the part of woman. But how can she be fitted for - such life work when subjected to the whims and commands of another, - to the constant round of housekeeping labor, to toil and drudgery, - to cares, annoyances and perplexities which she has not health and - strength and nerve to bear? How can one woman cook and wash dishes - three times a day, sweep and dust the house, wash and iron, scrub - and clean, make and mend and darn for a family, and yet have time - or spirit for the improvement of her own mind so that she may stamp - strong characters upon her children? How can a mother whose every - hour from early morn to late at night is filled with cares and - worries and toil to supply the physical needs of her family find - time or be prepared to instruct properly the tender minds committed - to her care? - - “It is to woman’s weary hours and broken health, and to her - subject, unhappy and unsatisfactory position, that we may impute - much of the evil, vice and crime that are abroad. And to the same - cause are due so many domestic quarrels, separations and divorces. - Children are born into the world with the stamp of the mother’s - mind upon them. I believe it is conceded that children are more - indebted to their mothers than to their fathers for their natural - gifts. How important then that every facility be afforded the - mother for making good impressions on her child! How strange that - men so entirely overlook this law of inheritance! What can they - expect of children when the mother is degraded and enslaved? - - “Is there not some way of relief from this drudging, weary work - over the cook stove, washtub and sewing machine; from this load of - labor and care? Why should one hundred women in each of one hundred - separate houses be compelled to do the work that could equally as - well or better be done by less than one-fifth of that number by - some reasonable and just system of coöperation? Why cannot the - cooking and washing and sewing be all attended to in a coöperative - establishment, and thus relieve women, and mothers particularly, - of the heavy burdens their fourfold labors now impose upon them, - and give them time for self-improvement and the care and culture - of their children? It is said that in the city of New York there - are but 30,000 household servants to more than 270,000 families. By - this we see that nine out of every ten wives and mothers in that - city are subjected to the daily round of household labor. Can we - not trace a large percentage of the vice and degradation of that - city to that cause? And this state of things will hold good to a - large extent over the whole country. - - “Time is not allowed me to go into the details of coöperative - housekeeping, even had I the matter well matured in my own mind, - which I have not. But I have given reasons why some plan should - be devised to relieve woman of hard labor and crushing care, and - I leave it for her who is to follow on my side of the question to - present a plan that shall recommend itself to our approval. - - “A. B.” - - -THE CIVIL WAR. - -The War of the Rebellion aroused the feelings, as also the -patriotism, of the women of the Northern states to a high state of -activity. Perhaps at first they did not enter into the contest so -earnestly as did the women of the South, that is, their feelings were -not so deeply aroused; but ere long, as the war went on, they came -up nobly to the duties before them and were henceforward unwearied -and unremitting in their discharge. Their fathers, brothers, sons -and husbands were in the armies of the Union periling their lives -for its complete restoration. They could but hope that success might -crown their efforts, and in various ways they sought to help on the -contest until the end should be reached, the republic saved; and many -also hoped and prayed that, when victory came, it would bring also -the complete destruction of slavery. Mrs. Bloomer entered into this -feeling, and the work done by the women of the North, with all the -energies of her ardent spirit. Two regiments were raised in Council -Bluffs and the vicinity, and many of the young men of the city were -in their ranks. The women did a great deal towards providing them -with camp conveniences and furnishing them with needed clothing and -other comforts necessary for the arduous and dangerous life on which -they were about to enter. Each day, dress parade found very many on -the regimental grounds encouraging “the boys” in the discharge of -their duties. Among other things, a beautiful flag was prepared and -Mrs. Bloomer was delegated by the ladies to present it to company -A, which had been mainly recruited in the city. This she did in the -presence of the whole regiment, in the following short speech: - - -MRS. BLOOMER’S ADDRESS. - - “Captain Craig, Sir: In behalf of the loyal ladies of Council - Bluffs I present to you, and through you to the company you - command, this flag. Its materials are not of so rich a texture as - we could have wished, but they are the best our city afforded; and - we hope that you will accept it as an expression of our respect for - yourself and your company, and our warm sympathy for the cause you - go forth to uphold. This flag has emblazoned upon it the stars and - stripes of our country. It was under these that our Fathers fought - the battle of the Revolution and secured for us that priceless - gift, the Constitution of the United States. - - “You are now going forth to sustain and defend that Constitution - against an unjust and monstrous rebellion, fomented and carried - on by wicked and ambitious men, who have for their object the - overthrow of the best government the world has ever seen. To this - noble cause we dedicate this flag. We know you will carry it - proudly, gallantly and bravely on the field of battle and wherever - you go, and we trust it may ever be to you the emblem of victory. - - “Soldiers: We cannot part with you without a few words of counsel - and warning. In the new and dangerous path you are entering upon, - let us entreat you to guard well your steps and keep yourselves - aloof from every vice. Avoid, above all things, profanity and the - intoxicating cup. The latter slays annually more than fall on the - battlefield. The hearts of mothers, wives and sisters go forth - after you. Many tears will be shed and many prayers will be offered - in your behalf. See to it, then, that you so conduct yourselves - that whatever may befall you, whether you fall in the service of - your country or return to gladden the hearts of the loved ones you - leave behind and to enjoy the peace you will have conquered—that no - sting shall pierce their hearts, no stain rest on your fair fame. - Go forth in your sense of right, relying on the justice of your - cause. Seek peace with God your Saviour, that you may be prepared - to meet His summons should it come suddenly, or to enjoy life - should it please Him to spare you for many days. - - “Our good wishes go with you, and we shall ever hold you in - honorable remembrance; and when this important war is ended which - calls you from us, and you are discharged from duty, we shall - heartily welcome you back to your home and friends.” - -This address was delivered at dress parade just as the sun was going -down and only a day or two before the regiment left for the front. -The volunteer soldiers listened with deep emotion, and when allusion -was made to the homes and friends left behind many a stout heart -heaved and tears trickled down many a manly face. - -Lieutenant Kinsman, in behalf of Captain Craig, accepted the flag -from Mrs. Bloomer in a neat and appropriate address. - -Lieutenant Kinsman had been a partner of her husband and a dear -friend of Mrs. Bloomer’s; over his subsequent career she watched with -the greatest interest. He soon rose to be the captain of his company, -then a lieutenant-colonel, and then colonel of an Iowa regiment at -whose head he fell bravely fighting at the Battle of Black River -Bridge, in Mississippi, in 1863. As showing the earnest patriotism of -Mrs. Bloomer and her intelligent appreciation of the great questions -involved in it, the following letter written by her to the convention -of loyal women in New York City in 1864 is here inserted: - - -LETTER TO CONVENTION OF LOYAL WOMEN. - - “MISS ANTHONY: - - “Your letter inviting me to meet in council with the loyal women of - the nation on the 14th inst. in the city of New York is received. - Most gladly does my heart respond to the call for such a meeting, - and most earnestly do I hope that the deliberations on that - occasion will result in much good to woman and to the cause you - meet to promote. - - “The women of the North are charged by the press with a lack of - zeal and enthusiasm in the war. The charge may be true to some - extent. Though for the most part the women of the loyal states - are loyal to the government, and in favor of sustaining its every - measure for putting down the rebellion, yet they do not I fear - enter fully into the spirit of the revolution, or share greatly in - the enthusiasm and devotion which sustain the women of the South - in their struggle for what they believe their independence and - freedom from oppression. This is owing, doubtless, to the war being - waged on soil remote from us, to women having no part in the active - contest, and to the deprivation and heart-sorrows it has occasioned - them. There are too many who think only of themselves and too - little of the sufferings of the soldiers who have volunteered to - save their country. While they are willing to give of their time - and means to relieve the sick and wounded, they at the same time - decry the war, lament the sacrifices and expenditure it occasions, - think it should have been prevented by a compromise and long for - peace on almost any terms. These think not of the great cause at - stake, they care not for the poor slave, think not of the future - of our country, and fail to see the hand of God in the movement - punishing the nation for sin and leading it up through much - suffering and tribulation to a brighter and more glorious destiny. - - “But there is a class of women who have looked beyond the mere - clash of arms and the battlefield of the dead and dying, and - recognize the necessity and importance of this dark hour of trial - to our country. The first cannon fired at Sumter sounded in their - ears the death knell of slavery and proclaimed the will of the - Almighty to this nation. These have never believed we should have - peace or great success until the doom of slavery was irrevocably - sealed. That seal has been set. Our noble President has bowed to - the will of the Supreme Power and by the guidance and sustaining - spirit of that Power will, I trust, lead our country successfully - through the great and fearful struggle and place it upon a firm and - more enduring basis. - - “The contest has outlasted the expectation of all, and has cost the - nation a vast amount of blood and treasure. It has called into the - field a million or more of soldiers, and the number of fathers, - brothers and sons slain upon the battlefield and wasted away in - camps and hospitals is counted by hundreds of thousands, while its - expenses run up to billions. And still the war for the Union, for - Freedom, and the integrity of our national boundaries goes forward; - and in the hearts of true Union men everywhere the firm resolve has - been made that it shall go on until the rebellion is crushed, cost - what it may, and continue though it should last as long as did the - war which brought our nation into existence. - - “Now the question for us to consider is: Are we prepared for - the further and continued sacrifice? Have we yet more sons and - brothers to yield up on the altar of our country? To this question - let every loyal woman address herself; and I fondly hope that the - proceedings of your convention will be such as to nerve woman for - whatever sacrifice and trial await her. - - “I know there are many women in whose hearts the love of country - and of justice is strong, and who are willing to incur any loss and - make almost any sacrifice rather than that the rebellion should - succeed and the chains of the bondmen be more firmly riveted. If - they manifest less enthusiasm than their patriotic brothers it is - because they have not so great an opportunity for its exercise. The - customs of society do not permit any stormy or noisy manifestation - of feeling on the part of woman. But the blood of Revolutionary - sires flows as purely in her veins as in those of her more favored - brothers, and she can feel as deeply, suffer as intensely, and - endure as bravely as do they. - - “But I would have her do more than suffer and endure. I would that - she should not only resolve to stand by the government of the - Union in its work of defeating the schemes of its enemies, but - that she should let her voice go forth to the government in clear - and unmistakable tones against any peace with rebels, except upon - the basis of entire submission to the authority of the government. - Against the schemes and plans of the ‘peace party’ in the North the - loyal women everywhere protest. That party seeks to obtain peace - through compromise, and it advocates an armistice with rebels who - ask for none. Such a peace we do not want, for it would be either - brought about by the recognition of the rebel government, or by - base and dishonorable submission to its demands. To either of these - results we are alike opposed. When peace comes, let it come through - the complete triumph of the Union army; and with the destruction of - the great cause of the rebellion, which we all know to be African - Slavery. - - “What part woman is to take in the work, and in what way she can - best hold up the hands and cheer the heart of the great man who - is at the head of our government, will be for the loyal women in - council to determine. - - “A. B.” - -The ladies of Council Bluffs were zealous in sending clothing and -necessary hospital stores to the soldiers fighting at the front. -Mrs. Bloomer was one of the most active in this work. She was placed -on many committees, often at the head of them, and her house was a -centre around which their efforts were directed. She was a thorough -patriot, and did all in her power to promote the welfare of those -who were fighting the battle of the Union. She attended for three -weeks the great Sanitary Fair held in Chicago in the early part of -1865, and previous to going to it had been largely instrumental in -collecting the noble contribution sent thither by Iowa. Here, for -the first time, she met General Grant, the illustrious commander -of the Union armies. Mrs. Bloomer had never been classed among the -“abolitionists,” but she was nevertheless an intense hater of slavery -and the slave power, and no one rejoiced more sincerely that the war -finally ended with the overthrow of that blight upon the fair name of -our country. - - -VISITS WASHINGTON. - -Mrs. Bloomer, after her removal to the West, made occasional visits -to her old home in New York, there spending several weeks with -relatives and friends. In the autumn of 1880, with her husband, -she passed nearly a week in the national capital viewing the noble -buildings and the wonderful collections of nature and art with which -they are so abundantly filled. One day was spent at the Smithsonian -Institution, where the ethnological department attracted great -attention. The Patent Office was looked through, and the Corcoran -gallery of paintings and statuary admired and carefully inspected. -One day was given to Mount Vernon and the former residence of the -Father of his Country visited. It was a beautiful day and the passage -down and up the Potomac delightful. The scenes at Mount Vernon were -most impressive, and made a place in her memory never to be effaced. - - -IN NEW YORK CITY. - -Proceeding from Washington northward, they spent one day in -Philadelphia very pleasantly; and, on arriving in New York, Mrs. -Bloomer and her husband arranged for a stop in the great metropolis -of several weeks. They spent two days with relatives in Westchester -County, and after her return Mrs. Bloomer met her old and dear -friends, Mrs. Douglass and Mrs. Chamberlain, and had very pleasant -visits with them. A day was taken up in visiting some of the noted -places in the city, and then Mrs. Bloomer accepted an invitation to -visit Mrs. Stanton at her residence in Tenyfly, in New Jersey; but -before she had time to do this, word came to her of the dangerous -illness of her sister. Giving up all her plans, she at once repaired -to the residence of Mr. John Lowden, at Waterloo, N. Y., and remained -by the bedside of her sister until her spirit passed away. Of a large -family of brothers and sisters, Mrs. Bloomer was then the only one -left. After attending the funeral, she spent a few days with her -husband in the excellent family of her niece, Mrs. N. J. Milliken, -at Canandaigua, N. Y., being present at the marriage of one of her -daughters; and then, after another stop in Buffalo of a few days -more, returned to Council Bluffs. - -One more visit was made to New York, in 1889, to attend the golden -anniversary of her husband’s brother, Mr. C. A. Bloomer, of Buffalo. -The occasion was a very happy one; and after some days spent in -that city, she once more passed on to her old home in Seneca Falls, -visiting also at Canandaigua and other places in the vicinity. - - -VISITS COLORADO. - -In 1879 Mrs. Bloomer made her first journey to Colorado, its -mountains and magnificent scenery. This was repeated in subsequent -years, the last trip having been made in 1894, only a few months -before her death. During these tours she spent many days in Denver, -Leadville, Idaho Springs, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Manitou. All -the points round the latter famous watering place were visited. She -rode through the Garden of the Gods, Monument Park, and Cheyenne -Cañon, and traversed the great caves opened up in the mountains. -Climbing Cheyenne Mountain, she stood on the spot where the famous -poet and writer Helen H. Jackson was laid at rest. The scenery -from this point over the surrounding mountains and valleys is truly -wonderful and makes a great impression on all beholders. - - -A LETTER. - -The following descriptive letter written to a local paper by Mrs. -Bloomer from Manitou, Colorado, August 12, 1879, gives her impression -of that place and vicinity at that time: - - “Our stay at Denver was a short one, as we found the weather at - that place about as hot as in Council Bluffs. After looking over - that city for one day, we hastened on to this famed resort for - invalids and summer tourists seeking pleasure and recreation. As - usual at this season, the hotels are crowded, and scores of camp - tents dot the hills in every direction. - - “We took up our temporary abode at the Cliff House, principally - because of its nearness to the springs, three of which are in the - immediate vicinity. This is a popular house and is crowded with - guests. The Manitou and Beebe, though farther from the springs, are - full and are first-class houses. Scores of cottages are leased for - a few weeks or months by visitors, and many private houses take - temporary lodgers or boarders. Among owners of the latter is Mrs. - Dr. Leonard, formerly of Council Bluffs. She is proprietor of the - bath-houses here, and is doing a good paying business, sometimes as - many as a hundred a day taking baths. She has built a house of her - own, but leases the bath-house, which belongs to the town company. - She has also considerable practice as a physician. - - “Cheyenne Cañon, Ute Pass, Williams Pass, Pike’s Peak, the Garden - of the Gods, Glen Eyrie, Queen’s Cañon, and Monument Park are the - principal points of interest visited daily by people here. A few - mornings since, a party of seventeen gentlemen and ladies left - one hotel on horseback for the ascent of Pike’s Peak. They made - the journey safely and returned at dark, some of them feeling - little worse for the trip, while others were pretty well used up. - Yesterday a gentleman and lady made the same journey on foot. As - the distance is twelve miles, all the way up the steep mountain - side, this was considered quite a feat. To-day the same parties - have gone on foot to Cheyenne Cañon, a distance of twelve miles. I - have not heard that the lady is one of the celebrated ‘walkers,’ - but she certainly deserves that her name be added to the list. - - “Yesterday we made up a party of six and started soon after - breakfast for the Garden of the Gods, Glen Eyrie, and Monument - Park. The day was one of the finest imaginable, the air cool and - invigorating, and our driver a man experienced in the business of - showing to tourists the wonders of this section of this wonderful - state. We found him a very intelligent and much-traveled man, and - learned that he was one of the magistrates of the town. Our road - to the Garden of the Gods was ascending all the way. In reply to - a query as to why the place was so named, the guide told us a - story of how a southern gentleman came to the spot some years ago - bringing with him two colored slaves, a man and a woman. He built - here a cabin, and soon after took his gun and started out for a - further journey, leaving the slaves behind and promising an early - return. But days and weeks passed on and he returned not, and never - was heard of more. The negroes remained in their new home, made - improvements and planted a garden, which in this new land was a - sight to gladden the eye. This, in connection with the grand works - of nature surrounding it, grew to be the Garden of the Gods, the - name which has made it famous throughout the world. So much for the - story. The negroes, Jupiter and Juno, are no more; but the great - works of nature remain in all their grandeur, and a visit to them - well repays the traveler for the journey he takes to see them. - - “The rocks in this so-called garden have been shaped into every - conceivable form by the action of wind, water and frost. Many of - them, by a little stretch of the imagination, are made to bear a - strong resemblance to men and animals. The prevailing formation is - red sandstone, but there are also conglomerate, gypsum and other - varieties. At the south entrance, is a huge rock standing upon the - narrowest foundation, and seemingly ready at any moment to topple - over on the people who are constantly passing. As the incline is a - little away from the road, it is to be hoped no such catastrophe - will ever happen, even should the rock in ages to come be so - top-heavy as to break loose from its foundations. The Grand Gateway - is a narrow passageway between immense piles of rocks over three - hundred feet high, of irregular outline and surface, which rise - sharply and perpendicularly like a mighty wall. These rocks are - full of holes, rifts and crevices and chasms in which thousands - of swallows have built their nests, and we could plainly hear the - twittering of the young ones from the ledge of rocks a few feet - distant, on which we climbed. Our guide led us to a cave under one - of these walls. The opening was near the base, and so low that one - had to bend the knees and crawl in. The guide assured us that once - inside the cave was high and roomy. Half of our party ventured - in, but they found it too dark to see far beyond. Those of us who - remained outside could hear the echoes of their voices high up - in the rocks, showing that there is a high open space within the - seemingly solid stone. Other rocks but a few feet distant are of - gray color, and a little further on are large white rocks composed - of gypsum, very soft and pliable. This is now being taken out in - large quantities to be converted into plaster of Paris. - - “At the time we were passing through this huge gateway, an Iowa boy - was standing on the top of one of these towering red walls waving - a white flag, and upon the other stood a young woman waving her - handkerchief. They looked like pygmies at that great elevation, - and but for their moving about we should have supposed them a - slight projection of rock. These we are told are the same persons - who made the journey to Pike’s Peak mentioned above. Their ascent - up the rocks was a difficult and dangerous one, and though our - guide proposed to lead us also up to their summit, we declined - the temptation to view the surrounding mountains from so dizzy a - height. It is very singular that these different varieties of rock - formation should be found in so close proximity, and they furnish - abundant food for the study of the geologist. The prevailing shape - of the rocks is high and narrow, and some of the forms into which - they have been brought by the forces of nature are remarkably - beautiful and unique. - - “Passing on from this famed locality over a smooth and level - road, we visited Glen Eyrie. This spot derives its name from an - eagle’s nest high up in a crevice or shelf of the rocks, so our - guide informed us, and also that within a year the eagles had - occupied the nest, which was plainly visible to us, looking the - size of a bushelbasket. They have now abandoned the place. The - name Glen Eyrie is given to a large tract of land belonging to - General Palmer, president of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. He - has fenced in this wild tract, opened a road across it, and in a - nook close under the towering rocks by which it is surrounded and - far from any other habitation he has built a costly and elegant - residence. The dwelling stands at the foot or entrance to Queen’s - Cañon, a narrow gorge up which we traveled on foot the distance of - half a mile till we reached a pool or basin of water, eight or ten - feet in diameter, which blocked our further progress. This pool is - known as the Devil’s Punchbowl, but General Palmer has named it the - Mermaid’s Bathtub. Whether either devils or mermaids come here to - either drink or bathe, history does not record. Our path was over - big stones and rocks, and along the bed of a mountain torrent, - which we crossed several times, stepping from rock to rock as our - path led first to one side and then to the other. High above us - on either side the mountains rose to a great height, their sides - covered at times with the evergreen pine and scrub-oak, and again - consisting simply of bare and naked rocks ready at any moment - apparently to tumble down upon our heads. Our guide informed us - that General Palmer has already spent forty or fifty thousand - dollars upon the house and grounds of Glen Eyrie. I would not give - him one thousand for the whole thing. - - “After the exploration of Queen’s Cañon our party voted unanimously - to proceed to Monument Park, a distance of five miles, which we - reached just in time to enjoy a most excellent dinner prepared for - us by Mrs. Lewis, whose husband is an extensive cattle-raiser and - lives in a comfortable dwelling at the entrance of the park. We - are told that he came a confirmed consumptive, but has now become - a strong and healthy man. This we could well believe, for in this - locality the air was wonderfully pure, dry and bracing, and our - party greatly enjoyed its exhilarating effects. Dinner over, we - proceeded to explore the Park and gaze upon its unique formations. - I do not feel competent to adequately describe them. The rocks - are unlike any others in Colorado. They are nearly white with a - yellowish tinge and often pyramidal in form. Standing out from the - general mass are numerous statue-like columns, which seem to have - been carved by the hand of man. They bear various designations, - such as Adam and Eve, Lot’s Wife, the Democratic Caucus, Henry Ward - Beecher’s Pulpit, the Dutch Wedding, the Anvil, etc., etc. They - range from eight to fifteen feet in height and, what is singular, - all of them are crowned with a flat rocky cap considerably larger - than the top of the column on which it rests. This covering is - composed of materials different from the statue itself, being of - a harder or darker substance, considerable iron being mixed with - its other constituents. I noticed one exact form of a bottle or - decanter, large and round, with a small neck. This was smaller than - the forms that surrounded it, but it had the same flat cap-stone - that surmounted all the others. How came these statues here? Who - can tell? Some of our party said the rocks had been washed away - in the progress of ages from around them and left them standing - out boldly by themselves, a puzzle and a wonder to all beholders. - But some of them rise from a level plain, standing alone, with no - rocks near them, and no evidence of any having been washed away. - They rise from the ground, a solid column, and look as though - placed there by the hand of man to mark the spot of some great - event or the tomb of some departed one. Men have their theories, - but the mystery is buried in the darkness of ages and none solve it - satisfactorily. We leave them to their solitude and silence and, - awe-stricken and subdued, turn our faces whence we came. - - “A. B.” - - -ADOPTED CHILDREN. - -No children of her own came to the home of Mrs. Bloomer, but she -cared carefully and almost continually for the children of others. -Her residence, whether in the east or the west, was hardly ever -without their presence. Nieces and nephews were nearly always under -her roof, and some of them remained with her until they had homes of -their own. Soon after her removal to Council Bluffs, a little boy -was adopted into her family and his sister came to it a few years -later. These were carefully cared for, instructed and educated, and -remained with her until they took their welfare into their own hands. -Both have now families of their own, one residing in Oregon and the -other in Arizona. The boy, Edward, took her name, and his children -bear it also. For him as a boy and a man, and for his children, -she ever manifested the warmest interest, preparing and sending to -them each year boxes of clothing and other articles designed to add -to their comfort and happiness in their distant home. In the early -days of Council Bluffs, not a few of the teachers in the public -schools resided in her family. They were mostly young women and she -always strove to afford to them a pleasant and comfortable home. -She ever insisted that the wages of young women employed as teachers -by the school board should be the same as those paid to men. Her -position was that, so long as they did an equal amount of work and -did it equally well, they should receive equal pay, and this is an -argument which never has been and never can be successfully answered, -although school boards continue to set it aside as unworthy of their -consideration. - - -CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WORK. - -Mrs. Bloomer was a zealous worker in the church of which she was -a member, as well as in all efforts to promote the spread of true -Christianity. While a resident of Seneca Falls, she contributed her -full share to the various agencies employed to advance the interests -of the parish. She was zealous and faithful in attending church -services and all gatherings whether social or festive to advance -church interests. Modest and retiring in demeanor, she took her place -calmly and pleasantly wherever called upon to labor, and found her -chief reward In the approval of a good conscience. - -After her removal to her new home in the West, much additional labor -came to her in the untrodden field in which her lot was cast. When -she took up her residence in Council Bluffs, society was unorganized, -without places of worship, and without any of the religious or moral -agencies of older communities. We have seen in her personal memoirs -how she was very soon called into the work before her. For two years -none of the religious services to which she had been accustomed were -held in the town, except that occasionally a bishop or minister made -his way thither; when they came along, these always found a genuine -welcome in her home. It is remembered that Bishops Kemper and Lee, -and the Rev. Edward W. Peet, were among her guests during the first -year of her residence. They all held religious services in the little -Congregational church building which then stood on Main Street. At -last a young missionary arrived and took up his residence, making -his first home with Mrs. Bloomer in her modest dwelling under the -bluff. And so it was in future years; whenever new clergymen of her -denomination came to begin their work in town, they all uniformly -found a home and resting place in her house until permanent quarters -were secured. Clergymen, temperance lecturers, reformers of almost -all kinds, among them advocates of woman’s enfranchisement, always -found a welcome place at her table. On one occasion, being alone -in the house during her husband’s absence, she was thrown into -great trepidation at finding that her guest for the night (who had -just come up from the bloody fields of Kansas) was armed both with -bowie-knife and revolver; but the night passed in safety, for the -owner of these appalling weapons was one of the noble men who periled -their lives to win that state for freedom. - -The building up of a new community was in those days attended -with great labor and called for unflinching courage and steady -perseverance. Churches had to be erected, school-houses built, -libraries established and good works of all kinds encouraged. In all -this Mrs. Bloomer did her full part. The support of the minister and -the building of churches, especially, fell largely upon the women. -They held festivals and collected money for these objects. They -organized and maintained sewing societies and gave entertainments of -various kinds for these objects. Mrs. Bloomer was among the active -workers in this field. She was for many years secretary and treasurer -of the Woman’s Aid Society in her parish, a society which contributed -many thousands of dollars towards the erection of three successive -churches and wholly built the rectory, as well as contributed largely -in other ways towards the support of the parish. In 1880 she was -president of the Art Loan-Exhibition given for the joint benefit of -the city library and the church, one of the most successful efforts -of the kind ever held in the city. On the parish register of her -church under the date of 1856 her name stands as that of the first -woman admitted to membership, and until within a few months of her -decease, when she was prevented by bodily infirmities, she was -a regular attendant upon the services. She was, however, no mere -copyist, taking the words or teachings of others without thought -or examination; but looked into all questions, theological, social -or reformatory, for herself, and her clergymen will bear testimony -to the many discussions they held with her on these and kindred -subjects. One occasion her husband recalls: He came to his dinner at -the usual hour, but found his wife and a visiting clergyman engaged -in warm argument. They had been at it all the forenoon, the breakfast -table standing as left in the morning and all preparations for dinner -being forgotten. Of course, he enjoyed a good laugh at their expense. - - -HER CHARACTER ANALYZED. - -Mrs. Bloomer was a great critic, and for that reason may not have -been so popular with her associates as she otherwise might have -been. Her criticisms, possibly, were sometimes too unsparing and -too forcibly expressed. She had strong perceptive faculties and -noticed what she believed to be the mistakes and failings of others, -perhaps, too freely. No one ever attacked her, in print or otherwise, -without receiving a sharp reply either from tongue or pen if it -was in her power to answer. But no person ever had a kinder heart, -or more earnestly desired the happiness of others, or more readily -forgot or forgave their failings. Perhaps, she was deficient in the -quality of humor and took life too seriously; this over-earnestness, -however, if it existed at all, it is believed was brought out more -fully by dwelling so much upon what she regarded as the wrongs of -her sex and the degradation to which they were subjected through -unjust laws and the curse of strong drink. The same charge, that of -taking things too seriously, has recently been made by a noted writer -against the women of the present day who are battling for what they -conceive to be the sacred rights of women. - - -ABOUT THE FIRST SINNER. - -Although Mrs. Bloomer was a member of one of the more conservative -branches of the Christian community, she was an earnest advocate -of woman’s admission to all departments of Christian work. She -repudiated the notion that woman was so great a sinner in the Garden -of Eden that she should be forever excluded from ministerial work and -responsibilities. As to the first sin in the garden, here is her view -of it as stated by herself: - - “How any unprejudiced and unbiased mind can read the original - account of the Creation and Fall and gather therefrom that the - woman committed the greater sin, I cannot understand. When Eve - was first asked to eat of the forbidden fruit she refused, and it - was only after her scruples were overcome by promises of great - knowledge that she gave way to sin. But how was it with Adam - who was with her? He took and ate what she offered him without - any scruples of conscience, or promises on her part of great - things to follow—certainly showing no superiority of goodness, or - intellect, or strength of character fitting him for the headship. - The command not to eat of the Tree of Life was given to him before - her creation, and he was doubly bound to keep it; yet he not only - permitted her to partake of the tree without remonstrating with - her against it and warning her of the wrong, but ate it himself - without objection or hesitation. And then, when inquired of by - God concerning what he had done, instead of standing up like an - honorable man and confessing the wrong, he weakly tried to shield - himself by throwing the blame on the woman. As the account stands, - he showed the greater ‘feebleness of resistance and evinced a - pliancy of character and a readiness to yield to temptation’ that - cannot be justly charged to the woman. As the account stands, man - has much more to blush for than to boast of. - - “While we are willing to accept this original account of the - Creation and Fall, we are not willing that man should add tenfold - to woman’s share of sin and put a construction on the whole matter - that we believe was never intended by the Creator. Eve had no more - to do with bringing sin into the world than had Adam, nor did the - Creator charge any more upon her. The punishment inflicted upon - them for their transgression, was as heavy upon him as upon her. - Her sorrows were to be multiplied; and so, too, was he to eat his - bread in sorrow and earn it with the sweat of his face amid thorns - and thistles. To her, no injunction to labor was given; upon her - no toil was imposed, no ground cursed for her sake. * * * * The - Bible is brought forward to prove the subordination of woman and - to show that, because St. Paul told the ignorant women of his time - to keep silent in the churches, the educated, intelligent women of - these times must not only occupy the same position in the church - and the family but must not aspire to the rights of citizenship. - But the same Power that brought the slave out of bondage will, in - His own good time and way, bring about the emancipation of woman - and make her the equal in dominion that she was in the beginning.” - - -GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY. - -On the 15th of April, 1890, Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer commemorated the -Fiftieth Anniversary of their marriage at their home in Council -Bluffs. Many invitations were issued, nearly all of which were -generously responded to, and their house was filled with guests from -three o’clock in the afternoon when the reception began until late -in the evening. Over one hundred persons were in attendance. A local -paper describes the affair as follows: - - “The reception of the guests began at three o’clock. At the - front-parlor entrance stood Mr. Bloomer attired in a black - broadcloth suit. Next to him sat Mrs. Bloomer. She wore a - black-satin costume _en train_ with gray damascene front, _crêpe_ - lace in the neck, diamond ornaments. There were present Chas. A. - Bloomer and wife, of Buffalo, N. Y., N. J. Milliken and wife, of - Ontario County, N. Y., and Miss Hannah Kennedy, of Omaha. Chas. - A. Bloomer is a brother of D. C. Bloomer, and is president of the - Buffalo Elevator Company. N. J. Milliken is a nephew by marriage - and publisher of the _Ontario County Times_, of New York. These - constituted the reception company. The evening reception commenced - at eight o’clock, and lasted until a late hour. Among the callers - were the vestry of St. Paul’s Church, who paid their respects in a - body to the worthy couple.” - -Mrs. Harris read a beautiful poem, and an original poem was also read -by Mrs. C. K. White, of Omaha, and Prof. McNaughton, superintendent -of city schools, read the following address: - - “To Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer: It seems meet and proper on this joyous - occasion that the public schools, their officers and teachers - and pupils, should send kindly greetings to one who for the past - thirty-five years has extended to them a generous sympathy and, in - the earlier days of their existence, rendered them distinguished - service by aiding in the erection of a well-planned and commodious - edifice, the adoption of a wise curriculum, and the laying of a - broad and deep foundation upon which has been reared the fair - structure of to-day; one who has aided the teachers and pupils - by words of wise counsel and kindly sympathy and is, by common - consent, regarded as the father of the public-school system of the - city. - - “To you, Mr. Bloomer, and your estimable and noted wife, in - behalf of the public schools of the city, I wish to offer sincere - and hearty congratulations; congratulations that, under a rare - dispensation of Providence, you have been permitted to enjoy - together a half-century of companionship in the sacred bonds of - family ties—fifty years of mutual helpfulness and love! fifty years - of sowing and reaping together in the fields whose fruitage is - intelligent progress and eternal joy! And now, amid the abundance - of the harvest, in the golden glories of life’s autumn, may you be - long permitted to remain among your devoted and admiring friends!” - -The following letter from Miss Susan B. Anthony was received and read: - - “_Washington, April 9th, 1890._ - - “My Dear Friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer:— - - “And is your Golden Wedding to be here April 15, 1890? That seems - quite as impossible as that I should have rounded out my three - score and ten years on February 15, 1890, just two months before. - - “Well, your lives have been side by side for a whole half-century, - and this, too, when the wife has been one of the public advocates - of the equality of rights, civil and political, for women. I hardly - believe another twain made one, where the wife belonged to the - school of equal rights for women, have lived more happily, more - truly one. - - “Your celebration of your fiftieth wedding day is one of the - strongest proofs of the falseness of the charge brought against - our movement for the enfranchisement of women, viz., that the - condition of equality of political rights for the wife will cause - inharmony and disruption of the marriage bond. To the contrary, - such conditions of perfect equality are the best helps to make for - peace and harmony and elevation in all true and noble directions. - Hence I rejoice with you on having reached the golden day of your - marriage union, not only for your own sakes, but for our cause’s - sake as well. - - “I wish I could be present in your happy home on that day, but the - marriage of my younger sister’s son, on April 17th, takes me to - Cleveland to witness the starting out of two dear young people on - the way you have traveled so long and so well. - - “So, with gratitude for the good work done in the first fifty years - of your married life, and wishing for you many more equally happy, - and hoping that both you and I and Mrs. Stanton and others of the - pioneers of our great movement may live to see not only Wyoming - fully in the Union but many others redeemed from the curse of sex - aristocracy, hoping _and believing_ I am - - “Very sincerely yours, - - “Susan B. Anthony.” - -The following telegram was received from Bishop Perry, of Iowa: - - “_Davenport, April 15th, 1890._ - - “Hon. D. C and Mrs. Bloomer:— - - “Congratulations and benedictions. Fifty golden years exhaust - neither love nor hope. - - “William Stevens Perry, - - “Bishop of Iowa.” - -Rev. G. W. Crofts also furnished a timely and very beautiful poem. -Because of his inability to attend the reception, he called upon the -couple Monday afternoon and in a few well chosen words presented -it to them. It was the production of the minister’s own pen, and -handsomely written on embossed cardboard fastened with orange-tinted -ribbons. The poem was beautifully illustrated by Miss S. D. Phere, -the cuts being the representations of a well-spent life. Upon its -receipt Mrs. Bloomer and her husband were greatly moved. The poem is -as follows: - - “1840. April 15. 1890. - - “TO MR. AND MRS. BLOOMER. - - - “The Psalmist says that he who goes forth with tears, - Conveying precious seed, shall doubtless come again - Rejoicing, bringing with him sheaves. ’Tis fifty years - Since you as one were made, and out upon the plain - Of Life’s great field together moved, ‘mid hopes and fears, - And in your faithful bosoms bearing golden grain. - - “To-day you come with sheaves, oh rich and golden sheaves! - Immortal sheaves, sheaves glowing in the light of heaven - So softly sifting down thro’ life’s autumn leaves; - And, while the clouds that deck the sky above are riven, - I see the angels smile. And who is there that grieves - When noble souls in life’s great harvest-field have striven? - - “This is a day of joy and praise, a crowning day! - Together you have walked for fifty years, and He - Who made your hearts to beat as one thro’ all the way - Has been your guide, His voice has stilled the stormy sea; - In darkest hours, you’ve heavenward looked and seen the ray - Of cloudless hope shine down with sweet tranquillity. - - “When worn with toil, His loving arms have given you rest; - Sustaining grace He gave when you were weak and faint; - When sorrows came, ’twas then the haven of His breast - That opened wide and took you in. To each complaint - He lent His ear. In all things, you were truly blest - And ever upward drawn by love’s divine constraint. - - “And now upon a lofty Mount you stand and look - Back o’er your pilgrim way; back o’er the fields you’ve sown - You see the stubborn soil, the burning sun, the nook - Where you did rest; and all the way is overstrown - With flowers; flower-wreathed you see the plow and pruning-hook. - And on that Mount there comes to you a fadeless crown. - - “To Faithfulness there comes a crown, a Crown of Life; - ’Tis one the Lord doth give to those who serve Him well, - To heroes true and strong amid the daily strife - ’Tween right and wrong. For such, the sweetest anthems swell - By holy angels sung, and joy on earth is rife, - While thro’ the vanished years you hear a golden bell. - - “Foremost in every noble work, in every cause - Where God leads on, where Light is seen, where Truth is heard, - There have you stood from first to last, the eternal laws - Of Right obeyed. Where’er your lips could frame a word - To voice the thought, a hand could strike the great applause - Of onward march, your helpful force has been conferred. - - “To you, this day, a grateful people tribute bring - For all you’ve been to them, for all your steadfastness, - For all your words and deeds; for every noble thing, - They would this day your true and honest worth confess; - They would a golden cup, filled from Affection’s spring, - Hold out to you, and thus their gratitude express. - - “Take, then, the Crown. Both heaven and earth proclaim it yours, - The Sower’s crown, the Reaper’s crown, that glows with light, - That glows with light and love, and one that aye endures. - The Evening Star, that hangs upon the fringe of night - And, like a lamp, the weary wanderer allures - And tells him of his home afar, is not more bright. - - “Look round you, then, crowned as you are, and upward, too: - Here shine the golden sheaves; there gleam the jasper walls; - Around you gather here the noble, good and true, - With hearts aglow, and chant their tender madrigals. - Around, above, all things are wreathed in smiles for you, - While on you, like a burst of sun, God’s blessings fall!” - -Many valuable presents were received. One was an elegant silver -tea-set from the lawyers of the city; another a beautiful ice-cream -set of solid silver in a handsomely ornamented plush case of old-gold -velvet, from the rector and vestrymen of St. Paul’s Church. Other -elegant souvenirs were sent in by friends from abroad. Indeed, the -gifts were so numerous and of so great variety that they almost -proved a burden to the recipients who, however, realized that they -came to them from generous friends with hearts full of love and -kindness, and most thankfully received them. - - -CLOSING YEARS. - -Following this happy anniversary, Mrs. Bloomer’s life moved gradually -along to its close. In 1891, after returning home from a visit to -the Chautauqua Grounds near her residence, she suffered a partial -paralysis of her vocal organs and for a short time lost the power -of speech; but this trouble soon gradually passed away so that she -was once more able to converse with her friends, although not so -freely and readily as formerly. Her mind was still clear and her -memory remarkably good, and it was during this period that she -wrote the reminiscences given in the earlier part of this work. She -gradually lost to a considerable extent the activity of movement -for which in earlier days she had been noted, and her husband was -easily able now to keep up with her in their walks on the streets. -Mrs. Bloomer retained her youthful traits to a remarkable degree, -even in advanced years, and her friends frequently noted this and -complimented her on her vigor and cheerfulness. On meeting them, she -was ever bright and cheerful and had a pleasant smile and word of -encouragement for all. - -Her early religious convictions remained unimpaired to the end -of her life. So long as health permitted, she was a constant and -regular attendant upon the services of her church and at the monthly -celebration of the Holy Communion. She was active in every good work -in the parish, and a steady friend of all benevolent enterprises -in the city. During the last few years of her life, she gave much -thought to the teachings of Christian Science and read and studied -the writings of Mrs. Eddy and others on that subject. While she never -gave her adhesion to its peculiar doctrines, yet she found in them -very much that she deemed worthy of careful consideration. She bore -witness to some of the remarkable results following their application -to disease in its various forms; and, on the whole, their study -enlarged her views on religious subjects and perhaps enabled her to -look with greater calmness upon the vicissitudes of the present life -and the untried realities of the life beyond. - -To Mrs. Mary J. Coggshell, of Des Moines, Iowa, who had then recently -lost her husband, she wrote in 1889 as follows: “My heart goes out -to you in love and sympathy in this sad bereavement, and I pray that -the Almighty Father may sustain and comfort you and give you strength -to bear up under the great affliction. Mourn not for your beloved -one as dead, but think of him as only transferred to another sphere -of existence where he still lives and will await your coming. We -believe that the life that God gave can never die, that the grave has -no power over the spirit, but that it will live on forever doing the -Father’s will.” - -Her last journey was made to Colorado, in the latter part of the -summer of 1894. She spent about two weeks at Colorado Springs and -Manitou, mainly in taking electric treatment at the sanatorium of -Mrs. Doctor Leonard who had long been an intimate friend; but was -prevented by impaired strength from again visiting with her husband -many of the interesting places of the vicinity. Another week was -spent in a visit to a dear niece and her family in southern Colorado; -she returned home about the middle of August, somewhat improved in -health and strength. She continued to occasionally accept the kind -invitations of her friends to social gatherings, and spent her last -Christmas at the home and table of N. P. Dodge, one of the most -prominent citizens of Council Bluffs, where she met also her old -and long-known neighbor and friend, Mrs. M. F. Davenport. This was, -however, the last time she was able to leave her residence. Friends -and neighbors continued to visit her to the end and on Friday, -December 28th, several were with her during nearly the entire day; -they remembered that she appeared remarkably bright and cheerful. The -final attack came on the evening of that day, and her brave and noble -spirit passed away at twelve o’clock noon on the following Sunday, -December 30th, 1894. - -Of her last sickness and death, the Council Bluffs _Daily Nonpareil_ -of January 1st, 1895, gave the following report: - - -“END OF AN EARNEST LIFE. - - “Mrs. Amelia Jenks Bloomer died at her home, No. 123 Fourth Street, - Sunday at noon of heart failure at the advanced age of 76. For - years she had been afflicted with stomach trouble, which gradually - affected her heart and brought on a serious attack last Friday, - from which she never rallied. - - “About six o’clock in the evening she was sitting in her accustomed - place reading, when suddenly she fell back in her chair and - exclaimed: ‘I am sick; I am sicker than I ever was before in my - life.’ Her husband was sitting opposite to her at the time and - quickly came to her assistance. She was in intense pain, and a - physician was at once summoned. He was unable to give her much - relief and she continued in a very critical condition during the - night and all day Saturday. - - -“PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY. - - “It soon became evident that she could not rally from the attack - and the physicians told Mr. Bloomer and the anxious friends about - her bedside that she could not recover. She was conscious during - the entire time and bore her suffering bravely. Sunday morning she - began to sink rapidly. Towards the end her pain seemed to leave - her, and she fell into a quiet sleep from which she never awoke. - Her husband was at her bedside holding her hand and noted the - gradual slowing of the pulse which ceased to be perceptible about - noon, when he knew she had passed away. - - -“GREAT LOSS TO COUNCIL BLUFFS. - - “In the death of Mrs. Amelia Bloomer Council Bluffs loses one of - its oldest and most prominent residents. She was one of the early - pioneers of the west and for many years has been a striking, - picturesque character of western Iowa. Her prominence in the - woman-suffrage movement made her one of the eminent American women - of the century. Her name has become firmly linked with every reform - movement for the uplifting and betterment of woman’s condition - during the last fifty years. - - -“HER LIFE A BUSY ONE. - - “Her life was an intensely busy one, filled with many deeds of - kindness and charity aside from the active part she always took - in the temperance cause and the advancement of her sex. During - her last years, however, she was unable to actively engage in the - work, but was always ready and willing to discuss these cherished - subjects in her characteristic, fluent manner. Up to within a - few years of her death she had been a contributor to prominent - journals, and her advice and counsel was always highly esteemed by - the more active workers of the equal-rights cause. Her death will - be felt throughout the entire nation as an irreparable loss to the - cause she so warmly espoused. - - -“HER CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. - - “Although her death will bring sorrow to many a friend, the - remembrance of her kindly life and true, Christian character will - remain as an inspiration to them for all time to come. Earnest and - steadfast as were her life and character, so she died trusting in - the faith that has always shone through her kind words and deeds. - She will never be forgotten, for her influence, with that of other - good women, has done more to make the civilization of the west a - possibility than the many inventions of modern science. Her great - strength of character, manifested by her earnest and energetic - life, was a part of the truly essential civilizing influence - that sustained the early settlers in the rough experiences of - the frontier. It was her intention before she died to publish - reminiscences of these stirring times, and her sudden death left - several manuscripts unfinished. What has been missed by her sudden - taking off, leaving this work incomplete, can only be judged by - those who knew her best. - - -“LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. - - “Mrs. Bloomer’s circle of friends in Council Bluffs was large, - and she was highly esteemed and loved by all who knew her. She - was an excellent entertainer, and was a great favorite among the - young people of the Episcopal Church of which she was a faithful - member. She was very fond of society and took an active part in - church and charitable work. Her death, although she has been an - invalid for several years, was very sudden. On Christmas day, she - was able to be about and with her husband took dinner at the home - of Mr. and Mrs. N. P. Dodge. She was in excellent spirits at the - time and enjoyed the holiday festivities with much interest. On the - day of her last attack, a number of friends called upon her and - she spent the afternoon pleasantly chatting with them. The sudden - announcement of her death came as a shock, for the fact of her - serious illness had not yet become generally known.” - - -MEMORIAL DISCOURSE. - - On the thirteenth of January, 1895, her rector, Rev. Eugene J. - Babcock, delivered a memorial discourse on the life and character - of Mrs. Bloomer in St. Paul’s Church, Council Bluffs. In this he - reviewed the main incidents in Mrs. Bloomer’s life, and concluded - as follows: - - “Mrs. Bloomer also held the relation of pioneer to this parish. On - the two registers in my possession the first woman’s name is hers. - - “On my journey hither to assume the rectorship, I visited by the - way at my former home in Michigan. There I first learned of Mrs. - Bloomer from a gentleman whom I had met in a college connection - while I was an undergraduate. He was a former resident of Seneca - Falls, and informed me that in my new home I should meet a unique - and striking person in Mrs. Bloomer, whose early days were - associated with a remarkable career; that she was now living - quietly, ill health having compelled her to forego active duties; - and that she was now advanced in years. - - “Our arrival here was signalized by becoming guests in the Senior - Warden’s home. In this we did as all the clergy had done before, - for no other home in this city has been the hospitable asylum - for so many of the cloth. Among ourselves, the happy descriptive - of ‘Saints’ Rest’ has come in vogue. From Mrs. Bloomer that - pleasant smile, which often had to triumph over bodily ailment, - was my greeting. This showing of hospitality was in keeping with - her ambition, which she frequently sacrificed to her personal - discomfort. - - “Going back to a view of her early days, we are prepared now to - forecast her activity in church affairs. Such a nature could not - sit by with hands folded. Following her acceptance of gospel - privileges through which she came into this church, she immediately - entered into parish activities at Seneca Falls. Being a woman of - action, she did her part in the then somewhat limited sphere of - woman’s church work. Little as it may have been comparatively, it - was another demand upon her already enlarging engagements. - - “Her removal to this city deprived her of the worship of her - own church. The then line of demarcation of the religious public - into ‘Mormons’ and ‘Gentiles’ very likely infused into the latter - a fellow sympathy. Soon after her settlement here, the Rev. Mr. - Rice invited her to attend a meeting of a sewing society which was - held at his house. This happened to be the annual meeting; she was - elected president of the society, and Mrs. Douglas first director. - In her ‘Early Recollections’ her felicitous comment is this: ‘Thus - putting their affairs in the hands of two Episcopalians.’ But - evidently affairs did not suffer at their hands, for they ‘carried - through a successful fair’ which secured money to put the first - church of the Congregationalists into shape for use. - - “Her usual interest in what concerned her came out in the - organization of this parish. She entered with the same - characteristic zeal and expenditure of means into its upbuilding, - both as to what was preliminary and also permanent. She has been a - good example of what woman can do, and faithful in her service. The - women of this parish have worked so assiduously in raising money - that among men it has become a lost art. - - “In spite of advanced years and impairment of strength, she - responded with her kindly support to my call for organization - of a Woman’s Parochial Aid Society. Her kindness to me was ever - constant and uniform, and her ingenuous frankness such as I always - enjoyed. Plain and albeit of rugged candor in her speech, such is - better for this world than the honey covering of deceit. A former - Rector, the Rev. Mr. Webb, writes respecting her: ‘My impression - of her kindness of heart is that it never failed; and I believe - more firmly than ever that it was God’s own cause which she so - characteristically espoused, and labored so long and faithfully to - promote.’ - - “She had the habit of clipping from newspapers whatever took her - fancy. Her recent quiet and somewhat afflicted living, owing to - her illness, was given to reading, needle work and entertaining of - guests when circumstances admitted. As the golden clouds brightened - in the west of her life’s decline, there came a strong inward - faith. A late clipping seems to speak her thought: ‘As the weeks - and months fly past, do you not think that the spirit of our daily - prayer ought to be— - - “‘Break, my soul, from every fetter, - Him to know is all my cry; - Saviour, I am thine forever, - Thine to live and thine to die, - Only asking - More and more of life’s supply’?’ - - “She passed into Paradise on Sunday, December 30, 1894, and left a - name worthy to be entered among the illustrious galaxy of notables - whom the past year has numbered with the dead. On a beautiful - winter’s day, all that remained of mortality was brought to this - church, so large an object of her affection, and here, with - impressive funeral rites which speak comfortably our blessed hope, - we committed her body to the ground. And as the sweet notes of the - committal anthem broke in upon the constrained stillness of the - scene, how appropriate were the words—mutely echoed by the hushed - assembly: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord * * * for they - rest from their labors’!” - -In a grassy plat in beautiful Fairview Cemetery, overlooking the -cities of Council Bluffs and Omaha, lies the grave of the true woman, -the earnest reformer, the faithful Christian, whose history is -delineated in these pages; and near its foot stands a modest monument -bearing this inscription: - - “IN MEMORIAM - - AMELIA JENKS, WIFE OF D. C. BLOOMER - - DIED DEC. 30TH, 1894 - - AGED 76 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, AND 3 DAYS - - A PIONEER IN WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT” - -And here the author and compiler, commending these pages to the -kindly consideration of his readers, brings his labor of love to a -close. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -WOMAN’S RIGHT TO THE BALLOT. - -BY AMELIA BLOOMER. - - It is a principle of all free governments that the people rule. - Each member of the community, in theory at least, is supposed to - give assent to Constitution and laws to which he is subject; or, - at least, it is assumed that these were made by a majority of the - people. And this assent is given according to forms previously - prescribed. The people vote directly upon the adoption of the - Constitution, and by their representatives in making the laws. - And since all the people must be subject to the Constitution and - laws, so all the people should be consulted in their formation; - that is, all who are of sufficient age and discretion to express - an intelligent opinion. No one who claims to be a republican - or lover of freedom at heart can dispute these positions. They - are in substance the principles promulgated in the Declaration - of Independence, and they form the common basis upon which our - national and state governments rest. When they shall cease to be - recognized and respected by the people and by our lawmakers, then - free institutions will cease to exist. - - But I presume their correctness, when applied to man, will be - doubted by none; for man is willing enough to claim for himself the - full recognition of all the high prerogatives I have shown him to - be entitled to. But I hold more than this to be true. I hold that - these rights belong, not to man alone, but to the race, and to - each individual member of it, without regard to sex. I hold that - woman has as good and rightful a claim to them as her brother, and - that the man who denies this claim is not only no good democrat, - and much less a good republican, but that in being guilty of this - denial he commits an act of the grossest injustice and oppression. - And I insist, not only that woman is entitled to the enjoyment - of all these rights which God and nature have bestowed upon the - race, but that she is entitled to the same means of enforcing - those rights as man; and that therefore she should be heard in the - formation of Constitutions, in the making of the laws, and in the - selection of those by whom the laws are administered. - - In this country there is one great tribunal by which all theories - must be tried, all principles tested, all measures settled: and - that tribunal is the ballot-box. It is the medium through which - public opinion finally makes itself heard. Deny to any class in - the community the right to be heard at the ballot-box and that - class sinks at once into a state of slavish dependence, of civil - insignificance, which nothing can save from becoming subjugation, - oppression and wrong. - - From what I have said you will of course understand that I hold, - not only that the exclusion of woman from the ballot-box is - grossly unjust, but that is her duty—so soon as she is permitted - to do so—to go to it and cast her vote along with her husband and - brother; and that, until she shall do so, we can never expect to - have a perfectly just and upright government under which the rights - of the people—of all the people—are respected and secured. - - It is objected that it does not belong to woman’s sphere to take - part in the selection of her rulers, or the enactment of laws to - which she is subject. - - This is mere matter of opinion. Woman’s sphere, like man’s sphere, - varies according to the aspect under which we view it, or the - circumstances in which she may be placed. A vast majority of the - British nation would deny the assumption that Queen Victoria is - out of her sphere in reigning over an empire of an hundred and - fifty millions of souls! And if she is not out of her sphere in - presiding over the destinies of a vast empire, why should any woman - in this republic be denied her place among a nation of sovereigns? - There is no positive rule by which to fix woman’s sphere, except - that of capacity. It is to be found, I should say, wherever duty - or interest may call her,—whether to the kitchen, the parlor, the - nursery, the workshop or the public assembly. And, most certainly, - no narrow contracted view of her sphere can suffice to deprive her - of any of those rights which she has inherited with her being. - - Again, it is objected that it would be immodest and ‘unbecoming a - lady’ for women to go to the ballot-box to vote, or to the halls of - the capitol to legislate. - - This, too, is mere matter of opinion, and depends for its - correctness upon the particular fashions or customs of the - people. In deciding upon what is appropriate or inappropriate for - individuals or classes the community is exceedingly capricious. - In one country, or in one age, of the world, a particular act may - be considered as entirely proper which in another age or country - may be wholly condemned. But a few years ago it was thought very - unladylike and improper for women to study medicine, and when - Elizabeth Blackwell forced her way into the Geneva, N. Y., medical - college people were amazed at the presumption. But she graduated - with high honors, went to Europe to perfect her studies, and now - stands high in her chosen profession. She let down the bars to - a hitherto proscribed sphere. Others followed her lead, and now - there are several colleges for the medical education of women, and - women physicians without number; and the world applauds rather than - condemns. - - It is not a great many years since women sculptors were unknown, - because woman’s talent was not encouraged. Some years ago a - match-girl of Boston fashioned a bust of Rufus Choate in plaster - and placed it in a show window, hoping some benevolent lover of - art might be so attracted by it as to aid her to educate herself - in the profession of sculpture. A gentleman who saw great merit - in it inquired who was the artist, and when told that it was a - young girl, exclaimed, ‘What a pity she is not a boy!’ He saw that - such talent in a boy would be likely to make him famous and enrich - the world. But a girl had no right to such gifts. It would be an - unladylike profession for her, and so she must bury her God-given - talent and keep to match selling and dish washing. A few years - later Harriet Hosmer overleaped the obstacles that stood in her way - and went to Rome to undertake the work of a sculptor. The world now - rings with her praises and is enriched by her genius. She, too, - removed barriers to a hitherto proscribed sphere and proved that - the All-Father in committing a talent to woman’s trust gave along - with it a right to use it. Vinnie Ream and others have followed - in the way thus opened, and no one now questions the propriety of - women working in plaster or marble. - - And so of many other departments of trade, profession and labor - that within my recollection were not thought proper for woman, - simply because she had not entered them. Women are debarred from - voting and legislating, and therefore it is unfashionable for them - to do either; but let their right to do so be once established, and - all objections of that kind will vanish away. - - And I must say I can conceive of nothing so terrible within the - precincts of the ballot-box as to exclude woman therefrom. Who - go there now? Our fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons. And do - they act so badly while there that they dare not suffer us to go - with them? If it is really so bad a place surely they should stay - away from it themselves, for I hold that any place that is too - corrupt for woman to go to is also too corrupt for man to go to. - ‘An atmosphere that is too impure for woman to breathe cannot but - be dangerous to her sires and sons.’ We mingle with our gentlemen - friends elsewhere with safety and pleasure, and I cannot think it - possible that the exercise of the right of franchise turns them at - once into ruffians. - - Yet we are gravely told that woman would be treated with rudeness - and insult should she go to the polls in the exercise of a right - guaranteed to her by the laws of her country. - - And would you, sir objector, be the one to do this? Would you - insult the wife or mother or sister of your neighbor? I think not. - Then judge other men by yourself and believe that, as each man, the - low as well as the high, would have some female relative or friend - with him there, each would be equally careful for the safety of - those belonging to him and careful also of his own language and - deportment. And should one dare to offer insult would there not, - think you, be a score of stout arms to fell the insulter to the - earth? - - Men will behave as well I verily believe at the polls as at other - public assemblies, if they will permit woman to go with them - there; and if they have behaved badly heretofore, which from their - continual asseverations we must believe to be the case, it is - because woman has not always been there with them. - - The idea advanced that woman would become debased by participating - in so important and sacred a duty as the selection of those who - are to be placed in power, and to whom are to be committed the - interests and happiness of the whole people, comes with a bad grace - from men, who are ever claiming for her superior natural virtues. - They should remember that God made her woman, that He gave her - equal dominion with man over the world and all that is therein, - and endowed her with high moral faculties, keen perceptions of - right, and a love of virtue and justice, and it is not easy to - change her nature. Her delicacy and sensitiveness will take care - of themselves, in any exposure, and she will be as safe at the - polls as at political and other conventions, at state and county - and church fairs, at railroad and Fourth of July celebrations, and - the various other crowds in which she mingles freely with men. That - virtue is little worth which cannot bear itself unharmed through a - crowd, or awe and frown down impudence whenever it meets with it. - The true woman will be woman still in whatever situation you place - her; and man will become elevated just so far as he mingles in her - society in the various relations of life. - - In fact this argument that it would be unsafe for woman to go to - the polls is one that man, at least, should be ashamed to bring - forward, inasmuch as it impeaches his own gallantry and instinctive - regard for woman. But, if it be true that it would really be unsafe - for us to go to the polls with our husbands and fathers, all danger - could be avoided by our having separate places for voting apart - from theirs. - - But here I am answered that it is not _men_ whom we have to fear so - much as the bad of our own sex, who will rush to the polls while - the good women will stay away. To this I have to say that I have - never yet met a woman that I was afraid of, or from whom I feared - contamination. In the theatre and concert and festival halls, the - Fourth of July gatherings, in the cars, on the fair grounds, and - any day upon the street or in the stores we meet and pass by the - coarse, the frail, the fallen of our sex. They have the same right - to God’s pure air and sunshine as we, and we could not deprive them - of it if we would and would not if we could. I see not how these - are going to harm us any more at the polls than at all these other - places. - - The good women will vote as soon as the exercise of the right is - granted them, and they will outnumber the bad more than a hundred - to one. Instead then of the pure woman being contaminated, the - vile woman will be awed and silenced in her presence, and led by - her example into the right paths. Even those called low and vile - have hearts that can be touched, and they will gladly seize the aid - which the ballot and good women will bestow to raise themselves - from the degraded condition into which bad men, bad laws and bad - customs have plunged them. - - This objection, then, which assumes such proportions in the minds - of many, looks very small when viewed in the light of truth and - Christian charity. I think no man would consider it good reason for - depriving him of rights because a bad man also enjoyed the same - rights. - - This arguing that all women would go to the bad if allowed to vote - because some women are bad now when none of them vote is the most - absurd logic ever conceived in the brain of man, and if those who - use it could see their silly reasoning in the light that sensible - men and women see it there would be less of it. If the ballot makes - people bad, if it is corrupting in its tendencies and destructive - of virtue and goodness, then the sooner men are deprived of it the - better. - - All men, good and bad, black and white, corrupt, debased, - treacherous, criminal, may vote and make our laws, and we hear no - word against it; but if one woman does or says aught that does - not square with men’s ideas of what she should do and say, then - she should not have the right of self-government, and all women - everywhere must on that account be disfranchised and kept in - subjection! - - Such reasoning might have answered once, but the intelligence of - the present day rejects it, and women will not long be compelled to - submit to its insults. - - But, again, one says votes would be unnecessarily multiplied, that - women would vote just as the men do, therefore the man’s vote will - answer for both. Sound logic, truly! But let us apply this rule to - men. Votes are unnecessarily multiplied now by so many men voting; - a few could do it all, as well as to take the mass of men from - their business and their families to vote. My husband votes the - republican ticket, and many other men vote just as he does; then - why not let my husband’s vote suffice for all who think as he does, - and send the rest about their business? What need of so many men - voting when all vote just alike? - - Again, another says: ‘It has always been as now; women never have - had equal rights, and that is proof that they should not have.’ - Sound logic again! Worthy emanation from man’s superior brain! But - whence did man derive his right of franchise, and how long has he - enjoyed it? - - It is true that women never have had equal rights, because men have - ever acted on the principle of oppressors that might makes right - and have kept them in subjection, just as weaker nations are kept - in subjection to the stronger. - - But must we ever continue to act on such principles? Must we - continue to cling to old laws and customs because they are old? Why - then did not our people remain subject to kings? How did they dare - to do what was not thought of in the days of Moses and Abraham? How - dared they set aside the commands of the Bible and the customs of - all past ages and set up a government of their own? - - It is the boast of Americans that they know and do many things - which their fathers neither knew nor did. Progress is the law of - our nation and progress is written upon all its works. And while - all else is progressing to perfection, while the lowest may attain - to the position of the highest and noblest in the land, shall woman - alone remain stationary? Shall she be kept in a state of vassalage - because such was the condition of her sex six thousand years ago? - Clearly, my friends, when the prejudice of custom is on the side of - wrong and injustice in any matter we are not to be governed by it. - - But again it is objected that if women should be enfranchised it - would lead to discord and strife in families. In other words, to - come down to the simple meaning of this objection, if women would - not vote just as their husbands wanted them to the husbands would - quarrel with them about it! And who are the men who would do this? - Surely, not those who consider and treat their wives as equals. Not - those who recognize the individuality of the wife and accord to her - the right to her own opinions, the right to think for herself, and - to act as her own sense and judgment may dictate. With such there - would be no cause for quarrels, nothing to contend about. In such - families all is harmony. - - It would be only those who desire to rule in their families, only - those who regard and treat their wives as inferiors and subjects - who would get up contentions and discord; and it is only these who - bring forward this objection. No man who honors woman as he should - do would ever offer so flimsy a pretext for depriving her of rights - and enslaving her thoughts. I believe the enfranchisement of woman - will bring with it more happiness in the marriage relation, and - greater respect from the husband for his wife, because men are - always more respectful to their equals than to those they deem - their inferiors and subjects. - - Another objection of which we hear much in these days, and to - which men invariably resort when answered on every other point, is - that women do not want to vote. They say when _all_ the women ask - for the right it will be granted them. Did these objectors take - the same ground in regard to the negro? Did the colored men very - generally petition for the right of franchise? No such petition - was ever heard of and yet men forced the ballot unasked into their - hands. Why then must woman sue and petition for her God-given right - of self-government? If one human being only claims that rights are - unjustly withheld, such claim should receive the careful attention - and consideration of this government and people. Yet tens of - thousands of women, subjects of their government, have made such - claims and set forth their grievances from time to time during the - last thirty years. They have come as suppliants before the people - asking for rights withheld, and they have been met with sneers and - ridicule, and told that they must wait till all the women of the - nation humbly sue for the same thing! Would such excuse ever be - offered for withholding rights from men? - - Again, it is said that no considerable number of women would - exercise the right if granted. This, if true, and men do not know - it to be so, has nothing to do with the question. Give them the - right and let them exercise it or not as they choose. If they do - not want to vote, and will not vote, then surely there is no need - of restrictions to prevent their voting, and no harm can come from - removing the obstacles that now obstruct their way. - - Men are not required to give pledges that they will vote. There - is no compulsion in their case. They are left free to do as they - please, or as circumstances permit. The right is accorded and there - the matter rests. - - There is no justice in requiring more from women. That thousands - of women would vote is pretty certain. If _all_ do not avail - themselves of such privileges, it will be of their own choice and - right, and not because of its denial. The ballot is the symbol of - freedom, of equality; and because the right to use it would lift - woman from a state of inferiority, subjection and powerlessness - to one of equality and freedom and power we demand it for her. - If properly educated, she will use it for the best interests of - herself and of humanity. - - Another objection that carries great weight in the minds of many - is that if women vote they must fight. Even some of our friends - are puzzled how to settle this question. But a few days ago a lady - friend asked me how we could get around it. I reply that all men - have not earned their right to the ballot by firing the bullet in - their country’s defense, and if only those who fight should vote - there are many sick men, many weak little men, many deformed men, - and many strong and able-bodied but cowardly men who should be - disfranchised. - - These all vote but they do not fight, and fighting is not made - a condition precedent to their right to the ballot. The law - requires that only those of physical strength and endurance shall - bear arms for their country, and I think not many women could be - found to fill the law’s requirements. So they would have to be - excused with the weak little men who are physically disqualified. - If there are any great, strong women able to endure the marching - and the fighting who want to go to the front in time of battle, - I think they have a right to do so, and men should not dismiss - them and send them home. But as there are other duties to be - discharged, other interests to be cared for in time of war besides - fighting, women will find it enough to look after these in the - absence of their fighting men. They may enter the hospitals or the - battlefields as nurses, or they may care for the crops and the - young soldiers at home. They may also do the voting, and look after - the affairs of government, the same as do all the weak men who vote - but do not fight. - - And further, as men do not think it right for woman to bear arms - and fear it will be forced upon her with the ballot, they can - easily make a law to excuse her; and doubtless, with her help, - they will do so. There is great injustice, so long as the ballot - is given to all _men_ without conditions, the weak as well as the - strong, in denying to woman a voice in matters deeply affecting her - happiness and welfare, and through her the happiness and welfare - of mankind, because perchance there may come a time again in the - history of our country when we shall be plunged into war and she - not be qualified to shoulder a musket. - - This objection, like many others we hear, is too absurd to emanate - from the brains of intelligent men, and I cannot think they - seriously entertain the views they express. But give us a voice - in the matter, gentlemen, and we will not only save ourselves - from being sent to the battlefield, but will if possible keep you - at home with us by averting the difficulties and dangers, and - so compromising matters with foreign powers that peace shall be - maintained and bloodshed avoided. - - In justification of the exclusion of woman from a voice in the - government we are told that she is already represented by her - fathers, husbands and sons. To this I might answer, so were our - fathers represented in the parliament of King George. But were they - satisfied with such representation? And why not? Because their - interests were not well cared for; because justice was not done - them. They found they could not safely entrust their interests - to the keeping of those who could not or would not understand - them, and who legislated principally to promote their own selfish - purposes. I wholly deny the position of these objectors. It is - not possible for one human being to fully represent the wants and - wishes of another, and much less can one class fully understand - the desires and meet the requirements of a different class in - society. And, especially, is this true as between man and woman. - In the former, certain mental faculties as a general thing are - said to predominate; while in the latter, the moral attain to a - greater degree of perfection. Taken together, they make up what we - understand by the generic term _man_. If we allow to the former, - only, a full degree of development of their common nature one-half - only enjoys the freedom of action designed for both. We then have - the man, or male element, fully brought out; while the woman, or - female element, is excluded and crushed. - - It should be remembered too that all rights have their origin in - the moral nature of mankind, and that when woman is denied any - guarantee which secures these rights to her, violence is done to - a great moral law of our being. In assuming to vote and legislate - for her, man commits a positive violation of the moral law and - does that which he would not that others should do unto him. And, - besides all these considerations, it is hard to understand the - workings of this system of proxy-voting and proxy-representation. - How is it to work when our self-constituted representative happens - to hold different opinions from us? There are various questions, - such as intemperance, licentiousness, slavery, and war, the - allowing men to control our property, our person, our earnings, - our children, on which at times we might differ; and yet this - representative of ours can cast but one vote for us both, however - different our opinions may be. Whether that vote would be cast for - his own interests, or for ours, all past legislation will show. - Under this system, diversities of interest must of necessity arise; - and the only way to remove all difficulty and secure full and exact - justice to woman is to permit her to represent herself. - - One more point and I have done. Men say women cannot vote without - neglecting their families and their duties as housekeepers. This, - to our opponents, is a very serious objection. Who would urge a - similar one to man’s voting and legislating, or holding office—that - he would neglect his family or his business? And yet the objection - would be about as reasonable in one case as in the other. In - settling a question of natural and inherent _right_, we must not - stop to consider conveniencies or inconveniencies. The right must be - accorded, the field left clear, and the consequences will take care - of themselves. Men argue as though if women were granted an equal - voice in the government all our nurseries would be abandoned, the - little ones left to take care of themselves, and the country become - depopulated. They have frightened themselves with the belief that - kitchens would be deserted and dinners left uncooked, and that - men would have to turn housekeepers and nurses. When the truth - is, mothers have as much regard for the home and the welfare of - the children as have the fathers; and they understand what their - duties are as well as men do; and they are generally as careful for - the interests of the one, and as faithful in the discharge of the - other, as are these watchful guardians of theirs who tremble lest - they should get out of their sphere. God and nature have implanted - in woman’s heart a love of her offspring, and an instinctive - knowledge of what is proper and what improper for her to do, and it - needs no laws of man’s making to compel the one or teach the other. - Give her freedom and her own good sense will direct her how to use - it. - - Were the prohibition removed to-morrow, not more than one mother - in a thousand would be required to leave her family to serve - the state, and not one without her own consent. Even though all - the offices in the country should be filled by women, which - would never be likely to happen, it would take but a very small - proportion of the whole away from their families; not more than - now leave home each year for a stay of months at watering places, - in the mountains, visiting friends, or crowding the galleries of - legislative halls dispensing smiles on the members below. There - would, then, be little danger of the terrible consequences so - feelingly depicted by those who fear that the babies and their own - stomachs would suffer. - - But I have no desire, nor does any advocate of the enfranchisement - of woman desire, that mothers should neglect their duties to their - families. Indeed, no greater sticklers for the faithful discharge - of such duties can be found than among the prominent advocates - of this cause; and no more exemplary mothers can be found than - those who have taken the lead as earnest pleaders for woman’s - emancipation. Undoubtedly, the highest and holiest duty of both - father and mother is to their children; and neither the one nor - the other, from any false ideas of patriotism, any love of display - or ambition, any desire for fame or distinction, should leave a - young family to engage in governmental affairs. A mother who has - young children has her work at home, and she should stay at home - with it, and care well for their education and physical wants. - But having discharged this duty, having reared a well-developed - and wisely-governed family, then let the state profit by her - experience, and let the father and the mother sit down together in - the councils of the nation. - - But all women are not mothers; all women have not home duties; - so we shall never lack for enough to look after our interests at - the ballot-box and in legislative halls. There are thousands of - unmarried women, childless wives and widows, and it would always - be easy to find enough to represent us without taking one mother - with a baby in her arms. All women may vote without neglecting any - duty, for the mere act of voting would take but little time; not - more than shopping or making calls. Instead of woman being excluded - from the elective franchise because she is a mother, that is the - strongest reason that can be urged in favor of granting her that - right. If she is responsible to society and to God for the moral - and physical welfare of her son; if she is to bring him up as - the future wise legislator, lawyer and jurist; if she is to keep - him pure and prepare him to appear before the bar of the Most - High,—then she should have unlimited control over his actions and - the circumstances that surround him. She should have every facility - for guarding his interests and for suppressing and removing all - temptations and dangers that beset his path. If God has committed - to her so sacred a charge He has, along with it, given the power - and the right of protecting it from evil and for accomplishing the - work He has given her to do; and no false modesty, no dread of - ridicule, no fear of contamination will excuse her for shrinking - from its discharge. - - Woman needs the elective franchise to destroy the prevalent idea - of female inferiority. She needs it to make her the equal of - her own sons, that they may not in a few years assume the power - to rule over her, and make laws for her observance without her - consent. The fact that she is the mother of mankind—‘the living - providence under God who gives to every human being its mental, - moral and physical organization, who stamps upon every human heart - her seal for good or for evil’—is reason why she should occupy - no inferior position in the world. In the words of Mrs. Stanton, - ‘That woman who has no higher object of thought than the cooking a - good dinner, compounding a good pudding, mending old clothes, or - hemming dish-towels—or, to be a little more refined, whose thoughts - centre on nothing more important than an elegant dress, beautiful - embroidery, parties, dances, and genteel gossip concerning the - domestic affairs of the Smiths and Browns—can never give to the - world a Bacon or a Newton, a Milton or a Howard, a Buonaparte or a - Washington.’ If we would have great men, we must first have great - women. If we would have great statesmen and great philanthropists, - we must have mothers whose thoughts soar above the trifling objects - which now engage the attention of the mass of women, and who are - capable of impressing those thoughts upon the minds of their - offspring. - - In conclusion the enfranchisement of woman will be attended with - the happiest results, not for her only, but the whole race. It will - place society upon a higher moral and social elevation than it has - ever yet attained. Hitherto, the variously devised agencies for the - amelioration of the race have been designed mainly for the benefit - of man. For him colleges have been established and universities - endowed. For his advancement in science and the arts professorships - have been founded and lecture rooms opened. And, above all, for - securing to him the widest field for the fullest display of - his abilities republican institutions have been proclaimed and - sustained at a great sacrifice of toil, of bloodshed and of civil - commotions. Although the doctrine of the innate equality of the - race has been proclaimed yet, so far as relates to women, it has - been a standing falsehood, We now ask that this principle may be - applied practically in her case, also; we ask that the colleges - and universities, the professorships and lecture rooms shall be - opened to her, also; and, finally, we ask for the admission to the - ballot-box as the crowning right to which she is justly entitled. - - And when woman shall be thus recognized as an equal partner with - man in the universe of God—equal in rights and duties—then will she - for the first time, in truth, become what her Creator designed her - to be, a helpmeet for man. With her mind and body fully developed, - imbued with a full sense of her responsibilities, and living in the - conscientious discharge of each and all of them, she will be fitted - to share with her brother in all the duties of life; to aid and - counsel him in his hours of trial; and to rejoice with him in the - triumph of every good word and work. - - -A REPLY. - -A lecture entitled, “Woman’s Sphere, Woman’s Work and Woman Suffrage -Discussed,” was delivered at the Central Presbyterian church, Des -Moines, on the evening of December 25th, 1870, by the Rev. T. O. -Rice. The address was published in the Des Moines _Register_ of -January 1st, 1871, and Mrs. Bloomer replied to it through the columns -of the same paper January 21st, 1871, as follows: - - EDITOR OF THE REGISTER: A friend has placed in my hand a copy of - _The Register_ of January 1, containing a sermon by the Rev. T. O. - Rice on ‘Woman’s sphere, woman’s work, woman suffrage,’ etc. - - After carefully reading this sermon, I find nothing new or - original in it. It is but a rehash of what has before been served - up to us by the Reverends Todd, Bushnell, Fulton and others, who - are alarmed lest woman should get the start of the Creator and - overleap the bounds He has set to her sphere. It throws no new - light on the vexed question of woman suffrage, brings to view no - passages of Scripture hitherto hidden from our sight, and gives no - arguments which have not already been met and refuted again and - again. In much that he says the advocates of woman suffrage fully - agree with him. A mother’s first duty is at home with her children, - and nothing can excuse her for neglect of those entrusted to her - care. Home is the happiest spot on earth when it is a _true home_—a - home where love and harmony abide, where each regards the rights, - the feelings, the interest, the happiness of the other, where - ruling and obeying are unknown, where two heads are acknowledged - better than one, and true confidence and esteem bind together the - wedded pair. And I know of no happier homes, no better trained and - better cared for children, than among the prominent advocates of - woman suffrage. Whatever may be thought to the contrary, Elizabeth - Cady Stanton is a model housekeeper, wife and mother; and nowhere - can greater sticklers be found for the full discharge of all wifely - duties than those who are pleading for woman’s enfranchisement. So - far, then, as relates to home and children your divine has given us - nothing but what we can subscribe to, and what we have preached for - a score of years, at least, before he awakened to the necessity of - giving the women of his congregation a sermon on their domestic - duties. If they were ignorant on those matters, his words have not - come to them an hour too soon. - - After quoting familiar passages from both the Old and New Testament - referring to woman, your divine opens by saying: ‘The general drift - of these passages is obvious. Woman was designed to be a helpmeet - for man.’ To this we have nothing to object. We, too, say that God - made woman a helpmeet for man, finding it not good for him to be - alone. But God said nothing of her being inferior, or subordinate, - when he brought her to Adam—nothing of her being intended to fill - an inferior position or discharge particular or inferior duties. - She was made a helpmeet for man, not his subject and servant, - but his assistant, companion and counselor. Not a helper in any - particular sphere or duty, but in all the varied relations of life. - Not to be always the frail, clinging, dependent vine, which falls - helpless with the oak when it is riven by the thunderbolt, but to - take the place, _if need be_, of the sturdy oak at her side when so - riven, and bear upon her shoulders all the burdens which as true - helpmeet and companion fall to her lot. Not to be an idle drone in - the hive, but a sharer with him in all his head and his hands find - to do. Not a helpmeet in the domestic relation merely, but also in - the government of the earth and in the councils of the nation. It - was not to _him_ but to _them_ that God gave power and dominion - over the whole earth. - - He next goes on to show why woman was to occupy a subordinate - position, and of all the arguments brought forward by our - opponents I never read a more weak and flimsy one than this. - Because Adam was first formed and then Eve, she was therefore to - be subordinate. But where is the proof of this? Do we find in all - nature that the things last formed were inferior and subordinate - to those first created? Again, that ‘Adam was not deceived, but - the woman being deceived was in the transgression.’ Now, will the - reverend gentleman tell us which he deems the greater sin, to - commit a wrong after being misled and deceived by promises of great - good to follow, or to commit the same wrong without such promises - or deception, and with the eyes wide open to the wrong? In any - court of the present day, the extenuating circumstances would be - considered and the former held the less guilty of the two. - - How any unprejudiced and unbiased mind can read the original - account of the creation and fall, and gather therefrom that the - woman committed the greater sin, I cannot understand. When Eve - was first asked to eat of the forbidden fruit she refused, and it - was only after her scruples were overcome by promises of great - knowledge that she gave way to sin. But how was it with Adam, who - was with her? He took and ate what she had offered him without - any scruples of conscience, or promises on her part of great - things to follow—certainly showing no superiority of goodness, or - intellect, or strength of character fitting him for the headship. - The command not to eat of the Tree of Life was given to him before - her creation, and he was doubly bound to keep it; yet he not only - permitted her to partake of the fruit without remonstrating - against it, and warning her of the wrong, but ate of it himself - without objection or hesitation. And then, when inquired of by - God concerning what he had done, instead of standing up like an - honorable man and confessing the wrong he weakly tried to shield - himself by throwing the blame on the woman. As the account stands, - he showed the greater ‘feebleness of resistance, and evinced a - pliancy of character, and a readiness to yield to temptation,’ that - cannot justly be charged to the woman. As the account stands, man - has more to blush for than to boast of. - - While we are willing to accept this original account of the - creation and fall, we are not willing that men should add tenfold - to woman’s share of sin, and put a construction upon the whole - matter that we believe was never intended by the Creator. Eve had - no more to do with bringing sin into the world than had Adam, nor - does the Creator charge any more upon her. The punishment inflicted - upon them for their transgression was as heavy upon him as upon - her. Her sorrows were to be multiplied, but so too was he to eat - his bread in sorrow, and to earn it in the sweat of his face amid - thorns and thistles. To her no injunction to labor was given, upon - her no toil imposed, no ground cursed for her sake. - - But now we come to the consideration of a passage which seems to - bear more heavily upon woman, and which men have used as a warrant - to humble and crush her through all the ages that have passed since - our first parents were driven from the Garden of Eden: ‘_Thy - desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee._’ - - This Mr. Rice regards as a command binding upon every woman for all - time. Because Eve sinned, every woman must be ruled over by some - man as long as the world stands. It is a little strange that the - Creator did not tell us this. When talking to the serpent, He put - enmity between his seed and the seed of the woman; but to the woman - He said not a word of this law of subordination following her seed; - and to Adam he gave no command, or even license, to rule over his - wife. - - Will the Rev. Rice please explain to us the meaning of a like - passage in the chapter following? ‘_The Lord said unto Cain, the - desire of thy brother shall be unto thee, and thou shalt rule over - him._’ Was this, too, a command for all time? Did God command - Cain to rule over Abel? And if so, to whom does it now apply? The - language is the same in both instances, except that in the latter - case it was addressed directly to the party who was to rule, and in - the former to the one who was to be ruled. - - Clearly, the passage quoted should be regarded in the light of - prophecy or prediction, and not of command. Substitute _wilt_ for - _shalt_, which I am told the original fully permits, and then all - is clear. The prophecy has been fulfilled to the very letter. There - are other passages that I think clearly show that the word _shall_ - has been wrongly translated. For instance, Cain says, ‘Whosoever - findeth me _shall_ slay me,’ taking the form of command rather than - prediction. - - Having done with the Old Testament, our reverend lecturer proceeds - to give us what, in his opinion, was the idea and full meaning - of the Apostle Paul in his rules and injunctions to the women of - the churches he was addressing, and he wonders how there can be - any opinion but his own on the subject. He makes the apostle go a - long way beyond the Creator or the Saviour in his condemnation and - subordination of women, and then thinks it strange that all do not - take his version of the whole matter. Yet there are vast numbers - of good, Christian men and women who cannot read with his eyes and - who have presumed to differ from him. He quotes from some of the - early Fathers on the subject, and proves that they entertained - the same opinions and had the same fear of women getting into - authority the Todds, Rices and Fultons of the present day suffer - from. And the opinion of one party goes for as much as that of the - other. The women of those early days, as all know, were ignorant - and degraded and regarded as absolutely inferior to men. Custom - had assigned them an inferior place and, instead of being treated - as companions and equals, they were little better than servants - and slaves. None but dissolute women, or women of loose character, - sought for knowledge, and education was wholly denied to those who - were virtuous. They were expected to remain at home in ignorant - subjection to their masters. What wonder then if any, moved by - the spirit, dared raise their voice in the presence of men they - were instantly silenced, and told that it was not permitted them - to speak? The early Fathers, like St. Paul, but conformed to - the customs and shared the prejudices of the day in which they - lived, and under the circumstances no doubt their injunctions were - entirely proper and right. - - We have no account on record of these ancient clergy disgracing - themselves over a woman speaking as did the Rev. John Chambers, - and other reverends of his stamp—and as we suppose the Rev. Rice - would have done had he been there—a few years ago at the World’s - Temperance Convention, in New York, when by their violent stamping, - shouting, scolding and other uproarious conduct they succeeded in - drowning the voice and driving from the stand a lovely, refined and - highly educated Christian woman whom the president had invited to - the platform. They carried their ends at that time; but that did - not awe all women back into silence, or do themselves or the church - any good. So all the warnings, and quotations from St. Paul, by all - the reverends since his day, have not succeeded in keeping women in - that state of ignorance and subjection they occupied two thousand - years ago. The world moves, and it is God’s will that women move - with it. He is no respecter of persons, but regards His people as - all one in Christ Jesus. - - But what have we next? After putting women down as low as possible - our divine throws them a sop by telling them, if they will not - usurp authority over men in the pulpit they may speak, and pray, - and teach in Sunday schools, and in conference and covenant - meeting. And where, pray, does he get his authority for this? Not - in the Bible, surely. Paul says, ‘I suffer not a woman to teach.’ - Teach what? The scriptures—the gospel, to be sure. This is direct - and explicit. How can she teach the gospel in the Sunday school and - elsewhere, without violation of St. Paul’s law? ‘Let women keep - silence in the church,’ says the apostle. Then how can they talk, - and pray, and teach in the conference meeting, the covenant meeting - and other kindred places? St. Paul gives them no such liberty. - Plainly your divine is willing the women of his church should do - almost anything, so they do not interfere with his place, or usurp - authority over him. - - Poor _me_ next comes in for a severe castigation from your reverend - lawgiver because I dared say that, while I supposed St. Paul’s - injunctions to women were right and proper at the time and under - the circumstances of their utterance, I did not believe they were - the rule for the educated Christian women of this enlightened day - and age, the circumstances surrounding them having greatly changed - since the introduction of Christianity. That I believed women were - no more bound by the laws and customs of that time than men were - bound to observe all the laws and customs of the same period; and - further, that the church, _by its practice_, teaches the same - thing, to a great extent. And, still further, that the words of St. - Paul had nothing to do with woman’s political rights. The reverend - gentleman puts words in my mouth I never uttered, thoughts in - my head that I never conceived, places me in a position I never - occupied and then, having attributed all manner of bad things to - me, wipes me out with a sweep of his pen. Well, I do not feel a bit - bad over all this. I have the consolation of knowing that I am in - good company, and cannot be so easily annihilated as he supposed. - There are scores of divines as able, as learned, as eloquent and - as orthodox as T. O. Rice, of Des Moines, who take the same view - of the matter as I do, and any number of good Christian people who - subscribe to the same doctrine. I ‘have no painful solicitude as - to which side will ultimately triumph.’ I am no more ‘squarely and - openly at variance with God’s Word’ than is our reverend lecturer, - who has set himself up as God’s oracle, and hopes to intimidate all - women, and strengthen the rule of all men to whom the sound of his - voice may come. - - I do not question his right to think as he pleases, and lecture - women on proprieties and improprieties; but I must say, I consider - women quite as capable of judging for themselves what is proper and - what is improper for them to do as any man can be; and I think if - our reverends would turn their attention to their own sex, search - out passages and rules of conduct applicable to them, and lecture - them on their duty to their families and society, they would be - much better employed than in trying to subordinate women. - - God has implanted in woman’s nature an instinctive knowledge of - what is proper and what improper for her to do, and it needs no - laws of man to teach the one or compel the other. - - Our lecturer assumes that ‘God did not design that woman’s sphere - and woman’s work should be identical with that of man, but distinct - and subordinate.’ That ‘woman is happiest in subordination, as well - as more attractive,’ etc. This is, of course, only a picture of - his imagination—only an expression of his own feelings and wishes. - He can find no warrant for it in the Bible; for, as we have shown, - God did not assign her to any particular sphere or work, but made - her an helpmeet to stand side by side and walk hand in hand with - man through the journey of life. - - ‘When aspiring, insubordinate, overtopping and turbulent woman - loses all the attraction and fascination of her sex.’ Very true! - and so do men of the same character lose all that commands our love - and respect, and there are many more of the latter than of the - former class! I know no such woman, but if there are any, every - advocate of woman’s enfranchisement will do all they can to prevent - her ever becoming so ‘restless, troubled, muddy, and bereft of - beauty.’ So far as she has been admitted to the society of men they - have not yet made her that terrible being they fear and dread. She - has not proved herself coarse, vulgar, turbulent and corrupting - in any society to which she has been admitted; and we would bid - the reverend calm his excited mind, and remember that God made her - woman, and under no change that has come to her has she proved - untrue to the nature He implanted within her. So let him trust that - the good God who is leading her forward into broader fields of - usefulness will take care that she goes not beyond, in any respect, - the limit He has fixed to her sphere. - - Having settled the question that the sexes are to move in spheres - distinct from each other to his own satisfaction, and having - dismissed the apostle from the witness stand, we are told what, - in the judgment of the speaker, is the proper and appropriate - sphere of woman. In much of what follows we agree with him; but not - altogether. ‘By analyzing any persons,’ men or women, ‘physically, - mentally and morally, we can ascertain what station they are fitted - to fill—what work they are fitted to do.’ And whatever either man - or woman has capacity for doing, that is right and proper in and - of itself; that thing it is right and proper for both, or either - of them, to do. If God has given them a talent, He has along with - it given them a right to its use, whether it be in the direction - of the home, the workshop, the public assembly, or the Legislative - Hall. - - And if woman has hitherto neglected to improve all her God-given - talents, it is because men have only permitted her to get glimpses - of the world ‘from the little elevation in her own garden,’ where - they have fenced her in. But let them invite her to the ‘loftier - eminence’ where they stand, with the world for her sphere, as - it was at the beginning, and then they can better judge of the - qualities of her mind, and her capacity to fill any station. - - In talking of man’s strength of body and mind fitting him for - certain places, and woman’s weakness consigning her to other - places, he forgets that intellectually, at least, a great many - women are stronger than a great many men, and therefore better - fitted for places where brains, instead of muscle, are needed. It - is no more true that every woman was made to be a cook and a washer - of dishes and clothes, than that every man was made to be a wood - sawyer and a ditch digger. While some are content, in either case, - to fill those stations, others are not content, and never will be, - and will aspire to something better and higher. To what place the - weak little men are to be consigned our speaker fails to tell us. - - The home picture in the sermon is all very beautiful. Would - that all homes were a realization of the picture! Woman is told - great things of her duties, her influence, her glories and her - responsibilities, but not a word have we of man’s duty to the - home, the wife, the children. Woman is told that it is hers to - make her children great and good, as though they were like a blank - sheet of white paper and would take any impress she chose to give; - when, in fact, they are stamped before they see the light of the - world with the gross and vicious natures of their tobacco-chewing - and wine-bibbing fathers, as well as with the weaknesses of the - mothers, and it is often impossible for the best of mothers to - so train their children that they may safely pass the pitfalls - that men have everywhere placed to lead them into temptation and - destruction. We protest against the mothers being held alone - responsible for the children, so long as fathers wholly neglect - their duties and set such examples and such temptations before - their children as to corrupt their young lives and destroy the good - influence the mother might otherwise exert. Not till mothers have - a voice in saying what influences and temptations shall surround - their children when they go beyond the nursery walls, can they - justly be held accountable to society or to God for their conduct. - The woman who only takes a narrow view of life from the little - eminence in her garden can never give to the world very good or - very great children. She must be permitted to take in a wider - range from a loftier eminence, before she can form those great - characters and inscribe upon the immortal mind the great things - that are expected and demanded of her. If we would have great - men, we must first have great women. If we would have noble men, - we must first have noble mothers. A woman whose whole thought is - occupied in cooking a good dinner and mending old clothes—or (a - little more refined) whose thoughts center on a beautiful dress, - elegant embroidery, the fashionable party, the latest novel or the - latest fashion—can never give to the world a Bacon or a Newton, - a Howard or a Wesley, a Buonaparte or a Washington. Our preacher - lays a heavy responsibility on woman, but all his talk about her - influence, her duty and her subordination is not going to give her - that wisdom, strength and moral material out of which to properly - construct the fabric of the Church and the Commonwealth. - - We would by no means undervalue the home, or the mother’s duty and - influence; but we would ennoble and purify the one, and enlarge - the duties and extend the influence and power of the other. Our - divine thinks that, because woman is mother, daughter, sister and - wife, it is enough for her and she should desire nothing more. Man - is father, husband, son and brother, and why is he not therefore - content? What can he desire or ask for more? Let men realize that - they, too, have duties to the home beyond merely supplying the - money to satisfy the physical wants of the family; let them throw - down the wall they have built up around the woman’s garden and - invite her to survey with them the wider range from the loftier - eminence, and many homes would be made glad that are now anything - but Gardens of Eden, and many women would be strengthened for the - full and faithful discharge of all their duties. - - ‘Woman is not a mechanic.’ Yes, she is. All men are not mechanics. - I know women who have more mechanical genius than their husbands; - and I believe there are few of the mechanical arts that women - could not master and perform successfully, if custom permitted and - necessity required. They are naturally ingenious, and fashion many - things as difficult to learn as to saw a board or drive a nail, - to make a watch or a shoe, a saddle or a harness. My next-door - neighbor is a natural mechanic, and has manufactured various - articles in wood, from a foot to two feet in size, such as tables, - chairs, bedsteads, wardrobes, frames, brackets, etc., with only - a penknife and a bit of sandpaper for tools, which are perfect - specimens of workmanship, and are so acknowledged by first-class - cabinetmakers. She has taken premiums on these articles for the - best woodcutting and carving at our agricultural fairs. This work - has only been done for pastime, and the lady is equally ingenious - with the needle, as well as a good housekeeper, wife and mother. - There are many women engaged in various kinds of mechanism. - - There are many inventions by women; but how many have been - patented, can only be known by inquiry at the Patent Office. And - even then it would be difficult to ascertain facts, since the - patent is generally obtained in the name of the husband. I have a - lady friend who invented patterns for parlor stoves. Her husband - had them patented in his own name, and entered upon the manufacture - and sale of them. - - The ‘natural difference in the turn of mind in the sexes’ is not - so great as is supposed. The seeming difference is more owing to - education and custom, than to nature. It is a very common thing to - hear a young girl wish she was a boy, or a man, that she might be - free to do what she lists in this world of work—to make use of the - powers which she feels burning within her. The girl envies the boy - his freedom and his privileges. In ‘earliest childhood,’ if let - alone, there is little difference between the boy and the girl. - The girl likes to ride the horse and blow the trumpet, as well as - the boy; and the boy loves a doll and a needle and thread, as well - as the girl. It is not the child that selects, but the parent that - selects for him. From the very first (the whip, the horse, the - trumpet) the boy is taught that it is not right or manly for him - to play with dolls, or girls; and the girl, that little girls must - not play with boys, or with boys’ playthings, because it is not - ladylike, and will make a tom-boy of her. And so education does - what nature has not done, and was never intended to do. - - ‘Those who would curse our race have ever attempted, in imitation - of the great progenitor, to poison all our fountains and wither and - blast all our budding hopes by directing their artful attacks and - deadly shafts against the breast of woman.’ - - Alas! this is but too true. Ever since Satan, who was a man, struck - the first blow at her happiness, men have directed their deadly - shafts against her, by first subjugating her to their will, and - then using their power to ‘poison the fountain of her happiness - and wither and blast her budding hopes.’ She has been made their - sport and their victim, with no power to avert the evil, or protect - herself, or those entrusted to her care, from their artful and - brutal attacks. - - But what have we here? After telling women that home is their - sphere, and that God placed them in it, and they should not go - beyond it, the reverend lecturer turns right about and supposes - a case where a woman is called upon to devote her time, or - her energies, to home duties and family cares, or of one who - voluntarily chooses to do something else; and, strange as it may - seem after all that has gone before, he says ‘she may follow a - trade, teach, lecture, practise law and medicine, and fill a - clerkship.’ This is good woman’s-rights doctrine! The bars are let - down that separated the spheres, and woman is permitted to leave - the ‘distinct and subordinate’ one allotted to her, and enter upon - a sphere and work ‘_identical with that of man_.’ Here we can - join hands with our divine, and be thankful that light has so far - dawned upon him. And he farther ‘demands that all the sources of - learning, all the avenues of business which they are competent to - fill shall be thrown open to the whole sex, and that they shall - be fairly and fully rewarded for all they do’! These good words - go far to atone for all he has said before, and we will not ask - why this change, or concession. Enough that he comes thus far - upon our platform. But can he stop here? After giving her so wide - a sphere, and educating her mind to the fullest extent, can he - again put up the bar and say ‘thus far and no farther shalt thou - go’? Indeed, no! God himself has in these latter days broken down - the bounds that men had set to woman’s sphere, and they cannot, - by opposition or Bible argument, remand her back into the state - of silent subjection whence she came. The ministers of the church - for years set themselves up against the anti-slavery cause, and - proved conclusively, to themselves, from the Bible, that slavery - was right and God-ordained; that the Africans were, and were to - be, a subjugated race, and that to teach differently was in plain - violation of the teachings of the Bible. They held themselves - aloof from that cause, in the days of its weakness, at least, and - cried out against those who were pleading for the emancipation of - the slave. But God proved their mistake by setting that people - free, and endowing them with all the rights of citizenship. So, - too, the Bible is brought forward to prove the subordination of - woman, and to show that because St. Paul told the ignorant women - of his time that they must keep silent in the church the educated, - intelligent women of these times must not only occupy the same - position in the church and the family but must not aspire to the - rights of citizenship. But the same Power that brought the slave - out of bondage will, in His own good time and way, bring about the - emancipation of woman, and make her the equal in power and dominion - that she was at the beginning. - - The divine uses the column and a half that remains of the space - allotted to him to show why, in his opinion, women should not - vote—after telling us there is nothing against their voting in the - Bible, and omitting to tell us what the passages quoted at the head - of his discourse have to do with politics or political rights. - One of these reasons is that women will want to hold office; and - in proof of this he tells us that the office of deaconess, which - existed in the church till the middle of the fifth century, was - abolished because the women ‘became troublesome aspirants after - the prerogatives of office.’ It is ever thus. Men are willing - women should be subordinate—do the _drudgery_ in the church and - elsewhere; but let them aspire to something higher and then, if - there is no other way to silence them, abolish the office. _Men_ - want all the offices, and it is a crying shame for a woman to think - of taking one from them, thus setting them all aquake with fear! - - Men argue as though, if women had the right to vote, they would - all abandon their homes and their babies, and stand at the polls - from year’s end to year’s end and do nothing but vote. When the - fact is men do not vote but twice a year; are detained from their - business but a few minutes to deposit their ballots; and then go - their way, none the worse for the vote. I regret that Rev. Rice - thinks so badly of the advocates of woman’s cause. So far as I - know them, his charges are unfair and sometimes untrue. A better - personal acquaintance would disarm him of much of his prejudice. - The women are all good sisters, wives and mothers, living in love - and harmony with their husbands, to whom they are true helpmeets, - and whom they have no thought of deserting. Not half of them ever - expect to hold office—certainly not, unless the offices are greatly - multiplied—nor to have any part in turning the world upside down. - On the contrary they will continue to care for the babies, cook the - dinners, and sew on the buttons the same as ever. - - Another reason why woman should not vote is that he thinks ‘God has - not fitted her for government, that He never made her to manage the - affairs of state, that very few women would make good stateswomen,’ - etc. And yet God did at the Creation give her an equal share in the - government of the earth, and our divine imposes upon her all the - government of the family! God called Deborah to manage the affairs - of state, and approved of her management, never once telling her - she was out of her sphere, or neglecting her domestic duties. And - the queens of the Bible are nowhere reproved for being in authority - and ruling over men. Many women have shown a fitness for government - in all ages of the world. There are few able statesmen among men, - and the world is suffering sadly for want of woman’s help and - woman’s counsel in the affairs of state. - - But I cannot ask you to allow me space to follow the reverend - gentleman through all that follows on the question of woman - suffrage. His arguments are very stale, and many of them absurd. - I doubt not he is honest in his convictions; but all do not see - with his eyes, or judge with his judgment. As able minds as his own - among men take a different view of the matter, and believe that at - the polls, as elsewhere, woman will have a refining moral influence - upon men, and that she will herself be benefited and ennobled by - the enlarged sphere of action. - - I cannot better close than with the words of Bronson Alcott, at a - recent ‘conversation’ in Chicago: ‘There is no friend of woman who - does not believe that, if the ballot were extended to her, not one - would ever vote for an impure man. To give woman the ballot would - purify legislation, plant liberty and purity in our families, our - churches, our institutions, our State.’ - - AMELIA BLOOMER. - - Council Bluffs, Iowa. - - -MRS. STANTON ON MRS. BLOOMER. - - “In the fall of 1850 I met Mrs. Bloomer for the first time, in - Seneca Falls, N. Y. I was happy to find her awake to the wrongs - of women. Mrs. Bloomer was publishing a paper at that time called - the _Lily_; a rather inappropriate name for so aggressive a paper, - advocating as it did all phases of the woman’s-rights question. - In 1849 her husband was appointed postmaster, and she became his - deputy, was duly sworn in, and during the administration of Taylor - and Fillmore served in that capacity. When she assumed her duties, - the improvement in the appearance and conduct of the office was - generally acknowledged. A neat little room adjoining became a kind - of ladies’ exchange, where those coming from different parts of the - town would meet to talk over the contents of the last _Lily_ and - the progress of the woman’s-suffrage movement in general. Those - who enjoyed the brief interregnum of a woman in the post office can - readily testify to the loss to the ladies of the village, and to - the void felt by all, when Mrs. Bloomer and the _Lily_ left for the - West, and men again reigned supreme. - - “E. C. S.” - - -MEMORIAL SERMON. - -Preached by the Rev. Eugene J. Babcock, in St. Paul’s Church, Council -Bluffs, January 13, 1895: - - ECCL., vii. 1.—“_A good name is better than precious ointment, and - the day of death than the day of one’s birth._” - - Wisdom is surveying life, and giving its best retrospect. The - thought which has entered this judgment is the righteous, just, - temperate, and loving care of God. - - A life spent in satisfying the pleasures of sense alone leaves - nothing of value to the ‘pilgrims of night,’ for it passes away - like a shadow and is gone. The greatest heritage that can come to - the children of men—an inheritance that they should administer - jealously—is a good name. As to other things we can carry nothing - out of this world, but good character, like the ancient embalming, - forever preserves a good name. - - The ‘name’ which wisdom here mentions is that which has acquirement - of reputation. This is suggested by the second member of the text. - The old application would have limited it to one who had won fame. - Evidently, reputation is to be the outcome of character just as - the perfume is associated with the nard. The things in comparison - are the good name which all delight to honor, and the fragrant odor - of the good, i. e. precious, ointment which all enjoy. - - But more than this. Names of the great and good have a diffusive - power, subtly and incisively invading our spirits as their golden - deeds are told off and become signs to the world that earth has - souls of heroic mould. Then we are athrill with emotion as our - souls thus catch better insight of humanity. The correspondence is - in opening the box of delicate, pure and costly ointment, the odor - thereof filling the house. - - How comes it that the day of death is better than the day of birth? - Solomon may have meant that life’s vexations, toils, temptations - and trials were thus at an end. This is the justifying consolation - that we give when our fellows depart hence and are no more seen. - The passing hence is undoubtedly merciful relief in many instances. - But life’s issues are varied and diverse, and to most of us - life, in its purely temporal aspect, is the sweetest and closest - companion of thought. There are but few to receive Solomon’s words. - Possibly, they are designed for the few. At an earlier stage of - his life he would not have written them. They came out of his - experience. He may have been touched by a gloom of apprehension - which sprung from ignorance, an ignorance that was done away in - Christ our Lord. That life does not cease absolutely is knowledge - which Christ’s religion has fixed in human minds. It is true that - there is as yet no test of experience, save that I point you to - Jesus Christ the Great Exemplar and those recorded cases who were - subjects of his power. In the spirit’s return to God, the ancients - did not know that to die is gain. - - In view of acquirements attained from a well ordered and well spent - life, may there not be a sense in which the day of death is better? - As the three score and ten years come on, our minds contrast origin - and decline, infancy and age. What prodigious issues are involved! - The advances of time disclose two pathways, well worn and leading - up to these issues. In moral aspect they bear the names of good and - evil. Yet they are not so absolutely distinct as to be two separate - paths. Rather, to the eye of discernment, the individual walks - in two planes, the subject of two kingdoms. God, in His goodness - and mercy, furnished a guideboard for the journey of life, and - prophetic of the parting of the ways: Reject the evil; choose the - good. Behold the key to the good name that is better than precious - ointment! - - Such was the high animating principle that guided Amelia Jenks - Bloomer through her womanhood. Born in Homer, New York, May 27, - 1818, she removed from her native place at an early age, and after - a residence in two other villages in the same state, during which - her life passed through girlhood to young womanhood, she finally - came to Seneca County. She was little aware of the destiny that - awaited her, and of the probability that the precincts of her new - dwelling place were to become the theatre of events in which she - would play the part of leading character. - - On her mother’s side she inherited a trend toward an earnest and - positive religious bent. This was supplemented by the mother-love - instilling into the child those principles of belief in things - supreme which become a part of moral fibre and the basis for - action. The one avenue of woman’s employment from time immemorial, - the public school, she seems to have eschewed. This may have been - owing to possession of talents for larger and higher educational - function; talents which found successful trial in a happy and - peculiar relation of governess in a family with three children. - - This relation was terminated for another and more sacred bond, - she being joined in marriage the twenty-second year of her age. - Her married life began at Seneca Falls, New York, where was Mr. - Bloomer’s home. - - In the beginning of the decade of years which are known as the - ‘forties,’ there were gathering forces of a distinctively moral - movement which had for its object the regeneration of society. - Re-proclamation of an old truth in new form took aggressive phase - of agitation against the evils of intemperance with a view to - lessen them. The instrument employed was the ever truthful and - laudable agency of moral suasion. In due time there came into the - purview of such as were enlisted heart and soul in this noble - effort, the additional agency of suppression by means of legal - enactment. This first and new demonstration gathered momentum until - 1856, when it seems to have spent its force in electing Myron A. - Clark, of Canandaigua, to the governorship of New York. - - A glance at the early endeavors which led to the upheaval of - society and had a widespread effect for good, enables us to see the - sway of the agitation in that part of the state where dwelt the - honorable subject of this memorial. The movement had taken form in - the concrete by virtue of an organization named the Washingtonian - Society. To the influences of this society we are indebted, - indirectly at least, for the new firmament which spread above this - land in woman’s emancipation, and for its bright peculiar star, - Amelia Bloomer. - - This came about in a simple and matter-of-fact way. Local - societies, of which there was one in Seneca Falls, were doing their - specific work. Mr. Bloomer was already in the newspaper field as - editor of the village press. To his editorial duties he joined - the duties of maintaining a paper called the _Water Bucket_, as - the organ of the local society. Another element came in the shape - of a religious awakening, following the Washingtonian movement, - and growing out of it. While the air was ringing with eloquent - words of precept, there was forced upon the mind that which was - equally eloquent, viz., personal example. Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer were - baptized and confirmed by Bishop Delancey in the parish church of - Seneca Falls in the year 1842. Henceforth, to the _rationale_ of - the movement was added the religious motive. - - In response to her husband’s earnest and persuasive appeals to - ‘lend a hand,’ she modestly and even reluctantly contributed - articles to the paper. With repeated protestations, she complied - with other demands. She did not desire to reveal her identity as - her contributions became subject to favorable comment and wide - quotation. She hid herself under a round of names, now masculine, - now feminine, in order to avoid publicity. But behind them there - was a personality that could not be hidden long. A keen and - powerful mind, and brimming sentiments of a woman’s heart, intense - and moving, came to the surface. The flashing of a bright pen, - tempered and pointed as a Damascus blade, was probing its way - to the forefront of discussion, and into the vitals of opposing - argument, and lo! a woman stepped forth into the arena, a champion - of woman’s side in the conflicting controversy! - - With her lifeboat thus pushed out into the current of this mental - activity, and thrown upon her own resources, latent powers came to - her support. These were reabsorbed, again developed, and carried - on to renewed struggles. It is surprising to note how resolutely - and with what eminent capability she met the varied demands of true - sentiment, sound judgment and business tact. - - She had great regard for the principles she advocated; for her - self-respect as an advocate; and for her pledged or promised word. - Thinking that woman was capable of originating an enterprise, - that she had capacity for conducting it, her ruling passion was - to show to the world that woman could do as woman, be accountable - to self, and had the right potential to do what she could. That - she esteemed woman a responsible creature is indicated in the - manner in which her paper _The Lily_ was launched upon society. - A woman’s temperance club had planned the paper, the president - of the society had named it; another was appointed editress, - Mrs. Bloomer to be associate; the first issue to appear January - 1, 1849. A woman’s convention which had assembled in 1848 in the - village, and the first on record, may have stimulated the project. - But as the time approached to undertake the issue faintheartedness - dashed the scheme. Not even prospectuses and money received could - stay the retreat. Mrs. Bloomer was left alone. Her own words are: - ‘My position was a most embarrassing one. * * * * I could not so - lightly throw off responsibility. There was no alternative but - to follow the example of the others and let the enterprise prove - a miserable failure as had been predicted it would, or to throw - myself into the work, bare my head to the storm of censure and - criticism that would follow, and thereby make good our promises to - the public and save the reputation of the society. It was a sad, a - trying hour, for one all inexperienced in such work, and at a time - when public action in woman was almost unknown. So unprepared was - I for the position I found myself in, so lacking in confidence and - fearful of censure, that I withdrew my name from the paper and left - standing the headline: “Published by a Committee of Ladies.”’ With - such splendid courage, integrity and determination, we can almost - predicate in advance the eminent success which attended this effort - during a period of six years. - - The study of woman’s condition incident to aggressive measures - against intemperance and the direct appeal to woman’s sympathies, - without doubt, widened the scope of vision. That woman often stood - in need of independence was enforced cogently. Having succeeded in - a limited temperance work and become useful agents in lifting the - burdens of sisters, the idea of relief in other directions followed - hard apace. Some of these burdens were of woman’s own placing, some - were forced upon her by the inequalities of law, and others were in - deference to a wrong public opinion. - - The power of the Press did not suffice for the complete extension - of the aims which the woman’s association had in view. The human - voice, than which there is nothing more potential in moving us, - was now raised to make the battlecry of reform more effective. The - last wonder of the world had come—for woman appeared as her own - advocate. Amelia Bloomer had gathered strength and reliance for a - new phase of her work. She more deeply realized that she had to - cope with other evils than the horrors of intemperance. The rising - questions were still more difficult, from their inherent nature - and there being no public sentiment to support them. As the issue - confronted her the same distrust of self, yet the same unfaltering - courage and devotion to a cause, prepared her for the rostrum as - armed her for the editress’ chair. She had faith in the justice - of men, and believed that God was on her side. She overstepped - mere conventionality, not that she spurned good, but to show that - conventionalism is sometimes a tyrant, and harmful. She could brave - the strictures of public opinion, knowing that it is not always - right. But that she could do this does not indicate that there - was no cost to herself, or that the cruel arrows of ridicule when - proceeding from unkindness did not reach tender sensibilities. - Had she but her own glory to seek, or were it but a vain notoriety - in order to puff up the mind, she could not have ‘bared her head - to the storm’ which a canvass of woman’s rights and woman’s wrongs - brought upon her. - - * * * * * - - It is for us to learn the lesson of her life: that, conspicuously, - she was unselfish. A conviction had come to her—may it not have - been true inspiration?—that what was wrong in practice might be - righted by promulgation of true principles. She had the courage of - her convictions, if ever any one had. Like a true reformer, she - had to furnish the principles and disclose the facts upon which - they were based, in order that correction might obtain. That which - sent her to the principal cities of her native and adopted states - and to cities far beyond, to legislative halls, to the use of her - trenchant and vigorous pen, was love for her own sex. To win for - one was gain for all. It was a doing for others all along. What - though abstract justice, statue-like, could point the index at - inequalities? There was no voice to awaken and plead! - - In this part of her career she was as eminent a success as in the - other. She was mistress of argumentative persuasion, and could turn - the shafts of opponents with consummate skill. The extravagance - of rhetoric into which excited feelings are prone to lead a - controversialist, she met with good-natured repartee. It may be - said that she was advance-courier of ‘temperance literature,’ her - sprightly contributions being original matter, and in turn becoming - texts for other writers and publishers. She had other helpers in - creating a literature of woman’s rights, notably Mrs. Stanton, - who was one of others who accompanied her on a tour of lectures. - Her contention as to woman’s place was that she is created man’s - intellectual, moral and spiritual equal. - - It certainly would have been derogatory to the Almighty Creator - to have bestowed on man an inferior partner for life. Genesis - discloses to us that the word for man and woman is the same, save - that a feminine termination is added to the latter. The true rise - of woman is centred in the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord. From - that time the dawn of woman’s elevation has been breaking into a - cloudless sky. Mrs. Bloomer rightly caught the gleaming light in - attributing to that august event a possibility for the broader and - higher sphere of woman’s action. With this she was wont to silence - Old-Testament quotations of opponents, and for that matter the - handlers of New-Testament writings which referred to a condition - closely approximating the old order of ignorance; the enlightenment - of Christianity not then having bathed the nations. She never - countenanced levity respecting the married state, or suffered the - intrusion of degrading theories respecting the domicile of home. - Her interpretation of a ‘help’ meet for man ranged along the high - lines of being a help in all that man does for the good of the - world, self, and actions that bear fruit of moral freedom. - - Whenever she was asked to teach about woman’s sphere she complied, - as being a call to duty. Not long ago she related to a me thrilling - adventure which I am now able to see in a more characteristic - light. A certain and constant solidarity of character becomes - apparent at every turn. Duteous devotion, regard for promise, and - personal bravery enter into the exploit. She was to lecture on - ‘Woman’s Education’ before, and for the benefit of, the Library - Association of Omaha. I find the story transcribed in her ‘Early - Recollections.’[2] - - * * * * * - -The reference to home yearnings is a side light which illumines -the whole background of her public career. Ardently devoted to her -mission and responsive to its imperious calls, yet she was not a Mrs. -Jellyby of Bleak House. She cared for others, near to her as well as -remote. Adopted children have taken the Bloomer name, and other young -have found a home beneath the hospitable roof. - -A woman engaged in the active enterprises of life was a new thing -under the sun. Beneath the royal occupation of queen-regent, or that -of gifted authorship, or being a ‘Sister of Charity,’ the lines of -woman’s work were few and greatly limited in the world outside of -home. Amelia Bloomer was a pioneer in woman’s emancipation and, as -falls to the lot of the pioneer, she had work to do which succeeding -generations reckon not, and of which successors in the field have -never felt the sting of the deep intensity of the striving. The first -faint, far-off echo has swelled to thunder tone as to-day there goes -over the land a call for the Second Triennial Meeting of the National -Council of Women, which was founded on the fortieth anniversary -of ‘the first organized demand for equal education, industrial, -professional, and political rights for women, made at a meeting in -Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.’ - -It is given to but few to realize the effectiveness of consecration -to a work like that Mrs. Bloomer undertook. Rarely does one see -the rich results of a contention so manifoldly difficult. As iron -sharpeneth iron, so has been the clash of minds. Imaginary barriers -have gone, and a rigid conservatism, strong principally by reason of -inherited tendency, is supplanted by a _rationale_ of woman’s sphere -which has made occupation for thousands. She who was both prominent -and eminent in bringing this result ought to be an object of their -everlasting gratitude!”[3] - - -THE END. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[2] Here, with slight omissions, is quoted in Mrs. Bloomer’s own -words the narration of the incident of the “Dangers met in crossing -the Missouri,” previously given on pp. 214-216. - -[3] The remainder of the sermon has already been given. It will be -found on pp. 327-331. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - pg 5 swapped Amelia’s and Dexter’s photo location - pg 33 Removed hyphen between Seneca and Falls - pg 40 Removed duplicate word from: women did not not know what - pg 120 Added hyphen between State and Temperance - pg 158 Removed extra quote after: so-called ‘Woman’s Rights’ - pg 168 Removed hyphen after: having passed the New - pg 181 Removed hyphen from: AT THE NEW-YORK - pg 183 Removed hyphen from: Of this New-York Convention - pg 197 Removed hyphen from: We came from our New-York home - pg 200 Removed repeated word the from: and again the the cry - pg 206 Removed hyphen between Council and Bluffs - pg 296 Removed hyphen between bushel and basket - pg 322-323 Removed hyphen between Council and Bluffs - pg 337 Removed repeated word is from: but that is is her duty - Many hyphenated and non-hyphenated word combinations left - as written. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA -BLOOMER *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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- margin-right: 10%; -} - - h2,h3 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; - font-weight: normal; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - text-indent: 1em; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.r5 {width: 5%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 47.5%; margin-right: 47.5%;} -hr.r15 {width: 15%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 42.5%; margin-right: 42.5%;} - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -.fs60 {font-size: 60%} -.fs80 {font-size: 80%} -.fs90 {font-size: 90%} -.fs120 {font-size: 120%} -.fs130 {font-size: 130%} -.fs150 {font-size: 150%} -.fs200 {font-size: 200%} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} -table.autotable { border-collapse: collapse; } -.tdl {text-align: left; padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} -.tdr {text-align: right;} -.tdc {text-align: center; line-height: 1.5em;} -.tdrx {text-align: right; padding-left: 4em;} - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: small; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; - text-indent: 0; - color: #A9A9A9; -} /* page numbers */ - - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.wsp {word-spacing: 0.3em;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -/* Images */ - -img { - max-width: 100%; - height: auto; -} -img.w100 {width: 100%;} - - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; - page-break-inside: avoid; - max-width: 100%; -} - -/* Footnotes */ -.footnotes {border: 1px dashed; margin-top: 2em;} - -.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} - -.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: - none; -} - -/* Poetry */ -/* uncomment the next line for centered poetry */ -.poetry-container {display: flex; justify-content: center;} -.poetry-container {text-align: center;} -.poetry {text-align: left; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} -.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em auto;} -.poetry .verse {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} - -/* Poetry indents */ -.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3em;} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:small; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; -} - -.no-indent {text-indent: 0em;} - -/* Poetry indents */ -.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3em;} -.poetry .indent1 {text-indent: -2.25em;} -.poetry .indent2 {text-indent: -1.25em;} -.poetry .indent6 {text-indent: .25em;} -.poetry .indent22 {text-indent: 6em;} - -/* Illustration classes */ -.illowp15 {width: 15%;} -.illowp52 {width: 52%;} -.illowp65 {width: 65%;} - -.pageborder {width: 400px; border: 1px solid; padding: 5px; margin: 5px;} - -img.drop-cap -{ - float: left; - margin: 0 0 0 0; -} - -h1.drop-cap:first-letter -{ - color: transparent; - visibility: hidden; - margin-left: -.65em; -} - -.x-ebookmaker img.drop-cap - { - display: none; - } - -.x-ebookmaker h1.drop-cap:first-letter - { - color: inherit; - visibility: visible; - margin-left: 0; - } - -h1 {font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; word-spacing: .3em; text-align: left;} - -.clrboth {clear:both;} - - </style> -</head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer, by D. C. Bloomer</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: D. C. Bloomer</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 4, 2023 [eBook #69953]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Bob Taylor, Carla Foust and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA BLOOMER ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 65%"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover"> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<figure class="figcenter illowp65" id="frontis" style="max-width: 34.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/frontis.jpg" alt="D. C. Bloomer"> -</figure> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - - -<div> -<img class="drop-cap" src="images/dropcap.jpg" alt="Fancy letter L" width="100" height="100"> -</div> - -<h1 class="drop-cap">LIFE AND WRITINGS OF<br> -<span class="fs120">AMELIA BLOOMER</span></h1> - - -<br> -<br> -<p class="center no-indent clrboth"><span class="fs60">BY</span><br> -<span class="fs130">D. C. BLOOMER, LL. D.</span><br> -<span class="fs60 wsp">WITH PORTRAITS</span></p><br><br> - -<figure class="figcenter illowp15" id="symbol" style="max-width: 11.25em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/symbol.jpg" alt="Art for Truth symbol"> -</figure> -<br><br> - -<p class="center no-indent"><span class="fs80">BOSTON</span><br> -<span class="fs120 wsp">ARENA PUBLISHING COMPANY</span><br> -<span class="smcap fs120">Copley Square</span><br> -1895</p><br> - -<p class="center no-indent">Republished 1976<br> -Scholarly Press, Inc., 22929 Industrial Drive East<br> -St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48080 -</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent"> -<span class="smcap">Copyrighted, 1895</span>,<br> -<br> -<span class="fs80">BY</span><br> -<br> -D. C. BLOOMER.<br></p> - -<hr class="r5"> - -<div class="pageborder"> -<p class="no-indent"> -<b>Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data</b><br> -<br> -Bloomer, Dexter C   1820-1900.<br> -   Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer.<br> -<br> -   Reprint of the ed. published by Arena Pub. Co.,<br> -Boston.<br> -<br> -   1. Bloomer, Amelia Jenks, 1818-1894. 2. Women’s<br> -rights—United States. I. Title.<br> -HQ1413.B6B6  1975b  301.41’2’0924  72-78650<br> -ISBN 0-403-01994-X<br> -</p> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</span></p> -<p class="center no-indent">TO MY WIFE.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</h2> -</div> -<hr class="r15"> - -<p>As Mrs. Bloomer was one of the pioneers in -what is sometimes called the “Woman’s Movement,” -it seems right that a record of her work -should be placed in durable form. Such a record -I have endeavored to set forth in the following -pages. While giving a brief narrative of her life, -I have also included, as being most satisfactory, -quite extended extracts from her writings; and one -of her lectures is printed in full. I will add for -the information of the curious that a complete -bound copy in one volume of the <span class="smcap">Lily</span>, as printed -and issued by Mrs. Bloomer for six years, is deposited -in the State Library, in Albany, N. Y., -and is probably the only copy of that work in -existence.</p> - -<p class="right"> -<span class="smcap">D. C. Bloomer.</span><br> -</p> - -<p class="fs80">September, 1895.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> -<hr class="r5"> - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"></td> -<td class="tdr"><span class="fs80">PAGE</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Preface</span></td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_v">v</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER I.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">HER EARLY LIFE—HER MARRIAGE—TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO!—A WRITER FOR -NEWSPAPERS—WASHINGTONIANISM—JOINS THE CHURCH</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER II.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN—REFORM BEGINS—WOMEN TO THE FRONT—MRS. BLOOMER THINKS -ABOUT IT</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER III.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">SHE WRITES ABOUT IT—BIRTH OF THE <em>LILY</em>—NEW WORK FOR HER—FIRST IN THE -FIELD—MRS. STANTON APPEARS—MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED—BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER—THE <em>LILY</em> ON - HER HANDS—VISITS NEW YORK CITY—MISS ANTHONY IS INTRODUCED—MRS. BLOOMER ON THE TENNESSEE -LEGISLATURE—FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE—LETTER TO AKRON CONVENTION—“RULING A WIFE”</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER IV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE REFORM DRESS—WOMAN’S ATTIRE—FASHION IN DRESS</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER V.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">THE <em>LILY</em> PROSPEROUS—WOMAN’S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY—MRS. BLOOMER ON -DIVORCE—CONVENTION INFLUENCE—THE WOMEN REJECTED AT SYRACUSE—CONVENTION IN ALBANY—A -LECTURER—IN NEW YORK CITY—AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE—AT METROPOLITAN HALL—MRS. BLOOMER’S -SPEECH—IN BUFFALO—AT HOME—HATING THE MEN—GOOD TEMPLARS—IN THE PULPIT—IN ROCHESTER AGAIN; -A CHANGE—A LECTURE TOUR; FOURTH OF JULY—RESTING—NEW LECTURES—A CLUB OF TALKERS</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_82">82</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</span>CHAPTER VI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">AT THE WORLD’S CONVENTION—A WESTERN TRIP—CONTINUES HER JOURNEY—AN ANNOUNCEMENT; -A REMOVAL—A TESTIMONIAL—DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT TO MR. AND MRS. BLOOMER</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER VII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">AN ASSISTANT EDITOR—PROSPERITY OF THE <em>LILY</em>—ENFRANCHISEMENT OF -WOMAN—WOMAN’S RIGHT—WOMAN’S CLAIM—DESTROYING LIQUOR—GOLDEN RULES FOR WIVES—THE CLERGY—MALE -BLOOMERS—WOMEN MECHANICS—WOMAN’S DRESS—WOMEN DRUNKARDS—PROGRESS—SEWING MACHINES—GOVERNOR -SEYMOUR’S VETO—FIGHTING HER WAY—ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM—AT THE OHIO STATE CONVENTION—A -WOMAN TYPESETTER—A STRIKE FOLLOWED—LUCY STONE APPEARS—A VISIT TO NEW YORK STATE—AT THE -NEW YORK STATE CONVENTION—GOOD TEMPLARS IN OHIO—THE <em>LILY</em> SOLD—SHE IS SORRY</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2">CHAPTER VIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">ON HER TRAVELS—STARTS FOR IOWA—EARLY DAYS IN THE WEST—DELAYED IN ST. -LOUIS—THE MISSOURI RIVER’S RAVAGES—CONSENTS TO DELIVER A LECTURE—ODD METHOD OF ADVERTISING—OFF -IN A STAGECOACH—BEFRIENDS A STRANGER—ARRIVES AT GLENWOOD—EARLY HARDSHIPS—SUFFER FROM <span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span> -DROUTH—FURNITURE WAS SCARCE—DAYS OF HOSPITALITY—EARLY OMAHA—PLASTERED HOUSES WERE SCARCE—WORSHIPPED -IN LOG CHURCHES—EARLY CHURCH WORK—DEFENDS WOMAN’S RIGHTS—THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE INTERESTED—DANGERS -MET IN CROSSING THE MISSOURI—BUFFETS THE ICE IN A SKIFF—WOMAN’S EQUALITY IN LAW—DESCRIBES COUNCIL -BLUFFS—DESCRIBES HER NEW HOME—LIFE IN COUNCIL BLUFFS—AGAINST STRONG DRINK—HER EXPERIENCES—FOR -WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT—VOTING AND FIGHTING—PROGRESS—STATE SUFFRAGE SOCIETY—HISTORY OF IOWA -SUFFRAGE WORK—ESSAYS BY MRS. BLOOMER—“WIFELY DUTIES”—“NAMES OF MARRIED WOMEN”—“IS IT RIGHT FOR -WOMEN TO LECTURE?”—“WOMAN’S RIGHT TO PREACH”—“PETTICOAT PRESENTATION”—“OBJECTIONS TO WOMAN -SUFFRAGE ANSWERED”—“ON HOUSEKEEPING; WOMAN’S BURDENS”—THE CIVIL WAR—MRS. BLOOMER’S ADDRESS—LETTER -TO CONVENTION OF LOYAL WOMEN—VISITS WASHINGTON—IN NEW YORK CITY—VISITS COLORADO—A LETTER—ADOPTED -CHILDREN—CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WORK—HER CHARACTER ANALYZED—“ABOUT THE FIRST SINNER”—GOLDEN -ANNIVERSARY—CLOSING YEARS—END OF AN EARNEST LIFE—PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY—GREAT LOSS TO COUNCIL -BLUFFS—HER LIFE A BUSY ONE—HER CHRISTIAN CHARACTER—LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS—MEMORIAL DISCOURSE</td> -<td class="tdr" style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span>APPENDIX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">WOMAN’S RIGHT TO THE BALLOT</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_335">335</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A REPLY</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_355">355</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">MRS. STANTON ON MRS. BLOOMER</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_375">375</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">MEMORIAL SERMON</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_376">376</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="ILLUSTRATIONS">ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> -</div> -<hr class="r5"> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">AMELIA BLOOMER</td> -<td class="tdrx"><em>Facing page <a href="#png_201">193</a></em>.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">DEXTER C. BLOOMER</td> -<td class="tdrx"><em><a href="#frontis">Frontispiece</a></em>.</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</span></p> - -<p class="fs200 no-indent">LIFE AND WRITINGS OF<br> -<span style="margin-left: 3em;">AMELIA BLOOMER.</span></p> -</div> - - -<hr class="r15"> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_FIRST">CHAPTER FIRST.</h2> - -<h3>HER EARLY LIFE.</h3> - - -<p>The early life of the subject of this Memoir -was devoid of any striking incidents. Her -parents were natives of the little State founded -by Roger Williams, where both were born, -passed their early years, and were married some -time in the year 1806. Her father, Ananias -Jenks, was a clothier by trade, and was a man -of a great deal of force of character. The -maiden name of her mother was Lucy Webb. -She was a devoted Christian woman, and had -enjoyed to the fullest extent the training of -a New-England Puritan family of the last century.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</span> -She was a faithful member of the Presbyterian -church, and she aimed to bring up her -children in its somewhat strict teachings. With -her and her family the holy Sabbath commenced -with the going down of the sun on -Saturday evening, and ended with the setting -of the sun on the following day. This was an -old Puritan notion, and was very convenient for -the boys and girls who wished to form acquaintances -and spend pleasant hours together on -the evening of the first day of the week. -Ananias Jenks, the father of Amelia Jenks, -removed to the state of New York with his -wife in the early days of their married life, residing -successively in the counties of Onondaga, -Cortlandt, Wayne, and Seneca. To Ananias -and Lucy Jenks several children were born, at -least four daughters and two sons. One of the -latter died in early childhood; but the other, -Augustus, was spared until about his thirtieth -year. He married, removed to the state of -Michigan, where five children were born in his -family, enlisted as a volunteer in one of the -Michigan regiments in the Civil War, and lost<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span> -his life at the great battle of Gettysburg. The -four daughters were Adaline, Elvira, Amanda, -and Amelia; Amelia being the youngest of the -family, with perhaps the exception of Augustus, -who may have been younger. All the children -married: Adaline left children surviving her; -Amanda, one only, a daughter; while none -were born to either Elvira or Amelia.</p> - -<p>The last named, Amelia, was born in the town -of Homer, Cortlandt County, New York, on the -27th day of May, 1818. In some autobiographical -notes left by her, we find the following in -reference to her early years:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“My earliest recollections are of a pleasant -home in Homer, Cortlandt County, New York. -Here was I born, and here the first six years of -my life were passed. But little of these early -days can now be recalled after sixty years have -been added to them, yet there are a few incidents -that are so deeply impressed upon memory, -that they seem but the occurrence of a -week ago. First I recall the visit of some -Indians to my father’s house, and the latter -buying a large knife of them. The Indians, -my father and the knife come before me now<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span> -as though they were indeed a reality of the -present. Again, a scene comes before the -mind’s eye of my brother and myself looking -from an upper window, and seeing some Indians -knocking at the door of a small untenanted -house opposite to us. My brother, who was a -few years older than myself, called out ‘Come -in.’ The Indians opened the door and stepped -in, then out, and looked up and around sorely -puzzled at hearing a voice, but seeing no one, -while my brother and I laughed and danced -behind the blind at the trick which we had -played upon them. Several children were on -their way to school. One little girl jumped -upon the wheel of a wagon which stood in front -of a house, intending to get in and ride to -school. The horse became frightened while she -stood on the wheel, and ran away, throwing -her violently to the ground and injuring her -severely. The mirth of childhood was turned -to sadness, and we trudged on to school, after -seeing her unconscious form carried into the -house. I could not have been over four or five -years old when these things happened, but -they are deeply engraved on memory’s tablet.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Amelia was carefully trained at home by her -truly Christian mother, and from her she imbibed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span> -those high sentiments of honesty, truth, -duty, fidelity and regard for the rights of -others which actuated her during the whole -course of her life. Her educational opportunities -were limited to the district school of those -early days. Then, it was commonly thought -that about all a girl should be taught was to -read and write, with a little grammar and less -arithmetic. These essentials of a common-school -education were fairly mastered by the -little girl, and to such an extent that, when she -arrived at about the age of seventeen years, -she was employed as a teacher in one of the -district schools at or near the village of Clyde, -in Wayne County, New York. A single short -term, however, was the whole extent of her life -as a teacher. For the brief period of her engagement, -we are told, she discharged her duties -with much acceptance. Her kindness of heart, -united with wonderful firmness and a strict regard -for truth and right, qualities which distinguished -her throughout her whole life, endeared -her to the children who came under her -care.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span></p> - - -<h3>HER MARRIAGE.</h3> - -<p>School-teaching however soon ended; and -shortly after, she became a member of the -family of her sister Elvira, then recently married -and residing in Waterloo, New York, to which -place her father’s family also removed about -the same time. Here the days passed along -smoothly and quietly until about the year -1837, when she became an inmate in the family -of Mr. Oren Chamberlain residing near Waterloo, -as the governess and tutor of his three -youngest children. This position she continued -to fill with entire satisfaction for two or three -years. The children all lived to years of maturity, -and always manifested great affection in -subsequent years for their former teacher. In -this family, the life of Miss Jenks moved -along quietly and evenly. She enjoyed fully -its confidence and the love of her pupils. She -formed new friendships and the circle of her -acquaintances was widened. Among the latter, -was a young man residing in Seneca Falls engaged<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span> -in the study of law, while taking also a -large interest in the political movements of that -day. They met quite frequently, and soon -strong ties of friendship were formed between -them, and the friendship ripened as the months -passed by into love. They became engaged, -and finally were married at the residence of -John Lowden in the village of Waterloo, New -York, on the 15th day of April, 1840, by the -Rev. Samuel H. Gridley, the Presbyterian -clergyman of the village; and in subsequent -years Mrs. Bloomer frequently alluded with -much satisfaction to the fact that he omitted -altogether the word “obey” in the marriage -ceremony. Only a few friends were present at -the marriage, but among them besides Mr. and -Mrs. Lowden were A. E. Chamberlain, Miss -Caroline Starks, and Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Fuller, -all of whom together with Mr. Lowden are still -living at the time (March, 1895) of writing -these lines.</p> - -<p>At the time of this marriage Mr. Bloomer -was twenty-four years of age, quite tall and -slim, weighing about one hundred and fifty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span> -pounds, with gray eyes, a rather tall forehead, -and long arms, and of bashful and reserved -demeanor. His bride was much smaller, five -feet four inches in height, and weighed about a -hundred pounds. She had a well-formed head, -bright, blue eyes bordering on black, auburn -hair and an exceedingly pleasant and winning -smile. Like her husband, she was reserved in -manner, and very unwilling to force herself -upon the notice of strangers, but when she -once became acquainted with them she enjoyed -their society most heartily. She was small in -person and modest in demeanor, and standing -beside her tall husband, at once attracted the -attention and secured the confidence of her -friends and associates. She was twenty-two -years of age at the time of her marriage. Her -husband, Dexter C. Bloomer, was of Quaker -parentage, had a fairly good common-school -and academic education, had spent several -years in teaching school, commenced the study -of law at the age of twenty, and at the time -of his marriage was still a student and one of -the proprietors and editors of the <em>Seneca County<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span> -Courier</em>, a weekly newspaper printed in Seneca -Falls, N. Y.</p> - -<p>The day following their marriage Mr. and -Mrs. Bloomer drove in a carriage to the residence -of Mr. Isaac Fuller, in Seneca Falls, -where rooms had been prepared for their reception. -Mr. Fuller was Mr. Bloomer’s partner -in the printing business, and both he and his -excellent wife are still (in 1895) living in the -same town, and have ever proved most dear -and excellent friends of the young couple who -on the 16th day of April, 1840, took up their -residence with them.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bloomer had very many friends in the -town, and on the evening of his arrival with -his bride they filled Mr. Fuller’s rooms to welcome -the newly wedded couple to their new -home and their new life. With them came -many members of a fire company of which Mr. -Bloomer was a member, accompanied by a band -of music, and all went merry as a marriage bell. -Refreshments were of course served, and among -them a plentiful supply of wine, for in those -days, this was the almost certain accompaniment<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span> -of all social gatherings. All, or nearly -all, partook of it; and just then occurred an -incident which told most instructively as to the -moral character and firmness of the young and -happy bride. Glasses were filled with the -sparkling beverage, and one of them was presented -to her by the bridegroom himself, but -she firmly yet pleasantly declined to accept it. -“What,” he said with the greatest earnestness, -“will you not drink a glass of wine with me on -this joyful occasion? Surely it can do you -no harm.” “No,” she smilingly yet firmly replied, -“I cannot,—I must not.” A crowd of -guests standing around could but admire her -great self-denial and devotion to principles; and -ever after, to the end of her days, she was the -firm and consistent advocate of Temperance -and the unceasing enemy of strong drink in all -its varied forms.</p> - - -<h3>TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO!</h3> - -<p>The year 1840 was a memorable one in the -history of this country. It witnessed the great<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span> -“Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,” campaign, in -which Gen. William Henry Harrison and Martin -Van Buren were opposing candidates. The -whole country went wild with political speech-making, -songs, log-cabins, great gatherings of -people and enormous processions of the opposing -hosts. Mr. Bloomer was absorbed heart and -soul in the contest. He was the editor of the -only Whig paper in the village and county, -and he was present at political caucuses, conventions -and assemblages in all that region. -His wife at first took little interest in the great -hubbub raised over the land. In fact, her -health was quite delicate that first summer of -her married life. It is remembered distinctly -now by the writer of these lines, that while he -was on the 4th of July, 1840, delivering an address -at a political celebration, she was at home -prostrated with some form of intermittent -fever. His address over, he hastened to her -bedside; and soon after, having so far recovered -as to leave her room, she was taken to -Avon Springs, in western New York, where -she regained her health so as to return to her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span> -boarding place early in August. But Mrs. -Bloomer gradually became interested in the -political turmoil so far as to attend political -gatherings, visit the log-cabin which stood on -one of the principal streets of the town, and -assist in preparing badges and mottoes for the -use of those who espoused the cause advocated -by her husband.</p> - -<p>And so the months moved quietly along -during that eventful year, and the first of -October found Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer settled -down to housekeeping in a modest dwelling in -Seneca Falls. The great election contest terminated -in November, and they both rejoiced -most heartily in the result, although what particular -benefit it would be to either of them, -except the satisfaction of being on the winning -side, it would have been very difficult for either -to very fully explain.</p> - - -<h3>A WRITER FOR NEWSPAPERS.</h3> - -<p>As has already been stated, Mr. Bloomer was -one of the editors of a village paper printed in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span> -Seneca Falls. He was a great reader of books -and newspapers, and sought to inspire in his -young wife a similar love for the current literature -of the day. This was no difficult task, -for she also was fond of books and sought in -all suitable ways to store her mind with useful -knowledge. But Mr. Bloomer desired her to -go further and become a writer for the papers -also. He had got the idea well fixed in his -mind, from letters received from her during the -years preceding their marriage, that she possessed -the power of expressing her thoughts -on paper with both ease and grace. But from -the natural modesty of her character, she was -quite unwilling to embark in this to her new -and untried field of mental experience. Nevertheless, -through the kind and persuasive appeals -of the husband the young wife began to commit -her thoughts to paper, and from time to time -there appeared in the newspapers of the town -various articles bearing upon the social, moral -and political questions of those times. They -all appeared anonymously, sometimes written -over one signature and then over another, but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span> -they all came from Mrs. Bloomer’s pen and -excited no little curiosity among the people of -the town as to their real author. It was in this -way that Mrs. Bloomer acquired that easy and -pleasant style of writing for publication which -so marked her career in later years.</p> - - -<h3>WASHINGTONIANISM.</h3> - -<p>Meantime, the great Washingtonian Temperance -Reformation of 1840 and 1841 made -its appearance, led by the six reformed drunkards -of Baltimore. It swept over the country -like a whirlwind; thousands of men under its -influence were led to abandon their drinking -habits and become useful and sober citizens, -while thousands more attached their name to -the Temperance pledge of total abstinence from -all intoxicating liquors. This movement -reached Seneca Falls and produced a great -sensation, almost revolutionizing public sentiment -on the subject. Pollard and Wright, -two of the reformed men of Baltimore, visited -the town and held public meetings in halls and -parks and were listened to by great crowds of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span> -people. An “Independent Temperance Total-Abstinence -Society” was formed headed by -reformed men, and the current topics of the -time nearly all turned upon this all-absorbing -subject.</p> - -<p>Into this movement Mrs. Bloomer entered -with her whole heart and soul. Along with -her husband, she attended the great Temperance -gatherings, and took an active part in -carrying forward the great reformation. She -acted on committees, and wrote articles in support -of the good work. A newspaper called -the <cite>Water Bucket</cite> was issued as the organ of -the Temperance society of the village. For -this Mrs. Bloomer wrote freely and vigorously. -A copy of this paper cannot be found, but a -few articles from her pen have been preserved. -Here is one of them. It was written in 1842 -and is a fair specimen of Mrs. Bloomer’s then -style of composition. She has been answering -objections to the Temperance pledge, when she -proceeds as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span></p><div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Another cannot make cake fit to eat without -wine or brandy. A third must have brandy on -her apple dumplings, and a fourth comes out -boldly and says she likes to drink once in a -while herself too well. What flimsy excuses -these! brandy and apple dumplings, forsooth! -That lady must be a wretched cook indeed who -cannot make apple dumplings, mince pies or -cake palatable without the addition of poisonous -substances. But I would ask these ladies -if they have ever tried to do without it? Their -answer I fear would be in the negative. They -do not <em>wish</em> to do without it. They act from -purely selfish motives. Would they but visit -the drunkard’s home and see the misery and -wretchedness that is brought upon families -once happy and prosperous as themselves, -and hear the drunkard’s wife recount her tale -of woe, methinks their hearts would soften. -They could then sympathize with those who -are trying to break loose from the galling yoke -of intemperance, and instead of being stumbling -blocks in our way, they would come to our -aid with their whole hearts and devote their -talents to the cause of temperance, nor cease -in their efforts until drunkenness should be -completely driven from the land. What examples -these ladies are setting before their -families! Have they a husband, a brother or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span> -a son, and have they no fear that the example -they are now setting them may be the means -of their filling a drunkard’s grave? Have they a -daughter? Their example teaches her to respect -moderate-drinking young men, and receive -their addresses, and should she unite her -fate with such an one, almost certain ruin -awaits her. * * * Could all those ladies who -oppose the efforts which we are making to reform -our land, but have their minds awakened -to the importance of the subject! Could they -but know the experience of thousands of their -own sex, who from being surrounded by every -happiness that wealth and station can impart, -have through the means of that fell destroyer, -intemperance, sunk to the lowest depth of -misery and degradation, and, more than all, -did they but know how far their influence may -be instrumental in saving a fellow-creature, -they would hasten to the standard of temperance -and unite their influence against the disturber -of human happiness, and become volunteers -in the moral contest to extirpate the fell -monster from our shores.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The above article was signed “Gloriana,” a -favorite signature of Mrs. Bloomer’s. Another -which is preserved, and was printed over the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span> -signature of “Eugene” at about the same -date, is as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Many people think there is nothing more -to do towards the advancement of temperance -in this place, because we have succeeded in -breaking up the drinking of ardent spirits in a -measure, and have enlisted some four or five -hundred members under our banners. This is -a mistaken idea, and if cherished long, those -who feel most secure will find to their dismay -that the viper has only been crushed for a time, -and will arise again upon his victim with a -firmer and more deadly grasp than before. It -is the duty of every man to be at his post, to -lend his aid in sustaining the weak, and to encourage -others by his presence and example -of perseverance in the course they have begun. -If the reformed inebriates see those whom they -have looked upon to sustain and encourage -them in this great work grow careless and indifferent -towards them and the cause, have we -not reason to fear that they too will drop off -one by one into their old practices, and forsake -that Temperance Hall where they have long -passed their evenings so pleasantly and so profitably -for their old haunts, the grogshop and the -gutter? * * * Let it not be said of Seneca Falls<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span> -that she deserted her post in the hour of danger, -but let every temperance man feel that he -has a duty to perform and that there is no -time for rest or inaction until the ‘hydra-headed -monster’, shall be driven from our -borders.”</p> -</div> - -<p>These extracts show how earnestly Mrs. -Bloomer gave herself to the great Temperance -reform. Of some of the features of the reform -she gives the following sketch in an historical -review written at a much later date:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In 1840 a great impulse was given to the -temperance cause, such as had never been -known before in the world’s history. This -movement originated with seven drunkards of -Baltimore, who met in a saloon in that city -and then and there, with their glasses filled before -them, resolved that they would drink no -more. They poured out the liquor and went -home. They at once formed a society for the -promotion of total abstinence among those -who, like themselves, had been addicted to the -use of intoxicating drink. Only one of the -seven is known to have backslidden, while the -others lived and died honoring the cause they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span> -had embraced. Several of these men became -eloquent speakers, and traveled the country -over, holding meetings, pleading earnestly for -the reformation of others, and depicting in -burning words the sad lot of the drunkard and -his wretched family. No such temperance -meetings have been held since, no such eloquent -appeals made for temperance. This was -called the great ‘Washingtonian movement,’ -and by it an impetus was given that has led to -all subsequent effort in that cause. Following -this movement various societies were started, -some open, some secret. We had the Sons of -Temperance, Reformed Brotherhood, Rechabites, -Cadets of Temperance, Carson Leagues, -Alliances, Good Templars, Temple of Honor, -and open local, county and state societies, and -finally the Women’s Christian Temperance -Union.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>JOINS THE CHURCH.</h3> - -<p>About this time (1843) Mrs. Bloomer and also -her husband united with and became members -of the Episcopal Church, in Seneca Falls; she -maintained her membership in that body until -the end of her life, a period of over fifty years. -This new relation opened a new field for her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span> -quiet and gentle activities. She became very -soon deeply interested in parish work in its various -forms, and as a member of various parochial -organizations labored faithfully to advance -Christian progress. This was especially noticeable -after her removal to her new home in the -West, as we shall have occasion to remark -further on. We may add here that Mrs. -Bloomer, while a firm believer in the truth of -the Christian religion, always insisted that certain -passages in the Scriptures relating to -women had been given a strained and unnatural -meaning, and that the whole teaching of -the Bible, when fully interpreted, elevated her -to a joint companionship with her brother in -the government and salvation of the race.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_SECOND">CHAPTER SECOND.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN.</h3> - - -<p>Up to about the middle of the nineteenth -century, the maxims of the common law of -England relating to the rights and responsibilities -of married women were in force in nearly -all the states of the Union. This was true -especially in the state of New York. They -were exceedingly stringent in their character, -and confined her, so far as related to her property -rights, within exceedingly narrow limits. -Indeed, in some respects they might well be -regarded as brutal. They merged the legal -being of the wife in her husband. Without -him, and apart from him, she could hold no -property, make no contracts, nor even exercise -control over her children. If she earned money -by whatever means, she could not collect it.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span> -Her time and her earnings belonged to her -husband; and her children, when above the -age of infancy, could be taken from her by will -or otherwise and committed to the charge of -strangers. On the decease of the husband, the -personal property acquired through their joint -efforts and industry passed at once to his heirs, -through the legal administration of his estate; -while the wife was turned off with a bare life -estate in one-third of the real property standing -in his name at the time of his decease.</p> - -<p>The gross injustice of these laws began to -excite attention soon after the adoption of the -new constitution in the state of New York, in -1846. The first step towards their modification -was taken in the legislature of 1844-5, when -certain recognitions of the property rights of -married women were enacted into laws; and in -other states attention about that time began to -be turned in the same direction. These were -the beginning of the series of laws since enacted -in nearly all the states as well as in the -dominions and provinces of the British Empire, -by which the old and absurd and barbarous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span> -features of the old common law of England -applicable to married women have been to a -large extent abrogated. But this result has -been the work of years of earnest thought, -earnest labor and earnest devotion to the principles -of right and justice, upon which it is our -boast that all our laws are based.</p> - - -<h3>REFORM BEGINS.</h3> - -<p>To Ansel Bascom, a lawyer of Seneca Falls, -a member of the Constitutional Convention of -1846 and of the first legislature following its -adoption, and to David Dudley Field, a distinguished -citizen of the state, were largely due -the modifications in the laws relating to married -women which began about that time. -These gentlemen were also largely instrumental -in securing the adoption of the reformed code -of practice in the courts, which has since been -substantially enacted in nearly all the states of -the Union. But women themselves had much -to do in this most important work. Two of -them were Lucretia Mott, a well-known Quaker<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span> -preacher of those days, and Elizabeth Cady -Stanton, wife of Henry B. Stanton and daughter -of Daniel Cady, an eminent lawyer and -judge. These ladies had been delegates to an -anti-slavery convention in London, to which -they were refused admission on account of -being women, and they mutually resolved to -enter upon an effort to secure an amelioration -in the laws relating to the legal and property -rights of their sex. They even went further -and asked that the constitutions of the several -states should be so amended, that to women -should be extended the right to vote and even -to hold office. That was a new thing under -the sun. It was the beginning of what has -since been so widely known as the women’s -rights movement, the agitation of which has -occupied a large place in the public discussions -of the last half century.</p> - - -<h3>WOMEN TO THE FRONT.</h3> - -<p>The first public meeting to bring these questions -prominently before the country was held<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span> -in the Wesleyan Chapel, in Seneca Falls, on -the 19th day of July, 1848. It was attended -by the ladies I have mentioned, by Mr. Bascom, -by Mr. Thomas McClintoch, a Quaker -preacher and member of his family, by several -clergymen, and other persons of some prominence -in the village. Frederick Douglass was -also present. Mr. James Mott, the husband -of Lucretia, presided, and that lady opened the -meeting with a careful statement of women’s -wrongs and grievances and made a demand for -their redress. Mr. Stanton read a clearly written -paper to the same purport and reported a -woman’s declaration of independence, in which -her wrongs were fully set forth and her rights -as fully insisted upon and proclaimed. The -position was boldly taken that the ballot should -be placed in her hands on a perfect equality -with man himself, as only through the ballot -could her rights be effectually asserted and -maintained. The discussion lasted through -two days, and the declaration was signed by -fifty women and about the same number of -men. The papers over the country generally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span> -noticed the gathering, and with few exceptions -ridiculed the whole movement, while bearing -testimony to the earnestness of those engaged -in it.</p> - -<p>Two weeks later, a second meeting of the -same character was held in Rochester; and -this one, as showing signs of progress, was -presided over by a woman, the first event of -the kind that had occurred up to that date, -although since then it has become a common -occurrence, and as a general rule it has been -found that women make excellent presiding -officers. Several new recruits were enlisted at -the Rochester meeting, both women and men, -among the latter being the Rev. William Henry -Channing, a popular Unitarian clergyman of -that city. The Rochester meeting fully endorsed -the resolutions and declaration of independence -of the Seneca Falls meeting, and -from that time the new movement of women’s -rights was fully launched upon the great ocean -of public discussion and public opinion. Lucretia -Mott and Mrs. Stanton were the acknowledged -leaders; but soon other advocates of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span> -wide influence were enrolled in the cause, and -its influence from that day has continued to -widen and extend, until it now includes men -and women of great distinction and power in -every English-speaking country in the world.</p> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER THINKS ABOUT IT.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer, at the time these meetings -were held, was residing quietly at her home in -Seneca Falls, engaged in a modest way in religious -and temperance work. She had not -yet thought much on the subject of women’s -rights, so called, except so far as it related to -the obstacles which the laws as then formed -threw in the way of securing the triumph -of total-abstinence principles. The Washingtonian -movement had continued to exert its -influence upon the community. Now total-abstinence -societies sprang up, among them -the Sons and Daughters of Temperance,—separate -organizations, but including within -their lists of members many thousands of both -sexes. The <cite>Temperance Star</cite> of Rochester was -an organ of these organizations, and Mrs.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span> -Bloomer wrote freely and frequently for its -columns. She attended the Mott-Stanton convention -in Seneca Falls, but took no part in its -proceedings and did not sign either the resolutions -or declaration of independence.</p> - -<p>But the principles promulgated in those -documents began to have an effect upon -her thoughts and actions, as they did upon -those of many other women of that day. -They realized, almost for the first time, that -there was something wrong in the laws under -which they lived, and that they had something -to do in the work of reforming and improving -them. Hence they moved slowly out of the -religious circles in which their activities had -hitherto been confined and, while not neglecting -these, yet began in a modest way to organize -societies in which they could work for the -improvement of their surroundings and the -moral regeneration of society. In Seneca -Falls a Ladies’ Temperance Society was organized -for the first time in 1848. Mrs. Bloomer -became a member of it and one of its officers. -Whether she ever became a member of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span> -“Daughters of Temperance” lodges is not now -remembered, but it is thought no lodge of that -order had been organized in the place of her -residence.</p> - -<p>Of some of these movements, Mrs. Bloomer -in later years wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In 1848 or ‘49, after the order of the -‘Sons’ was started, which order excluded -women, some one among them conceived the -idea of starting a similar order for women. -This was probably as a salve to the wounded -feelings of the women, just as Masons and -Odd Fellows at this day will not admit women -to their lodge-rooms, but to pacify them have -branches called Star of Hope and Daughters -of Rebekah, composed of women. Be this as -it may, the order of the Daughters of Temperance -was started, composed of women entirely. -It continued many years and may still be in existence, -though I have not heard of it for years. -The order was planted in twenty-four states -and in England and the British provinces. -The daughters held state and national conventions, -issued addresses and appeals to the -women of the state, circulated petitions to the -legislature, and were very zealous in good<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span> -works. In 1851 this order numbered over -twenty thousand members. It was a secret -society, and no one could gain admittance to -their meetings without the password. This, -so far as I know, was the first organized -movement ever made by women to make themselves -felt and heard on the great temperance -question, which was then agitating the minds -of the people as it never had done before. -And so long as they kept to themselves and -held secret meetings they were not molested, -their right to talk and resolve was not called in -question. But as the years rolled on, women -became more earnest and self-reliant, and were -not satisfied with these secret doings. They -wanted to let their light be seen. So a few -prominent daughters, with Susan B. Anthony -(who up to that time had only been known as -a Daughter of Temperance, an earnest temperance -worker and a school-teacher) as leader, -called an open temperance meeting at Albany. -This was not largely responded to, women not -daring to come out openly after having so -long heard ‘let you women keep silence’ -sounded in their ears from the sacred desk. -This meeting was conducted so quietly it -hardly caused a ripple of excitement, and -passed almost unnoticed by the press.”</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_THIRD">CHAPTER THIRD.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>SHE WRITES ABOUT IT.</h3> - - -<p>Women up to this time had never, or very -seldom, indeed, come forward as public speakers -in behalf of Temperance or any other reform -movements. True, Abby Kelly Foster -had made her appearance on the platform as -an abolition lecturer, but her speeches were so -radical and denunciatory in their character -that they added little strength to the position -or popularity of women speakers. The Quaker -preachers were of both sexes; of these -Lucretia Mott was the recognized leader -among the gentler sex, and the purity of her -character and the mildness of her addresses, -compared with those of Mrs. Foster, made her -popular with all classes. Mrs. Bloomer heard -both of these women, and her husband well<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span> -remembers that, on one occasion after she had -been listening to Mrs. Foster’s radical criticisms -on an article which appeared in the -editorial columns of his paper, she came home -greatly distressed and with tears in her eyes -over the denunciations, to which she had -listened. She learned in subsequent years to -take such things more calmly.</p> - -<p>But though public sentiment did not then -sanction the appearance of women speakers -even to advocate so good a cause as Temperance, -yet they could use their pens in its support. -Mrs. Bloomer did this quite freely as we -have seen, but the little society in Seneca Falls -concluded that it must have a paper of its own, -and on the 1st of January, 1849, such a paper -was commenced in that place.</p> - - -<h3>BIRTH OF THE <em>LILY</em>.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer herself tells the story of its -birth and her connection with it as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Up to about 1848-9 women had almost -no part in all this temperance work. They -could attend meetings and listen to the eloquence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span> -and arguments of men, and they could -pay their money towards the support of temperance -lecturers, but such a thing as their -having anything to say or do further than this -was not thought of. They were fired with -zeal after listening to the Washingtonian -lecturers and other speakers on temperance -who then abounded, and in some instances -held little private meetings of their own, -organized societies and passed resolutions -expressive of their feelings on the great subject. -It was at a meeting of this kind in -Seneca Falls, N. Y., which was then my home, -that the matter of publishing a little temperance -paper, for home distribution only, was introduced. -The ladies caught at the idea and -at once determined on issuing the paper. -Editors were selected, a committee appointed -to wait on the newspaper offices to learn -on what terms the paper could be printed -monthly, we furnishing all the copy. The -president was to name the paper, the report -to be made at next meeting by committee. -And so we separated, satisfied and elated with -our doings. But on my reporting my proceedings -to my husband on my return home he -‘threw cold water’ on the whole thing. He -said we women did not know what we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span> -were talking about, that it cost a good deal of -money to print a paper, and that we could not -carry on such an enterprise and would run ourselves -into debt, get into trouble and make a -failure of it. He advised that I counsel the -ladies to abandon all thought of such a movement. -At the next meeting I reported all he -said, but it was of no avail. The ladies had their -hearts set on the paper and they determined -to go ahead with it. They were encouraged -thereto by a temperance lecturer who was traveling -over the state. He promised to get subscribers -for them and greatly help them. He kept -his word so far as sending us a goodly list of -names, but the money did not accompany -them and we never saw the man or the -money afterwards. This was very discouraging, -and the zeal of the ladies abated wonderfully. -They began to realize that they had -been hasty in incurring a great responsibility -for which they were not fitted, and very soon -the society decided to give up the enterprise -altogether. But meantime we had been getting -subscribers and money, had issued a -prospectus, and every arrangement was made -at the printing office for bringing out the -paper January 1, 1849. We had even ordered -a head from New York. I could not so lightly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span> -throw off responsibility. Our word had gone -to the public and we had considerable money -on subscriptions. Besides the dishonesty of -the thing, people would say it was ‘just like -women’; ‘what more could you expect of -them?’ As editor of the paper, I threw myself -into the work, assumed the entire responsibility, -took the entire charge editorially and -financially, and carried it successfully through.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The following is taken from the first editorial -in the new paper, written by Mrs. Bloomer:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It is woman that speaks through <em>The Lily</em>. -It is upon an important subject, too, that she -comes before the public to be heard. Intemperance -is the great foe to her peace and happiness. -It is that above all which has made -her home desolate and beggared her offspring. -It is that above all which has filled to its brim -her cup of sorrow and sent her moaning to the -grave. Surely she has a right to wield the pen -for its suppression. Surely she may, without -throwing aside the modest retirement which so -much becomes her sex, use her influence to -lead her fellow-mortals away from the destroyer’s -path. It is this which she proposes to do -in the columns of this paper. Like the beautiful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span> -flower from which it derives its name, we -shall strive to make the <em>Lily</em> the emblem of -‘sweetness and purity;’ and may heaven smile -upon our attempt to advocate the great cause -of Temperance reform!”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>NEW WORK FOR HER.</h3> - -<p>With the birth of this little journal, a new -life opened before Mrs. Bloomer. She was at -once initiated into all the mysteries and details -of an editor and publisher. She had to make -contracts for the printing and publication, to -send out circulars to friends asking for their assistance -in extending its circulation, place the -papers in proper covers and send them to subscribers -through the mails, to prepare editorials -and other matter for its columns, to read the -proofs and, in short, to attend to all the details -of newspaper publication. She gave herself -heartily and earnestly to the work. Of -the first issue of the <em>Lily</em> not over two or three -hundred copies were printed, but the number -of its subscribers steadily increased. Many -friends came forward from different parts of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</span> -the state to help in adding new names to its -lists. Among these none were more zealous -and earnest than Miss Susan B. Anthony, then -a very competent school-teacher in the city of -Rochester, but whose name has since become -one of world-wide fame as that of the great -leader in the cause of woman’s emancipation. -Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan, a most estimable lady -and fine writer, also came forward both with -her pen and lists of new subscribers to help in -the great Temperance reform to which the <em>Lily</em> -was devoted.</p> - - -<h3>FIRST IN THE FIELD.</h3> - -<p>The <em>Lily</em> was very nearly, if not quite, the -first journal of any kind published by a woman. -Mrs. Nichols, in Vermont, and Mrs. Swishelm, -in Pennsylvania, were connected with newspapers -published in each case by their husbands, -and they wrote vigorous editorials for their -papers, but neither of them took upon herself -the entire charge of the publication. Mrs. -Bloomer did this to the fullest extent, and it -therefore may be justly claimed that she was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</span> -the pioneer woman editor and proprietor. True, -her journal was not a very large one, yet it labored -zealously in the cause to which it was -devoted and prepared the way for other and -more pretentious publications to follow, under -the charge of women. It showed what women -could do when their thoughts and energies -were directed to some practical and beneficial -purpose, and so made ready for the great advance -which has since taken place in opening -for her wider fields of usefulness.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer herself writes as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The <em>Lily</em> was the first paper published devoted -to the interests of woman and, so far as -I know, the first one owned, edited and published -by a woman. It was a novel thing for -me to do in those days and I was little fitted -for it, but the force of circumstances led me -into it and strength was given me to carry it -through. It was a needed instrumentality to -spread abroad the truth of the new gospel to -woman, and I could not withhold my hand to -stay the work I had begun. I saw not the end -from the beginning and little dreamed whereto -my proposition to the society would lead me.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</span></p> - - -<h3>MRS. STANTON APPEARS.</h3> - -<p>Among those who soon became writers for -the <em>Lily</em> was Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a -resident of Seneca Falls. One day during the -summer of 1849, she came into the post office -where the editor of the <em>Lily</em> was busily engaged -and introduced herself to Mrs. Bloomer, and -proposed to write for the columns of her paper. -The offer was gladly accepted, and very soon -articles began to appear in the columns of the -<em>Lily</em> over the signature of “Sunflower.” They -were forcibly written and displayed not a little -wit and many sharp hits at some of the prevailing -“fads” of the day. At first they were on -Temperance and literary subjects, and the -duties of parents in bringing up their children. -The various theories of education were also vigorously -analyzed and some new ideas put forth. -By and by, as months went by, her readers -were apprised as to her views on Woman’s -Rights, so called. They learned something -from her of the unjust laws relating to married<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</span> -women, and saw that the writer was about -right in asking that they should be changed -and made better. And then the paragraphs -moved further along and intimated that women -should vote also for her rulers and legislators. -Mrs. Bloomer herself became a convert to these -views. How this came around, she herself tells -in the two following paragraphs:</p> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“When a child of fifteen years, my feelings -were deeply stirred by learning that an old lady, -a dear friend of mine, was to be turned from -her home and the bulk of her property taken -from her. Her husband died suddenly, leaving -no will. The law would allow her but a life interest -in one-third of the estate, which had -been accumulated by the joint earnings and -savings of herself and husband through many -years. They had no children and the nearest -relative of the husband was a second or third -cousin, and to him the law gave two-thirds of -her property, though he had never contributed -a dollar towards its accumulation, and was to -them a stranger. Later, other similar cases -coming to my knowledge made me familiar<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</span> -with the cruelty of the law towards women; -and when the Woman’s Rights Convention put -forth its declaration of sentiments, I was ready -to join with that party in demanding for women -such change in the laws as would give her a -right to her earnings, and her children a right -to wider fields of employment and a better -education, and also a right to protect her interests -at the ballot-box.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER.</h3> - -<p>“In the spring of 1849, my husband was appointed -postmaster at Seneca Falls, N. Y. He -proposed that I should act as his deputy. I -accepted the position, as I had determined to -give a practical demonstration of woman’s right -to fill any place for which she had capacity. I -was sworn in as his deputy, and filled the position -for four years, during the administration -of Taylor and Fillmore. It was a novel step for -me to take in those days, and no doubt many -thought I was out of woman’s sphere; but the -venture was very successful and proved to me -conclusively that woman might, even then, engage -in any respectable business and deal with -all sorts of men, and yet be treated with the -utmost respect and consideration.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</span></p> - - -<h3>THE <em>LILY</em> ON HER HANDS.</h3> - -<p>During the first year of its existence, the -<em>Lily</em> bore at its head the words “published by -a committee of ladies”; but the truth was -that no person, save Mrs. Bloomer herself, had -any responsible share in its management or -control. Therefore, at the beginning of the -new year 1850 that fiction was dropped, and -her name alone appeared as publisher and -editor, and at its head stood the legend “devoted -to the interests of woman.” Says Mrs. -Bloomer:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I never liked the name of the paper, but -the society thought it pretty and accepted it -from the president. It started with that name, -and became known far and wide. It had been -baptized with tears and sent forth with anxious -doubts and fears. It was not easy to change, -and so it remained <em>The Lily</em> to the end, pure -in motive and purpose as in name. * * * It -was never the organ of any society, party or -clique, or of any individual but myself. That -it was always loyal to temperance is evidenced -by the fact that its files are sought after by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</span> -writers of temperance history. That subject -was never lost sight of in a single number, as its -files will show. Mrs. Stanton became a contributor -to the <em>Lily</em> near the close of its first -year. Her subjects were temperance and -woman’s rights. Her writings added interest to -the paper and she was welcome to its columns, -as were Frances D. Gage, Mary C. Vaughan, -and many others who came to my aid. She -occupied the same position as any other contributor, -and she never attempted to control -the paper in any way.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The year 1850 was a quiet one for Mrs. -Bloomer. Early in the spring, her husband -purchased a modest cottage. This had to be -fitted up and occupied, and took up a good -deal of her attention. Then several hours -each day were spent in the post office in the -work of receiving and delivering letters. Once -a month the <em>Lily</em> continued to make its appearance, -filled with good, substantial temperance -arguments and pleadings, and occasional -articles pointing strongly in the direction of -the new doctrines of woman’s rights then -coming more and more into prominence. Her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</span> -editorials were written plainly but with a good -deal of spirit, and whoever attacked her position -on either of these subjects was sure to receive -a sharp rejoinder from her pen. Several -weeks during the summer were spent at a -sanatorium in Rochester, from which she returned -greatly improved in health. Sometime -during the year a great anti-slavery meeting -was held in the town, attended by the celebrated -English orator, George Thompson, and -many prominent abolitionists of the state. -Among others came Susan B. Anthony, who -was the guest of Mrs. Bloomer and whom she -introduced to Mrs. Stanton, and then commenced -that life-long intimacy of these two -celebrated women.</p> - - -<h3>VISITS NEW YORK CITY.</h3> - -<p>During the winter of 1849-50 Mrs. Bloomer -visited the city of New York for the first time, -accompanied by her husband. They passed -up Cayuga Lake on a steamer, and from there -were in the first railroad cars, by special invitation,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</span> -over the Erie railroad from that village to -the metropolis. It is remembered that several -of the men who afterwards became distinguished -as railroad magnates were on that train, -and their conversation was listened to with a -great deal of interest. That was long before the -days of sleeping cars, and they had to pass the -night as comfortably as they could in their seats -in the passenger coach. In the city, they spent -three or four days visiting some of the noted -places, including Barnum’s Museum on Broadway, -then one of the great attractions of the -growing town. They returned by the same -<em>route</em> in the midst of a great snowstorm which, -with the high wind that came along with it, -made their trip down the lake somewhat -hazardous.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer wrote of this trip as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We traveled by the <em>route</em> of the lake and -the New-York-and-Erie railroad. Those who -have not been over this road can form no idea -of its sublimity and grandeur. To one who like -myself had never been beyond the level country -of western New York, it presents a grand, imposing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</span> -spectacle. The prospect is at one -moment bounded on either side by lofty -mountain peaks covered with evergreens, and -the next by solid masses of rock towering -higher than the eye can reach, and through -which at an enormous expense and great -amount of labor the road has been cut. The -water pouring over these rocks from above had -frozen in its descent, and now hung in masses -and irregular sheets down their perpendicular -sides, forming a beautiful contrast to their -surface. Occasionally you come into a more -open country, while at one spot you find yourself -on the summit of a mountain where you -have a view of ten miles in extent through the -valley below. * * * Winter had robed all -in her snowy mantle on our return, adding -new beauty to the scene. Summer, we think, -would lend enchantment to the picture; and -should we ever take a trip over this road again, -we shall aim to do so at a more mild and genial -season.</p> - -<p>“We were fortunate in meeting several -directors of the road on our downward trip -from Ithaca. To them, and especially to Mr. -Dodge, of New York City, we are indebted for -much information concerning the road. Every -attention was shown us by this enterprising<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</span> -gentleman from the time we left Ithaca until -we shook hands with him at parting upon our -arrival in the city.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>MISS ANTHONY IS INTRODUCED.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer, in later years, wrote:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It was in the spring of 1850 that I introduced -Susan B. Anthony to Mrs. Stanton. -Miss Anthony had come to attend an anti-slavery -meeting in Seneca Falls, held by George -Thompson and William Lloyd Garrison, and -was my guest. Returning from the meeting, -we stopped at the street corner and waited for -Mrs. Stanton, and I gave the introduction -which has resulted in a life-long friendship. -Afterwards, we called together at Mrs. Stanton’s -house and the way was opened for future -intercourse between them. It was, as Mrs. -Stanton says in her history, an eventful meeting -that henceforth in a measure shaped their -lives. Neither would have done what she did -without the other. Mrs. Stanton had the intellectual, -and Susan the executive, ability to -carry forward the movement then recently inaugurated. -Without the push of Miss Anthony, -Mrs. Stanton would probably never<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</span> -have gone abroad into active life, or achieved -half she has done; and without the brains of -Mrs. Stanton, Miss Anthony would never have -been so largely known to the world by name -and deeds. They helped and strengthened -each other, and together they have accomplished -great things for woman and humanity. -The writer is glad for the part she had in -bringing two such characters together.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER ON THE TENNESSEE -LEGISLATURE.</h3> - -<p>The columns of the <em>Lily</em> during the first -year of its publication were almost exclusively -filled with articles bearing upon the great purpose -for which it was established, the promotion -of the Temperance cause. True, some -other questions were touched upon by Mrs. -Stanton, and perhaps by other correspondents; -but Mrs. Bloomer’s editorials were all directed -to that end. With the March <em>Lily</em> for 1850 -she struck out in a new direction, as will -appear from the following article which appeared -in the editorial columns for that -month:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The legislature of Tennessee have in their -wisdom decided after gravely discussing the -question that women have no souls, and no -right to hold property. Wise men these, and -worthy to be honored with seats in the halls -of legislation in a Christian land. Women no -souls! Then, of course, we are not accountable -beings: and if not accountable to our -Maker, then surely not to man. Man represents -us, legislates for us, and now holds himself -accountable for us! How kind in him, -and what a weight is lifted from us! We shall -no longer be answerable to the laws of God or -man, no longer be subject to punishment for -breaking them, no longer be responsible for -any of our doings. Man in whom iniquity is -perfected has assumed the whole charge of us -and left us helpless, soulless, defenseless creatures -dependent on him for leave to speak or -act.</p> - -<p>“We suppose the wise legislators consider -the question settled beyond dispute, but we -fear they will have some trouble with it yet. -Although it may be an easy matter for them -to arrive at such a conclusion, it will be quite -another thing to make women believe it. We -are not so blind to the weakness or imperfections -of man as to set his word above that of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</span> -our Maker, or so ready to yield obedience to -his laws as to place them before the laws of -God. However blindly we may be led by -him, however much we may yield to his -acquired power over us, we cannot yet fall -down and worship him as our superior. Some -men even act as though women had no souls, -but it remained for the legislature of Tennessee -to speak it to the world.</p> - -<p>“We have not designed <em>ourself</em> saying much -on the subject of ‘Woman’s Rights;’ but we -see and hear so much that is calculated to keep -our sex down and impress us with a conviction -of our inferiority and helplessness, that we feel -compelled to act on the defensive and stand -for what we consider our just rights. If things -are coming to such a pass as that indicated by -the above decision, we think it high time that -women should open their eyes and look where -they stand. It is quite time that their rights -<em>should be discussed</em>, and that woman herself -should enter the contest.</p> - -<p>“We have ever felt that in regard to property, -and also as to many other things, the laws were -unjust to women. Men make laws without -consulting us, and of course they will make -them all in their own favor, especially as we -are powerless and cannot contend for our rights.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</span> -We believe that most women are capable of -taking care of their own property, and that -they have the right to hold it, and to dispose -of it as they please, man’s decision to the contrary -notwithstanding. As for ourselves, we -have no fears but we could take care of a -fortune if we had one, without any assistance -from legislators or lawyers, and we should -think them meddling with what did not concern -them should they undertake to control it -for us.</p> - -<p>“The legislature of our own state has -taken a step in advance on this subject and -granted to women the right to their own property. -We trust this is but a forecast of the -enlightened sentiment of the people of New -York, and that it will pave the way to greater -privileges, and the final elevation of women to -that position in society which shall entitle her -opinions to respect and consideration.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE.</h3> - -<p>And from that time on, a considerable part -of the <em>Lily</em> was devoted to the same subject. -The above article related simply to property -rights, but Mrs. Bloomer’s views rapidly -widened out until she took the position, also,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</span> -that women should be granted the right of -suffrage and thus possess a controlling influence -in the passage of all laws. Nevertheless, she -remained true and faithful to her temperance -principles and firm in their advocacy. Witness -the following written and printed in her paper -in 1853:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We think it all-important that woman obtain -the right of suffrage, but she cannot do -this at once. She must gradually prepare the -way for such a step by showing that she is -worthy of receiving and capable of exercising -it. If she do this, prejudices will gradually -give way and she will gain her cause. We -cannot consent to have woman remain silent -on the Temperance question till she obtain her -right of suffrage. Great as is our faith in the -speedy triumph of temperance principles were -women allowed their right of franchise, and -strong as is our hope that this right will be -granted ere many years, we feel that the day -is too far distant for her to rest all her hopes -and labors on that issue. Let her work with -her whole heart in this cause and, while she -demands a law that entirely prohibits the -traffic in strong drink, let her also obtain a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</span> -right to a voice in making all laws by which -she is to be governed.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>LETTER TO AKRON CONVENTION.</h3> - -<p>On the ninth of May, 1851, Mrs. Bloomer -addressed an elaborate letter to the women’s -convention held at Akron, O., in that month, -in which she discussed at great length the -position of woman as regards her education, -her right to employment, and the laws relating -to her property rights. She first takes up the -liquor traffic and shows wherein it was unjust -to woman in her dearest privilege,—the enjoyment -of children, family and home. She “unfolds -the great wrong done to woman in her -circumscribed sphere of industry, and the -meagre wages she receives for her industry.” -Passing on from this, the property rights of -married women are considered, and their unjust -provisions are pointed out. She concludes -as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“But woman is herself aroused to a sense of -her wrongs, and sees the necessity of action on -her part if she would have justice done her.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</span> -A brighter day has dawned for her. A -spirit of inquiry has awakened in her bosom, -which neither ridicule nor taunts can quench. -Henceforth her course is upward and onward. -Her mind is capable of grasping things hitherto -beyond her reach and she will not weary of -the chase until she has reached the topmost -round in the ladder. She will yet prove conclusively -that she possesses the same God-given -faculties which belong to man, and that -she is endowed with powers of mind and body -suitable for any emergency in which she may -be placed.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“RULING A WIFE.”</h3> - -<p>During this year, Mr. T. S. Arthur published -a book bearing this title, in which he undertook -to define the duties of the wife of a hard-hearted, -thoughtless man, and to show that -even under the most shocking circumstances -of injustice it was still the wife’s duty to submit -and obey. Mrs. Bloomer took exception -to this position. Mr. Arthur answered her, -and she then wrote in reply in part as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I have too good an opinion of my sex to -admit that they are such weak, helpless creatures,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</span> -or to teach them any such ideas. Much -rather would I arouse them from their dependent, -inferior position, and teach them to rely -more upon themselves and less upon man, so -that when called upon, as many of them are -and ever will be, to battle with the rough -things of the world, they may go forth with -confidence in their own powers of coping successfully -with every obstacle and with courage -to meet whatever dangers and difficulties may -lie in their way. The more you impress this -upon their minds, the more you show that she -is man’s equal, and not his slave, so much the -more you do to elevate woman to her true -position. The present legal distinctions between -the sexes have been made by man and -not by God. Man has degraded woman from -her high position in which she was placed as -his companion and equal, and made of her a -slave to be bought and sold at his pleasure. -He has brought the Bible to prove that he is -her lord and master, and taught her that resistance -to his authority is to resist God’s will. I -deny that the Bible teaches any such doctrine. -God made them different in sex, but equal in -intellect, and gave them equal dominion. You -deny that they are ‘intellectually equal.’ As -a whole, I admit that at the present day they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</span> -are not; though I think there have been individual -cases where woman’s equality cannot be -denied. But at her creation no difference existed. -It is the fault of education that she is -now intellectually inferior. Give her the same -advantages as men, throw open the door of our -colleges and schools of science and bid her enter, -teach her that she was created for a higher -purpose than to be a parlor ornament or mere -plaything for man, show her that you regard -her as an equal and that her opinions are entitled -to consideration, in short, treat her as an -intelligent, accountable being, and when all this -has been done, if she prove herself not man’s -equal in intellect I will yield the point and admit -her inferiority. It is unjust to condemn -her as inferior when we consider the different -education she has received and the estimation -in which she has ever been held. We are by -the laws and customs of society rendered dependent -and helpless enough, at the best; but -it is both painful and mortifying to see our -helplessness shown up to the world in such -colors, and by such a writer as yourself. If, -instead of leading Mrs. Long into such difficulties -after she had left her husband, you had -allowed her to hire out as a servant, if nothing -better presented itself, you would have done<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</span> -justice to woman, set her a better example, and -more truly drawn her character.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The above presents very fully the views of -Mrs. Bloomer at that time (1850). She was -pleading for the elevation of woman, for her -redemption from the curse of drink, for a better -education for her, and wider fields for the work -of her hands. She had not yet troubled herself -much about the suffrage question,—the right to -the ballot; that came along later in life, as we -have already seen.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_FOURTH">CHAPTER FOURTH.</h2> -</div> - - -<h3>THE REFORM DRESS.</h3> - -<p>The reform-dress movement was simply an -episode in Mrs. Bloomer’s life and work, although -perhaps an important one. She never -dreamed of the wonderful celebrity which it -brought to her name. This came upon her accidentally, -as we shall see later on. It was first -mentioned in the <cite>Lily</cite> in February, 1851. -Other short articles on the subject appeared -in subsequent numbers during that year, with -pictures of herself dressed in the new costume. -The whole story she herself told in the following -article which appeared originally some -years ago in the Chicago <cite>Tribune</cite> and is here -reproduced in full, followed by some further -items bearing on the subject:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In January or February, 1851, an article appeared -editorially in the <cite>Seneca County Courier</cite>, -Seneca Falls, N. Y., on ‘Female Attire,’ in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</span> -which the writer showed up the inconvenience, -unhealthfulness and discomfort of woman’s -dress, and advocated a change to Turkish pantaloons -and a skirt reaching a little below the -knee.</p> - -<p>“At the time, I was publishing a monthly -paper in the same place devoted to the interests -of woman, temperance and woman’s rights -being the principal subjects. As the editor of -the <cite>Courier</cite> was opposed to us on the woman’s-rights -question, this article of his gave me an -opportunity to score him one on having gone -so far ahead of us as to advocate our wearing -pantaloons, and in my next issue I noticed him -and his proposed style in a half-serious, half-playful -article of some length. He took up -the subject again and expressed surprise that -I should treat so important a matter with levity. -I replied to him more seriously than before, -fully indorsing and approving his views -on the subject of woman’s costume.</p> - -<p>“About this time, when the readers of the -<cite>Lily</cite> and the <cite>Courier</cite> were interested in and -excited over the discussion, Elizabeth Smith -Miller, daughter of the Hon. Gerrit Smith, of -Peterboro, N. Y., appeared on the streets of -our village dressed in short skirts and full -Turkish trousers. She came on a visit to her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</span> -cousin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was then -a resident of Seneca Falls. Mrs. Miller had -been wearing the costume some two or three -months at home and abroad. Just how she -came to adopt it I have forgotten, if I ever -knew. But she wore it with the full sanction -and approval of her father and husband. During -her father’s term in congress she was in -Washington, and the papers of that city described -her appearance on the streets in the -short costume.</p> - -<p>“A few days after Mrs. Miller’s arrival in -Seneca Falls Mrs. Stanton came out in a dress -made in Mrs. Miller’s style. She walked our -streets in a skirt that came a little above -the knees, and trousers of the same material—black -satin. Having had part in the discussion -of the dress question, it seemed proper that -I should practise as I preached, and as the -<cite>Courier</cite> man advised; and so a few days later -I, too, donned the new costume, and in the -next issue of my paper announced that fact to -my readers. At the outset, I had no idea of -fully adopting the style; no thought of setting -a fashion; no thought that my action would -create an excitement throughout the civilized -world, and give to the style my name and the -credit due Mrs. Miller. This was all the work<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</span> -of the press. I stood amazed at the furor I -had unwittingly caused. The New York -<cite>Tribune</cite> contained the first notice I saw of my -action. Other papers caught it up and handed -it about. My exchanges all had something to -say. Some praised and some blamed, some -commented, and some ridiculed and condemned. -‘Bloomerism,’ ‘Bloomerites,’ and ‘Bloomers’ -were the headings of many an article, item and -squib; and finally some one—I don’t know to -whom I am indebted for the honor—wrote the -‘Bloomer Costume,’ and the name has continued -to cling to the short dress in spite of my -repeatedly disclaiming all right to it and giving -Mrs. Miller’s name as that of the originator or -the first to wear such dress in public. Had she -not come to us in that style, it is not probable -that either Mrs. Stanton or myself would have -donned it.</p> - -<p>“As soon as it became known that I was -wearing the new dress, letters came pouring in -upon me by hundreds from women all over the -country making inquiries about the dress and -asking for patterns—showing how ready and -anxious women were to throw off the burden -of long, heavy skirts. It seemed as though half -the letters that came to our office were for me.</p> - -<p>“My subscription list ran up amazingly into<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</span> -the thousands, and the good woman’s-rights -doctrines were thus scattered from Canada to -Florida and from Maine to California. I had -gotten myself into a position from which I could -not recede if I had desired to do so. I therefore -continued to wear the new style on all occasions, -at home and abroad, at church and on -the lecture platform, at fashionable parties and -in my business office. I found the dress comfortable, -light, easy and convenient, and well -adapted to the needs of my busy life. I was -pleased with it and had no desire to lay it -aside, and so would not let the ridicule or -censure of the press move me. For some six -or eight years, or so long as I remained in active -life and until the papers had ceased writing -squibs at my expense, I wore no other costume. -During this time I was to some extent in the -lecture field, visiting in all the principal cities -of the North and lecturing on temperance and -woman suffrage; but at no time, on any occasion, -alluding to my style of costume. I felt -as much at ease in it as though I had been arrayed -in the fashionable draggle skirts. In all my -travels I met with nothing disagreeable or unpleasant, -but was universally treated with respect -and attention by both press and people -wherever I appeared. Indeed, I received from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</span> -the press flattering notices of my lectures. If the -dress drew the crowds that came to hear me it -was well. They heard the message I brought -them, and it has borne abundant fruit.</p> - -<p>“My paper had many contributions on the -subject of dress and that question was for some -time kept before my readers. Mrs. Stanton -was a frequent contributor and ably defended -the new style. She continued to wear it at -home and abroad, on the lecture platform and -in the social parlor, for two or three years; and -then the pressure brought to bear upon her by -her father and other friends was so great, that -she finally yielded to their wishes and returned -to long skirts.</p> - -<p>“Lucy Stone, of the <cite>Woman’s Journal</cite>, -adopted and wore the dress for many years on -all occasions; but she, too, with advancing -years, saw fit to return to the old style. We -all felt that the dress was drawing attention -from what we thought of far greater importance—the -question of woman’s right to better education, -to a wider field of employment, to better -remuneration for her labor, and to the ballot -for the protection of her rights. In the minds -of some people, the short dress and woman’s -rights were inseparably connected. With us, -the dress was but an incident, and we were not -willing to sacrifice greater questions to it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</span></p> - -<p>“* * * I have not worn the short dress for -thirty years, and it does seem as though in -that time the interest concerning it must -have died out. My reasons for abandoning I -have in substance stated above. I never set up -for a dress reformer, like Anna Jenness-Miller -of the present day. Mrs. Miller, if I understand -her correctly, really believes the short skirt and -trousers the true style for woman’s costume; -but that the time for its adoption has not yet -fully come. Women are not sufficiently free -and independent to dare to strike for health -and freedom. Jenness-Miller is going over the -country lecturing on dress and disposing of -patterns, and is doing a vast amount of good. -I am glad to know that she is not assailed and -made the butt of ridicule and caricatured by the -press.”</p> -</div> - -<p>In reference to the further connection of -Mrs. Bloomer with the dress she wrote to a -friend, in 1865, as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It is very true that I have laid aside the -short dress which I wore for a number of years, -and to which the public (not I) gave my name. -I have not worn the dress for the last six years -or more. * * * As to my reasons for laying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</span> -aside the dress, they may not satisfy you, -though they were sufficient for me. It was -not at my husband’s dictation, by any means, -but was my own voluntary act. * * * After -retiring from public life and coming to this -land of strangers where I was to commence life -anew and make new friends, I felt at times like -donning long skirts when I went into society, -at parties, etc., and did so. I found the high -winds which prevail here much of the time -played sad work with short skirts when I went -out, and I was greatly annoyed and mortified -by having my skirts turned over my head and -shoulders on the streets. Yet I persevered -and kept on the dress nearly all the time till -after the introduction of hoops. Finding them -light and pleasant to wear and doing away with -the necessity for heavy underskirts (which was -my greatest objection to long dresses), and finding -it very inconvenient as well as expensive -keeping up two wardrobes—a long and short—I -gradually left off the short dress. I consulted -my own feelings and inclinations and -judgment in laying it off, never dreaming but -I had the same right to doff that I had to don -it, and not expecting to be accountable for my -doings, or required to give a reason to every -one that asked me. There were other questions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</span> -of greater importance than the length of -a skirt under discussion at the time, and I felt -my influence would be greater in the dress -ordinarily worn by women than in the one -I was wearing. * * * I always liked the dress -and found it convenient and comfortable at all -times, and especially so for a working dress. I -never encountered any open opposition while -wearing it, though I have traveled much in the -dress and freely walked the streets of all our -large cities. On the contrary, I was always -treated with respect and should continue to be, -I have no doubt, did I still wear it. * * * When -I saw what a furor I had raised, I determined -that I would not be frightened from my position, -but would stand my ground and wear the -dress when and where I pleased, till all excitement -on the subject had died away. And -I did so.”</p> -</div> - -<p>As to just how the reform dress should be -prepared, Mrs. Bloomer gave her idea as follows -in the <cite>Lily</cite> at the time when the subject was -most prominently before the public eye:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We would have the skirt reaching down to -nearly half way between the knee and the ankle, -and not made quite so full as is the present<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</span> -fashion. Underneath this skirt, trousers made -moderately full, in fair mild weather coming -down to the ankle (not instep) and there -gathered in with an elastic band. The shoes -or slippers to suit the occasion. For winter or -wet weather the trousers also full, but coming -down into a boot, which should rise at least -three or four inches above the ankle. This boot -should be gracefully sloped at the upper edge -and trimmed with fur or fancifully embroidered, -according to the taste of the wearer. The -material might be cloth, morocco, mooseskin -and so forth, and made waterproof if desirable.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The above describes the dress as Mrs. Bloomer -wore it at the time it was written, but she afterwards -abandoned the elastic band and allowed -the trousers to hang loose about the ankle. -The general opinion expressed in those early -days was favorable.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Russell Sage, now a venerable and -highly respected matron, was a young woman -and a resident of Syracuse at the time of Mrs. -Bloomer’s visit to that place to attend a Temperance -convention; in a recent interview, she -thus describes her appearance at that time:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Mrs. Bloomer came as a delegate and her -appearance excited some attention. Her manner -was unpretentious, quiet and delicately -feminine. Her costume showed a total disregard -for effect, and was mannish only to the -extent of practicability. Her bodice was soft -and belted at the waist, her collar simple and -correct, as was also her prim bonnet; her skirt -fell half way from knee to ankle, and then the -bloomer—really a pantalet—made of black -material, as the rest of her costume, reaching -to her boot tops.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The interviewer continues:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“As Mrs. Sage so knew Mrs. Bloomer, she -agreed she was entirely what she aimed to be—a -practical woman, progressive and competent -of realizing results from her theories.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S ATTIRE.</h3> - -<p>On this subject Mrs. Bloomer, in an elaborate -review (only a part of which is here presented) -of a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Talmage in which -he had quoted Moses as authority for women -not wearing men’s attire, wrote as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“There are laws of fashion in dress older -than Moses, and it would be as sensible for the -preacher to direct us to them as to him. The -first fashion we have any record of was set us -by Adam and Eve, and we are not told that -there was any difference in the styles worn by -them. ‘And they sewed fig-leaves together, and -made themselves aprons’: Genesis, iii., 7. -Nothing here to show that his apron was bifurcated, -and hers not; that hers was long, and -his short. We are led to suppose that they were -just alike.</p> - -<p>“The second fashion was made by God Himself, -and it would be supposed that if He intended -the sexes to be distinguished by their -garments explicit directions would have been -given as to the style of each. ‘Unto Adam, -also, and unto his wife, did the Lord God make -coats of skins and clothed them’: Gen. iii., 21. -Not a word as to any difference in the cut and -make-up of the coats. No command to her -that she must swathe and cripple herself in -long, tight, heavy, draggling skirts, while he -dons the more comfortable, healthy, bifurcated -garment. God clothed them just alike, and -made no signs that henceforth they should be -distinguished by apparel. And for long years -there was little, if any, difference.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</span></p> - -<p>After showing the character of the dress of -different ancient nations, Egyptians, Babylonians, -Israelites, Persians, Romans, Saxons, -Normans, Turks, and Chinese, and that there -was no essential difference between the dress -worn by men and women, Mrs. Bloomer proceeds:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“With all the history of male and female -attire before him, and with so much proof of -the similarity in dress, how can Mr. Talmage -set up the claim that men have a right to any -particular style, and that if women dare to approach -that style they break divine law and -commit great sin and wrong? It is a presumption -and insult which women everywhere should -resent.</p> - -<p>“It matters not to us what Moses had to say -to the men and women of his time about what -they should wear. Our divine entirely disregards -the command of the ancient lawgiver by -not putting fringes and blue ribbons on his -garments. Common sense teaches us that the -dress which is the most convenient, and best -adapted to our needs, is the proper dress for -both men and women to wear. There is no -reason why woman should burden herself with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</span> -clothes to the detriment of her health, comfort -and life, while man adopts a style that gives -freedom of limb and motion. There is no -divine law requiring such doings. A hundred -other laws and customs of the days of Adam, -Noah, Abraham and Moses are as binding upon -the men and women of this day as the text -from which he gives his lecture. Judging from -the present customs, men have transgressed -that law more than women.</p> - -<p>“We do not advocate the same style of dress, -altogether, for both sexes and should be sorry -to see women dress just like men; yet we -should like to see a radical reform in woman’s -costume, so that she might be the free, healthy -being God made her instead of the corseted, -crippled, dragged-down creature her slavery to -clothes has made her. No law of God stands -in the way of her freedom. Her own judgment -and inclination should be her guide in -all matters of attire.</p> - -<p>“If divine law or vengeance is ever visited -upon woman because of the cut of her garments, -it will be upon the wearers of the suicidal long, -heavy skirts, instead of upon those who have -rid themselves of the grievous burden. That -sorrow and suffering are visited upon woman -because of her clothes we know, and that her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</span> -sin is visited upon her we know; and yet how -dare she throw off the burden and the sin, when -the clergy from the pulpit hold over her head -the threatenings of divine vengeance!</p> - -<p>“No sensible woman can sit under such -preaching. Would that women had the independence -to act out the right in defiance of such -sermons, and in disregard of all laws that condemn -her to the slavery of a barbarous age.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>FASHION IN DRESS.</h3> - -<p>On the general subject of “Fashion in Dress,” -Mrs. Bloomer wrote to Charlotte A. Joy, June -3, 1857, as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Your letter inviting me to attend the annual -meeting of the National Dress Association to -be held in Syracuse on the 17th inst. is received. -Owing to the great distance and my imperfect -health, it will be impossible for me to be with -you on that occasion, much as I should be -pleased to meet some of the members personally -and listen to their deliberations on so important -a subject as a reform in woman’s costume.</p> - -<p>“At the present moment there is perhaps no -subject which is more frequently pressed upon -the attention of the public than that of dress.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</span> -Our magazines are radiant with fashion plates -illustrating the latest styles; our newspapers -abound with allusions and discussions bearing -upon the subject, as though it were a matter -of national concernment; and it is continually -the theme of conversation and a subject either -of praise or satire wherever men and women -meet together. It would be fortunate, indeed, -if this discussion should result in securing a reform -in all those styles and modes of woman’s -dress which are incompatible with good health, -refined taste, simplicity, economy and beauty; -and it is to be hoped that the labors of your -association may be so discreetly directed and so -faithfully prosecuted, that they may go far to -the accomplishment of this end.</p> - -<p>The costume of woman should be suited to -her wants and necessities. It should conduce -at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; -and, while it should not fail also to conduce to -her personal adornment, it should make that -end of secondary importance. I certainly need -not stop to show that these conditions are not -attained by the present style of woman’s dress. -All admit that they are not. Even those who -ridicule most freely the labors of your association -are ready to admit the folly and inutility -of the prevailing styles.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</span></p> - -<p>“It is well, perhaps, in the present aspect of -the movement, that its friends should abstain -from prescribing any particular form of dress. -It is better to learn wisdom from the experience -of the past and, while successively lopping off -all excrescences, produce at last that outward -form of personal garniture which shall most -fully secure the great end to be attained.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>“What may be the next feat of the fickle goddess -of Fashion, or how near or how soon it may -approach the more rational and more desirable -form recommended by your association, none -can say. At present, we must admit, the reform -dress is quite obnoxious to the public -and all who bear testimony in its favor, either by -precept or example, must expect to meet with -some trials and discouragements; yet it may, -as you believe it will, be ultimately adopted. -In bringing about such a result your association -will have a leading part to perform, and in your -labors you will have the good wishes, if not -the active coöperation, of all who desire the -emancipation of woman from the tyranny of -prejudice and fashion.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_FIFTH">CHAPTER FIFTH.</h2> -</div> - - -<h3>THE <em>LILY</em> PROSPEROUS.</h3> - -<p>As intimated by Mrs. Bloomer in the preceding -pages, the circulation of her paper was -largely increased through the notoriety given -to it by her adoption and defense of the new -costume. Nearly every newspaper in the land -had to have its comments on it, as well as upon -those who had the courage to wear it. Some -denounced, some ridiculed. Besides receiving -numerous letters on the subject, many persons -called to see how the little woman appeared -in the short dress and trousers. Fortunately -or otherwise, they became her very -well; usually they were becoming when worn by -small persons or those of medium stature. People -generally retired well pleased with their interview -with her. She said but little about it in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</span> -her paper, as she had subjects of much greater -importance to engage her attention and fill its -columns. Occasionally a sharp article appeared -in its defense. She had many offers to take -the platform as a public speaker. Even the -stage was suggested as a fit place for bringing -the new costume before the public. The interest -in the subject was not confined to this -country only, but extended to England, also; -the matter was commented on by the press of -Great Britain very generally, and the London -<cite>Graphic</cite> contained pictures of the new costume -more or less correct.</p> - -<p>All these proposals for public action were -declined by Mrs. Bloomer; but nevertheless the -suggestion as to public speaking, the advocacy -by woman of temperance and woman’s rights -through the medium of the public platform and -her own voice as a public speaker, were not -forgotten by her and brought forth from her -very much in these directions in future years. -But for the time being she continued on in the -even tenor of her work, transforming her paper -steadily more and more, as the months went<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</span> -by, into an advocate of woman’s enlargement -in various directions. “Devoted to the interests -of woman,” was now its motto, and she -strove to faithfully carry out the legend. It -was still the ardent advocate of temperance, -but it insisted also that the evils of intemperance -could only be effectually overthrown by -giving to woman a more potent voice both in -the making and enforcement of the laws designed -to overthrow that great evil.</p> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.</h3> - -<p>We now copy again from Mrs. Bloomer’s -writings:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In the Spring of 1852 a few of the -daughters [of Temperance] celebrated an open -two-days temperance meeting at Rochester, -N. Y. It was very largely attended, between -four and five hundred women being present -at the first session. The numbers increased, -and at the later sessions the large hall, which -would contain 1,800, was packed to the platform -with eager, earnest temperance men and -women. This meeting was not only not secret,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</span> -it was not exclusive,—men forming a large part -of it and doing their share of talking. It was -at this meeting that I first let my voice be -heard in public after much persuasion. Able -men came to our aid—among them I remember -the Rev. William H. Channing (the -younger), an eloquent divine of those days; and -the meeting was very enthusiastic, and was the -beginning of much in the same direction that -followed. This convention resulted in organizing -a woman’s state Temperance Society, which -became very effective and had much to do in -breaking down the barriers and introducing -women into temperance and other work. Some -half-dozen women were employed by the -society as agents on salaries of twenty-five -dollars per month and their expenses. These -lecturers traveled through the state, holding -meetings, and securing membership to the -society and signatures to the pledge, and petitions -to the legislature. They were well received -on all sides, partly because of the novelty -of a woman speaking, and partly because the -principle of total abstinence and Washingtonian -temperance was stirring all hearts. Up to -these times no woman had thought of speaking -in public outside a Quaker meeting-house. -To have attempted such a thing at an earlier<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</span> -day would have called down upon her much -censure, and St. Paul would have been freely -quoted to silence her. Now, however, women -took matters Into their own hands and acted as -their own impulses prompted and their consciences -approved. And it was surprising how -public sentiment changed and how the zeal of -temperance men and women helped on the new -movement of women.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony were -secretaries of this convention, and Elizabeth -Cady Stanton president; in the final organization -Mrs. Stanton was made president, Mrs. -Bloomer corresponding secretary, and Miss -Anthony and Mary C. Vaughan recording secretaries.</p> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER ON DIVORCE.</h3> - -<p>At this convention, Senator Gale used very -strong language in regard to women who had -petitioned the legislature for a Maine Law. -Mrs. Bloomer criticised him for saying in a -sneering way “that representatives were not -accustomed to listen to the voice of women in -legislating upon great public questions.” A -resolution was proposed in the convention that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</span> -“no woman should remain in the relation of -wife to the confirmed drunkard, and that no -drunkard should be father of her children.” -On this Mrs. Bloomer said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We believe the teachings which have been -given to the drunkard’s wife, inculcating duty—the -commendable examples of angelic wives -which she has been exhorted to follow—have -done much to continue and aggravate the vices -and crimes of society growing out of intemperance. -Drunkenness is ground for divorce, and -every woman who is tied to a confirmed drunkard -should sunder the ties: and if she do it -not otherwise, the law should compel it, especially -if she have children.</p> - -<p>“We are told that such sentiments are exceptional, -abhorrent, that the moral sense of -society is shocked and outraged by their promulgation. -Can it be possible that the moral -sense of a people is more shocked at the idea -of a pure-minded, gentle woman sundering the -tie which binds her to a loathsome mass of corruption, -than it is to see her dragging out her -days in misery tied to his besotted and filthy -carcass? Are the morals of society less endangered -by the drunkard’s wife continuing to live<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</span> -in companionship with him, giving birth to a -large family of children who inherit nothing -but poverty and disgrace, and who will grow -up criminal and vicious, filling our prisons and -penitentiaries and corrupting and endangering -the purity and peace of the community, than -they would be should she separate from him -and strive to win for herself and her children -comfort and respectability? The statistics of -our prisons, poorhouses, and lunatic asylums -teach us a fearful lesson on this subject of -morals!</p> - -<p>“The idea of living with a drunkard is so -abhorrent, so revolting to all the finer feelings -of our nature, that a woman must fall very low -before she can endure such companionship. -Every pure-minded person must look with -loathing and disgust upon such a union of virtue -and vice; and he who would compel her to -it, or dissuade the drunkard’s wife from separating -herself from such wretchedness and degradation, -is doing much to perpetuate drunkenness -and crime and is wanting in the noblest -feelings of human nature. Thanks to our legislature, -if they have not given us the Maine law -they are deliberating on giving to wives of -drunkards and tyrants a loophole of escape -from the brutal cruelty of their self-styled lords<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</span> -and masters. A bill of this kind has passed -the house, but may be lost in the senate. -Should it not pass now, it will be brought up -again and passed at no distant day. Then, if -women have any spirit, they will free themselves -from much of the depression and wrong -which they have hitherto by necessity borne.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>CONVENTION INFLUENCE.</h3> - -<p>Probably, no single event ever had so great -an influence in promoting the cause of woman’s -enlargement as this Rochester convention. It -opened the door wide for women to enter. It -brought out a number of faithful workers in -that cause, as well as in the cause of Temperance, -who from that time devoted their lives -to the work. Some took a wider view of their -work than others, but all devoted themselves -with a singular fidelity and earnestness to the -noble aims before them. Nor was the influence -confined solely to women who took part -in that convention. Others, in every part of -the country, soon enlisted in the cause and became -zealous advocates of woman’s redemption -from the thralldom of evil habits and unjust<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</span> -laws. Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony continued -a tower of strength for half a century -and upwards, and Mrs. Bloomer nearly as long, -but in the latter years of her life not so prominently; -and there came to their aid Lucy -Stone, Frances D. Gage, Mrs. C. H. Nichols, -Antoinette L. Brown, Mary A. Livermore, -Lydia A. Fowler, and many more who might -be mentioned.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer, as corresponding secretary of -the new society, was brought into immediate -and close connection with its agents and -friends. Her home was at all times open to -them, and they often visited and consulted -with her and Mrs. Stanton, who resided in the -same village. Mrs. Vaughan, Mrs. Albro, and -Miss Emily Clark, besides Miss Anthony, were -earnest workers in the good cause. Mrs. -Bloomer’s correspondence was also very extensive; -but in her removals from place to place -it has been mostly destroyed, and the death of -nearly all her correspondents renders it impracticable -to procure copies of her letters to -them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</span></p> - - -<h3>THE WOMEN REJECTED AT SYRACUSE.</h3> - -<p>At the Rochester convention Gerrit Smith, -Mrs. Bloomer, and Miss Anthony were appointed -delegates to the state convention then -soon to meet in Syracuse. The call was to all -temperance organizations to send delegates to -it, and clearly included the Woman’s Temperance -Society. Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony -accepted the appointment and attended; but -their simple appearance caused a tremendous -hubbub, and after a whole day spent by the -men in discussing the question of their admission -they were excluded. Mrs. Bloomer describes -the scene as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The women had friends in the convention -who were as determined on their side that -women should be recognized, and so they had -it, each side determined to have it’s way—a -dozen men talking at the same time all over -the house, each claiming the floor, each insisting -on being heard—till all became confusion, -a perfect babel of noises. No order could be -kept and the president left his chair in disgust.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</span> -Time and words fail to give you the details of -this disgraceful meeting. The ringleaders were -prominent clergymen of Albany, Lockport, and -Buffalo. Their names and faces are indelibly -engraven on my memory. During this whole -day’s quarrel of the men, no woman said a word, -except once Miss Anthony addressed the chair -intending to prefer a request for a donation -of temperance tracts for distribution by our -society. She got no farther than ‘Mr. President,’ -when she was rudely called to order by -one of the belligerent clergymen and told to -sit down. She sat down and no other woman -opened her mouth, though they really were entitled -to all the rights of any delegate, under -the call; and the treatment they received was -not only an insult to the women present, but -to the organization that sent them.”</p> -</div> - -<p>In referring to this incident, on page 488 -Vol. I. of History of Woman Suffrage, it is -said: “Rev. Luther Lea offered his church just -before adjournment, and Mr. May announced -that Miss Anthony and Mrs. Bloomer would -speak there in the evening. They had a -crowded house, while the conservatives scarcely -had fifty. The general feeling was hostile to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</span> -the action of the convention. The same battle -on the temperance platform was fought over -and over again in various parts of the state, -and the most deadly opposition uniformly -came from the clergy, though a few noble men -in that profession ever remained true to principle -through all the conflicts of those days -in the anti-slavery, temperance, and woman’s -rights movements.”</p> - - -<h3>CONVENTION IN ALBANY.</h3> - -<p>In the winter of 1852 and 1853, meetings of -both the regular state Temperance societies -were held in Albany for the purpose of influencing -the legislature then in session to pass -the Maine prohibitory law. Mrs. Bloomer attended -the women’s convention, and delivered -an elaborate speech in the Baptist church. She -herself gives the following report of the proceedings -at the convention:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The ladies were there with their officers and -lecturers. During the day they held meetings -in the large Baptist church which was packed, -seats and aisles, to its utmost capacity. During<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</span> -the morning session a committee of three -ladies, previously appointed, slipped out through -a back entrance and wended their way to the -capitol bearing between them a large basket -filled with petitions from 30,000 women of the -state, each petition neatly rolled and tied with -ribbon and bearing upon it the name of the -place from which it came, and the number of -names it contained. We were met at the state-house -door by Hon. Silas M. Burroughs, of -Orleans, according to previous arrangement, -and escorted by him within the bar of the -house. Mr. Burroughs then said: ‘Mr. -Speaker, there is a deputation of ladies in this -house with a petition of 30,000 women for a -prohibitory law, and I request that the deputation -may present the petition in person.’ He -moved a suspension of the rules for that purpose. -Some objection was raised by two or -three members who sneered at the idea of -granting such privileges to women, but the -vote was taken and carried; and then the committee -and the big basket, carried by two of us -by the handles at each end, passed up in front -of the speaker’s desk, when one of our number -made a little speech appealing for prohibition -and protection from the rum power in the -name of the 30,000 women of the state whom<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</span> -we represented. The petitions were sent up -to the clerk’s desk, while we retired again to -the bar where we were surrounded and received -congratulations of members. We soon after -retired and returned to the meeting at the -church. On the announcement being made to -the meeting of what we had done and our success, -it was received with a perfect shout of -congratulation by the vast audience. It was -an unheard-of thing for women to do, and our -reception augured success to the hopes of temperance -people for a prohibitory law. But -alas! Our petitions availed us nothing, as we -learned in due time. Those 30,000 petitioners -were only women; and what cared our so-called -representatives for the petitions of a disfranchised -class? Our meetings were kept up during -the day and evening, women doing all the -talking though men composed full half the -audience. In the evening, in addition to the -Baptist church meetings were held in another -church and in the representatives’ hall, the capitol -having been placed at our service, our lady -speakers separating and going by twos and -threes to each house; and all were crowded, -every foot of standing room being occupied.”</p> -</div> - -<p>It should be added, that Mrs. Bloomer was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</span> -one of the Committee of Three who appeared -before the legislature and presented the petitions. -The other members were Miss Emily -Clark and Mrs. Albro.</p> - - -<h3>A LECTURER.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer’s life during the latter part of -1853 was a very busy one. In addition to her -duties as editor and publisher of the <em>Lily</em> and -clerk in the post office, she was also frequently -invited to deliver addresses on Temperance. -A few of these invitations she accepted, and -appeared before well-pleased audiences in villages -of western New York. She never until -later years acquired the habit of extemporaneous -speaking, but all her addresses were -carefully written out and delivered from manuscript. -There is a big pile of her writings now -before me. They are all characterized by great -earnestness in appeal both to the reason and -sympathies of her hearers.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer’s appeals were mainly addressed -to her own sex, but she never failed to call upon -the men also to practise total abstinence and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</span> -give their influence in all proper ways for the -overthrow of the liquor traffic. She also introduced -other questions into her addresses. She -insisted that the laws relating to women were -narrow and unjust and should be changed. -She thought that women should have a voice -in making the laws and also in their enforcement. -When this change should be brought -around, she had hopes that woman would be -relieved from the curse of drunkenness under -which she suffered so keenly. And it so happened -that it was frequently said of Mrs. -Bloomer that “she talks on temperance, but -she gives us a large supply of woman’s rights, -also.” To this Mrs. Bloomer in the <cite>Lily</cite> in -April, 1853, made the following reply:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Some of the papers accuse me of mixing -Woman’s Rights with our Temperance, as -though it was possible for woman to speak on -Temperance and Intemperance without also -speaking of Woman’s Rights and Wrongs in -connection therewith. That woman has rights, -we think that none will deny; that she has -been cruelly wronged by the law-sanctioned -liquor traffic, must be admitted by all. Then<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</span> -why should we not talk of woman’s rights and -temperance together? Ah, how steadily do -they who are guilty shrink from reproof! How -ready they are to avoid answering our arguments -by turning their attention to our personal -appearance, and raising a bugbear about Woman’s -Rights and Woman’s Wrongs! and a -ready response to the truth we utter wells up -from women’s hearts, and breaks forth in blessings -and a hearty God-speed in our mission.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>IN NEW YORK CITY.</h3> - -<p>We now quote from Mrs. Bloomer’s personal -reminiscences:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In February, 1853, in company with Miss -Susan B. Anthony, Rev. Antoinette L. Brown, -and Mrs. L. N. Fowler, I held three meetings in -the city of New York. We had been attending a -Temperance mass meeting in the city of Albany, -where we had both day and evening been addressing -the assembled temperance hosts that -had come together from all parts of the state -in response to a call for that purpose. At -these meetings we were met by parties from -New York, who invited us to visit that city -and hold a series of meetings, assuring us that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</span> -every preparation would be made and we -should be received by good audiences. We -accepted the invitation and in a few days went -to New York to fill the engagement. Full -notice had been given and all things put in -readiness for us. These meetings were held -in Metropolitan Hall, where Jennie Lind made -her <em>début</em> on arriving in this country, which has -since been burned down; and in the old Broadway -Tabernacle; and in Knickerbocker Hall.</p> - -<p>“That was in the early days of the woman’s -movement, and women speaking in public was -a new thing outside of a Quaker meeting-house. -We were the first to address an audience of -New Yorkers from a public platform; and much -curiosity was excited to hear and see the wonderful -women who had outstepped their sphere -and were turning the world upside down by -preaching a new doctrine which claimed that -women were human beings, endowed with inalienable -rights, among which was the right -to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.</p> - -<p>“The halls at each of these meetings were -filled to their utmost capacity, from 3,000 to -5,000 persons being the estimated number -in attendance. At the Metropolitan, Horace -Greeley and wife, Dr. S. P. Townsend, Colonel -Snow, and a number of others were seated with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</span> -us on the platform; and in all the after meetings, -Mr. Greeley was present and manifested -much interest in our work, taking copious notes -and giving columns of the <cite>Tribune</cite> to reports -of our speeches. While in the city we were -guests of the great phrenologist, L. N. Fowler, -one of the editors of the <cite>Phrenological Journal</cite>, -and his wife, and Mrs. S. P. Townsend; and the -evening was spent at the home of the Greeleys.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“At the latter place we met about a dozen -of New York’s literati. Of these I only remember -Charles A. Dana, then on the <cite>Tribune</cite> -staff; Mrs. E. F. Ellet, a prominent story writer -of that time; and Alice and Phœbe Gary, the -poet sisters. I remember the latter as dressed -with very low necks and arms bared to the -shoulders, while their skirts trailed upon the -floor. Around their necks were hung huge -boas, four feet long, the style of that day; as -a protection, I suppose, from the cold. These -being heaviest in the middle were continually -sagging out of place, and kept the wearers quite -busy adjusting them. I confess to a feeling -short of admiration for this dress display at a -little social gathering in midwinter, and my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</span> -estimation of the good sense of the Cary sisters -sank accordingly. And I never read of them -to this day but those bare necks and shoulders -and trailing skirts appear before me. They, -no doubt, were as much disgusted with my -short dress and trousers which left no part of -the person exposed. Tastes differ, that is -all; and I was not used to seeing women in -company half-dressed.</p> - -<p>“It was in the early days of spiritualism, -when the Rochester rappings had excited -much wonder throughout the country. Horace -Greeley was known to have taken a good deal -of interest in the subject, to have given time -to its investigation, and to have entertained its -first propagandists, the Fox sisters, for days at -his house. During the evening of our visit -that subject came up and Mr. Greeley warmly -espoused the side of the spiritualists. He said -many things in confirmation of his belief in the -new doctrine of spirit visitation. Standing -midway of the two parlors and pointing to a -table that stood against the wall between the -front windows, he said: ‘I must believe what -my eyes have seen. I have seen that table -leave its place where it now stands, come forward -and meet me here where I now stand, -and then go back to its place without any one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</span> -touching it, or being near it. I have also seen -that table rise from the floor, and the weight -of a man sitting on it would not keep it down. -I cannot deny the evidence of my own eyes.’ -Miss Fox was in the house at the time of this -occurrence, but not in the room. This he said -in answer to questions.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>AT METROPOLITAN HALL.</h3> - -<p>Of the meeting in Metropolitan Hall, the -New York <cite>Tribune</cite> stated that it was nearly as -large and fully as respectable as the audiences -which nightly greeted Jenny Lind and Catherine -Hayes during their engagements in that -hall. Mrs. Lydia N. Fowler presided, and delivered -an address. The <cite>Tribune</cite> gave a full -report of the meeting. It said: “Mrs. Bloomer -was attired in a dark-brown changeable tunic, -a kilt descending just below the knees, the skirt -of which was trimmed with rows of black velvet. -The pantaloons were of the same texture and -trimmed in the same style. She wore gaiters. -Her headdress was cherry and black. Her -dress had a large open corsage, with bands of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</span> -velvet over the white chemisette in which was -a diamond-stud pin. She wore flowing sleeves, -tight undersleeves and black lace mitts. Her -whole attire was rich and plain in appearance. -* * * She was introduced to the audience -and proceeded to her address which occupied -more than an hour.” And as giving a fair expression -of Mrs. Bloomer’s then views on the -subject of temperance and woman’s duty in -reference to it, the <cite>Tribune’s</cite> full report of her -address is here given:</p> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER’S SPEECH.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Mrs. Bloomer, of Seneca Falls, was introduced -and proceeded to read an address which -occupied nearly an hour. She commenced by -remarking that, from the earliest agitation of -the subject of temperance down through the -whole past course of the cause, woman has had -a great and important part to perform in the -great struggle for freedom. And most nobly -has she performed her part, according to the -light she possessed. She has done all that the -custom of the time permitted her to do. She -has faithfully attended temperance meetings<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</span> -and listened to many wise discourses from temperance -lecturers. During all this woman has -imagined that she was doing the cause good -service. But lo! she still sees the great destroyer -passing triumphantly on in his work -of death; she sees poverty, wretchedness and -despair still rampant in our midst; she sees -that her prayers to rumsellers to desist from -their murderous work have fallen upon hearts -of stone; she sees that, in spite of her remonstrances, -the stream of death still flows on and -that thousands and tens of thousands are still -going to destruction. But, though she is often -weary, yet is she not hopeless; she still has -faith to look beyond the clouds to the bright -prospect beyond—still has faith to look beyond -the efforts of man to One who is mighty for -deliverance.</p> - -<p>“Yet, notwithstanding the efforts already -put forth in this work, woman was not without -guilt in this matter. While man endeavors to -compel obedience to his laws, and make woman -dependent upon him and an echo of his -thoughts, while man has greatly sinned in thus -usurping this great prerogative, woman has -greatly sinned in submitting to this power. -Woman has suffered her individuality to be -merged in a name. She forgets that God<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</span> -created them equal; she forgets that our -Heavenly Father has not made one to rule over -the other. She forgets that she is as necessary -to his happiness as he is to hers. They are -created to work hand in hand, bearing equally -the burden of life; and though we may fail to -do our duty on earth, yet will our individuality -be recognized and held to account on the Last -Day. The plea often raised that it is immodest -and unladylike, that we are out of our sphere -in thus battling against the evils of intemperance, -will not avail in the sight of God who has -commanded that even one talent should be put -to a good use. He has created woman intelligent -and responsible and given her a great -work to do, and woe unto her if she does it -not! Woe unto him who hinders her in its -fulfillment! Her individuality must be recognized -before the evils of intemperance can cease -to exist. How absurd the idea, how degrading -the thought, that before marriage woman can -enjoy freedom of thought, but afterwards must -endorse her husband’s sentiments be they good -or bad! Call you not this slavery? But if she -acts the part of true womanhood, the path of -duty will be made so plain that she cannot err -therein.</p> - -<p>“The speaker next said that she proposed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</span> -to show how woman, by her own acts, had retarded -the cause of temperance. And, first, -woman had done much to retard the cause by -herself partaking of stimulating drink during -lactation, and thus transmitting it through the -system of her infant. She imagines that this -gives her stimulus and strength. But in this -she sins from ignorance. As the child grows, -his appetite grows perverted, and he will desire -still stronger stimulus such as tobacco and -cigars. Let mothers study the physiology of -themselves and their children that they may -know how to feed them so as to give them -regular appetites. Woman has also done much -to retard the cause of temperance by presenting -the intoxicating cup to her guest. Not unfrequently -does the first glass taken from the -hands of woman destroy both body and soul -forever. Home is said to be woman’s sphere; -herein, at least, she should forbid the intoxicating -cup to enter. Women, Christian women, -as you hope for salvation, let not this guilt rest -upon your souls!</p> - -<p>“Woman has also retarded the cause of -temperance by using intoxicating drinks for -culinary purposes. Such an one voluntarily -yields up her children to the Moloch of intemperance. -Let no woman think this a little<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</span> -matter. Let no woman think that because -she occupies a high place in society the destroyer -will pass her by. Such is not his course. -He delights to cut down the high and noble -and trample them beneath his iron hoofs.</p> - -<p>“Another class who in my view greatly retard -the cause of temperance principles are those who -profess love for our cause and hope that it will -triumph, but do nothing for it. They say we -have men to attend to this work and that it is -none of woman’s business. Deliver us from -such dead weights on society and on the spirit -of Progress! None of woman’s business, when -she is subject to poverty and degradation and -made an outcast from respectable society! -None of woman’s business, when her starving, -naked babes are compelled to suffer the horrors of -the winter’s blast! None of woman’s business, -when her children are stripped of their clothing -and compelled to beg their bread from door -to door! In the name of all that is sacred, -what is woman’s business if this be no concern -of hers? (Great applause.) None of woman’s -business! What is woman? Is she a slave? -Is she a mere toy? Is she formed, like a piece -of fine porcelain, to be placed upon the shelf to -be looked at? Is she a responsible being? -or has she no soul? Alas, alas for the ignorance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</span> -and weakness of woman! Shame! Shame on -woman when she refuses all elevating action -and checks all high and holy aspirations for the -good of others! (Applause.) Sisters, the liquor -traffic does concern woman deeply; and it is -her business to bring her influence to bear -against it, both by private and public acts. -Some mothers say it is as much as they can do -to look after their own children without going -to the trouble of looking after children of their -neighbors. If all mothers would do this and -train up their own children in the right way, it -would be all well. But such is not the case; and -therefore are we to go out into the world and -help reclaim the children of poverty and crime -around us.</p> - -<p>“Another obstacle to the progress of temperance -principles is that women live in close -companionship with drunken husbands. This -may be a delicate point upon which to enter -and many may object to mentioning it, but -nevertheless the truth must be spoken. In -my mind no greater sin is committed than by -woman consenting to remain the wife of the -drunkard, rearing children in poverty and -wretchedness and thus transmitting his sins. -A pure and virtuous woman tied to such a -piece of corruption, and giving birth to children<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</span> -who will grow up to be a curse to themselves -and society! The drunkard knows that -the gentle being is bound close to him and is -literally his slave, and that she will remain with -him be his conduct what it may. Thus are -thousands surrounded by these gentle and loving -creatures, when they are not worthy to -have even a dog for a companion. (Applause.)</p> - -<p>“And yet public sentiment and law bid -woman to submit to this degradation and to -kiss the hand that smites her to the ground. -Let things be reversed—let man be made -subject to these various insults—and how long -would he suffer anger, hunger, cold and nakedness! -How many times would he allow himself -to be thus trampled upon! (Applause.) -Not long—not long—I think! With his right -arm would he free himself from such degrading -bondage. (Applause.) But thanks to a few -brave hearts, the idea of relief to woman has -been broached to society. She has dared to -stand forth and disown any earthly master. -(Applause.) Woman must banish the drunkard -from her society. Let her utterly refuse to be -the companion of a drunkard, or the man who -puts the intoxicating cup to his lips, and we -shall see a new order of society.</p> - -<p>“Woman must declare an unceasing war to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</span> -this great foe, at all times and upon every -occasion that presents itself. She must not -wait for man to help her; this is her business -as much as his. Let her show to the world -that she possesses somewhat of the spirit and -the blood of the daughters of the Revolution! -Such thoughts as these may be thought unladylike; -but if they are so, they are not unwomanly. -(Applause.)</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Bloomer then made a brief argument -in favor of the Maine Law, and concluded her -remarks amid long continued applause.</p> - -<p>“It will be seen that Mrs. Bloomer’s address -was almost entirely confined to women, and -marked out an entirely new field in temperance -thought; and it therefore attracted not a little -attention.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The meeting in New York city did not end -the work of the three ladies in the Temperance -cause during the winter. They made a tour of -the state, holding meetings in Brooklyn, -Poughkeepsie, Sing Sing, Hudson, Troy, -Cohoes, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Lockport, -Buffalo, and other places along the Hudson -River and the line of the Central Railroad. -They were everywhere received by great<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</span> -crowds of people anxious to see the now famous -speakers and listen to their words. It was a -new thing for women to speak in public; and -no doubt the fashion of the dresses worn by -Mrs. Bloomer and Miss Anthony had something -to do with calling out the people to their -meetings.</p> - - -<h3>IN BUFFALO.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer described the closing meeting -of the series at Buffalo as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Townsend Hall was crowded at an early -hour by the curious and interested portions of -the community, who came together to see the -women who had made themselves notorious by -their boldness in daring to face a city audience, -and to listen to the strange and ‘funny things’ -they might utter on the worn and rather unpopular -subject of temperance. The capacity -of the hall is said to be sufficient to seat 1,000. -Every spot where a standing place could be had -was occupied, and very many went away unable -to gain admittance. Steps were immediately -taken by some friends here to secure a hall for -another meeting the next evening. Townsend -Hall and American Hall were both engaged,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</span> -and the Eagle-Street Theatre was secured; -and last night, for the first time in many years, -I attended a ‘theatre’ not as a looker-on but -as an actor in the play. I don’t know the -capacity of the theatre but it was estimated -that fully 1,200 persons were present, the body -of the house and lower gallery being densely -filled, while many occupied the lower gallery -and the rostrum. Seldom I think is a theatre -put to better use, and pity it is that all its performances -and performers are not as truthful -and earnest in laboring for the good of humanity. -The audience appeared interested, and -was for the most part quiet and attentive.</p> - -<p>“We received calls from a large number of -ladies of the city who were interested in our -movement, and we hear from all the same expression -of feeling and that is: ‘We must have -the Maine law; what can we do to obtain this -law?’ I find there is a strong woman’s-rights -sentiment prevailing on the subject among -those whom I have met here. All feel that -the only way in which women can do anything -effectually in this cause is through the ballot-box, -and they feel themselves fettered by being -denied the right to thus speak their sentiments -in a manner that could not be misunderstood. -If voters would but all do their duty,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</span> -all would be well and we should soon have a -prohibitory liquor-law; and methinks that if -voters who claim to be temperance men could -hear all comments made by women upon their -actions, and see themselves in the light that -women see them, they would blush and hang -their heads in shame at their treachery and -inefficiency.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>AT HOME.</h3> - -<p>On returning home from one of her tours, -Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“After an absence of two weeks, we again -find ourselves in our own loved home, where -we meet with a hearty welcome. Most forcibly -do the words of the poet come before our -mind as we enter our quiet sanctum, and from -the depths of our heart we endorse them: -‘Home, sweet home! be it ever so humble, -there’s no place like home.’</p> - -<p>“During the two weeks spent in jaunting -through some of the cities and villages of the -beautiful Hudson, we have seen much of the -grand and beautiful in nature and made the -acquaintance of some of the choice spirits of that -section of the state. It has been a relaxation -from cares we much needed, and we trust will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</span> -prove time profitably spent both to us and to -those who listened to the message we bore -them.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>HATING THE MEN.</h3> - -<p>The editor of the Utica <cite>Telegraph</cite> having -charged Mrs. Bloomer with “hating the men,” -she replied to the insinuation as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Bless your soul, Mr. <em>Telegraph</em>! we dearly -love them all—except rumsellers and those -editors who patronize and sustain them in -their ruin-and-death-dealing business. Hate -the men? Why, such an idea never entered -our head and we are sure our tongue never -gave expression to such a thought! You must -have had a curtain lecture before going to -the meeting that night, Mr. <em>Telegraph</em>, which -soured your feelings toward all womankind so -that you saw through green glasses and heard -through a cracked ear-tube; or else you must -be a devotee to the wine cup, and are frightened -lest the women are going to adopt some measure -to make it unlawful and disreputable for -you to gratify your low appetite. Oh, dear! -how people are worried about our domestic -relations. How much sympathy our ‘bigger -half’ receives because of his sore domestic<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</span> -troubles! Strange that the <cite>Telegraph</cite> forgot -to speak of our ‘five neglected children’! -They have met with great sympathy from many -people, but are entirely overlooked by this -student of the ‘Natural Sciences.’ We do -wish those editors who are so much interested -in our domestic affairs would appoint a committee -to investigate the matter and devise -some plan of relief for our poor suffering husband -and ‘five children.’ Ha, ha! we should like -to see the workings of our ‘gude man’s’ face as -they offered words of condolence and sympathy, -and hear the kind and unruffled tones in which -he would thank them for their tender solicitude -and politely bid them return and bestow equal -care on their own domestic relations.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>GOOD TEMPLARS.</h3> - -<p>Up to 1852-3 women were excluded from -the several temperance secret fraternities -which had come into existence, such as the -“Sons of Temperance” and similar societies. -To give to women a chance to work for the -cause in the same way the order of the -“Daughters of Temperance” was organized, -but Mrs. Bloomer persistently refused to connect<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</span> -herself with them for the reason that she -believed that women and men should be admitted -to all such societies on a footing of perfect -equality. The church opened its doors to -both alike; so she insisted the secret societies -should do the same. But in the latter part of -1852, the order of “Good Templars” was organized -in Onondaga County, and soon spread out -over the adjacent counties. It admitted women -to membership and to all offices on an entire -equality with men. Mrs. Bloomer was greatly -pleased with the idea, and when a lodge of the -new order was established in the village she soon -became an active member, took great interest -in its work, and held various positions in the -lodge. She believed that it furnished an opening -for women’s work in the Temperance cause -which should not be neglected. In a notice of -this new temperance organization, in the July -number of the <cite>Lily</cite>, Mrs. Bloomer says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Of course, to those who believe that -women should not work together with the -men in the Temperance Cause this organization -presents insuperable objections. No man<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</span> -who is not willing to admit woman to entire -equality with himself in labors, duties, honors and -offices, who is not willing that her vote should -be deposited with his in the same ballot-box, -and her voice be raised with his on all questions -relating to its affairs, need apply for membership -in this order. But the number of such -men is small, indeed, and is daily growing -beautifully less. It has long been the desire of -many Sons of Temperance to admit women -into their doors, and the recent omission of the -National Division of that order to comply -with that desire has sadly disappointed many -of its best members. But what the Sons of -Temperance have refused to do, the Good -Templars amply provided for, and this feature -we believe to be one of its chief excellencies, -and which more than any other will commend -the order to the hearty approval of the high-minded -and right-thinking portion of the temperance -community.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The first State gathering of the new order -was held in Ithaca, in June, 1853. Mrs. -Bloomer was appointed a delegate to it from -her local lodge, along with her husband, and -when the state grand-lodge was organized she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</span> -was admitted to that, also. A Rev. Mr. Wilson -had been engaged to deliver the address, -but he failed to attend. Mrs. Bloomer -described the result as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“They then selected me to take his place. -On the morning of the public demonstration, -an unthought-of trouble arose. The church -which had been engaged to Mr. Bristol was -now refused to a woman. Its trustees would -not open it for a woman to speak in. This -caused a great excitement among the men. -They gathered in the lodge-room to consider -the situation. They were puzzled to know -what to do. They would not give up their -speaker. There was talk of going to a grove, -but it was too far; talk of speaking in the -street, but there was no shade; and the lodge-room -was not large enough. Finally the Baptists -came to their relief and offered their -church, and I did the talking to the immense -throng who gathered there.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>IN THE PULPIT.</h3> - -<p>At the time of the above occurrence it was a -new thing indeed for women to appear in public, -and especially to stand in the pulpit to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</span> -deliver their thoughts. All this is now greatly -changed. Mrs. Bloomer in writing on this -subject in subsequent years says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The pulpit was sacred ground, that no -woman’s foot must profane. One minister in -Syracuse preached a sermon against us and had -it printed in pamphlet form. These he sent -out by hundreds to ministers of his church -throughout the state for them to scatter -among the women of their congregations, -hoping to head off this new movement -of women. Whether these determined opponents -of other days who meant to crush -the women’s movement in the bud ever -became reconciled to the part she has -since played in the world’s doings, I don’t -know. Some of them, and probably all, have -passed to their account where they have learned -that God’s ways are not man’s ways. I suppose -that we cannot greatly blame them when -we remember that, up to that time, the world -had been educated to believe woman an inferior -creation; that she had been placed by -her Creator in an inferior and subordinate -position; and that St. Paul’s injunction to the -uneducated women of his day to keep silence -in the churches was intended for the women of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</span> -all time, included public halls as well as -churches, and political, social, temperance and -all other subjects as well as the gospel of -Christ, of which women were to know nothing -except what they learned from their husbands -at home. We find a very different state of -things in these days, when the clergy everywhere -are ready to listen to women—nay, to -welcome and invite them to their desks; and -even dismiss their own services that the women -may be heard. They must have learned a -new gospel, or a new interpretation of the old -one. In those early days, ministers before -hearing us would refuse to open our meetings -with prayer—feeling, I suppose, that we had -gotten too far out of our sphere to be benefited -by their prayers. Now, they hesitate -not to lend us all the aid in their power. -There may be here and there one who turns -the cold shoulder, but the cause is too far advanced -to be affected by anything such can -bring against it.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>IN ROCHESTER AGAIN—A CHANGE.</h3> - -<p>In May, 1853, the annual meeting of the -Woman’s State-Temperance Society convened -in the city of Rochester. It was very<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</span> -largely attended by many of the prominent -Temperance workers in the state. Mrs. -Bloomer was present and took an active part -in the proceedings. At the convention, the -question of admitting men as members came -up and excited a great deal of interest. It was -agreed that, as both sexes were equally interested -in the work, they should all bear an -equal responsibility in guiding the doings and -sharing in the labor of the society. Those -who took this view insisted that it should be -placed on the broad grounds of equal rights -and equal duties for all. Others thought the -time had not yet come for so radical a change -in the constitution, but preferred that it should -continue to be an exclusively feminine organization. -Mrs. Bloomer took this view and so -the majority decided, with the result that Mrs. -Stanton declined a reëlection as president and -Miss Anthony also declined a reëlection as -secretary.</p> - -<p>In their places, Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan was -elected president; Mrs. Angelina Fish, secretary; -Mrs. Albro, chairman of the executive<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</span> -committee, and Mrs. Bloomer corresponding -secretary. These ladies continued the work of -the society with great zeal and fidelity. It -kept its lecturers in the field and continued to -labor earnestly in promoting its temperance -work. Mrs. Bloomer’s connection with it -ended with her removal from the state at the -end of the year. She always exceedingly regretted -that this divergence of views occurred -between her and Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony, -but their old-time friendship continued -on as of old and Mrs. Stanton continued her -interesting contributions to the columns of the -<em>Lily</em>.</p> - -<p>The proceedings of this convention, as also -of the Good-Templars meeting at Ithaca, were -printed as a double number of the <em>Lily</em> soon -after the adjournment of these bodies. Many -extra copies were also printed, for which there -was a very active demand. Mrs. Bloomer insisted -that the work of the Woman’s Temperance -Society should go on vigorously, as in -the preceding years, and she exerted all her -influence to that end as one of its officers.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</span> -She however did not long remain a resident -of New York, and after leaving the state she -was no longer responsible for the work. The -zeal of some of the workers may have become -cold, or rather (which seems to have been the -fact) was turned into other channels. Mrs. -Bloomer always looked upon her connection -with the society as one of the most useful and -interesting events of her life.</p> - -<p>After the close of the convention Mrs. -Bloomer visited Niagara Falls for the first -time, accompanied by her husband, spending a -couple of days of much needed rest and recreation. -While there they looked over nearly -all the most noted points, including a visit to -Termination Rock under the mighty cataract -itself, passing on their way under Table Rock, -which has since disappeared.</p> - - -<h3>A LECTURE TOUR—FOURTH OF JULY.</h3> - -<p>Of one of her lecturing tours, Mrs. Bloomer -gives the following report:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We left home on Saturday the second instant -for Harford, where we were engaged as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</span> -orator for the celebration on the Fourth. The -weather was fine and the trip up the lake a -delightful one, made doubly so by meeting -some old acquaintances and the forming of -some new ones on the boat. Arrived at Ithaca -we found friends awaiting from Harford, and -were soon on our way to that place, where we -arrived after a pleasant carriage ride of sixteen -miles at about ten o’clock in the evening. The -glorious Fourth was ushered in by a salute at -daybreak and another at sunrise. At an early -hour people began to arrive from the country, -and the streets soon presented a lively appearance. -At ten o’clock the procession was -formed in front of the Union Church and, the -Good Templars and Sons of Temperance in the -regalia of their orders first, led by a band -of music and followed by the people, proceeded -to a grove where seats and a stand handsomely -decorated had been prepared for the occasion. -We were escorted by a committee of ladies all -in short dresses to the stand, where after the -usual exercises came the address; but of the -merits of this it becometh us not to speak. -Suffice it to say that the large audience of -fifteen hundred or two thousand persons -listened to us throughout with the most earnest -attention, and judging from their countenances<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</span> -the novelty of hearing a woman was -lost in the interest excited by the subject.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer’s toast at the dinner was as -follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“By Mrs. Bloomer: ‘<em>The Women of the -Revolution</em>. Although they toiled along with -the men of the Revolution for independence -and freedom yet they failed, when the struggle -was over, to secure an equality in those rights -and duties which are the common birthright of -all. May their daughters of the present generation -be more fortunate in their struggle for -rights so long withheld!’”</p> -</div> - -<p>After several sentences laudatory of her -hosts, Mrs. Bloomer continues:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“On our return home we were escorted as -far as Homer by our friends from Harford. -Homer is our native village, and as we had not -been there since the days of our childhood we -took advantage of our stay to stroll through -the place in quest of our old home around -which clustered many fond recollections. We -had no one to guide us in the search, but the -impressions left on our mind at six years of age -were so strong that we could not be mistaken.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</span> -The place was soon found and, though much -altered, it still retained enough of its former -likeness to enable us to identify it after an -absence of twenty-nine years. Emotions both -pleasurable and painful were awakened as we -gazed upon the spot where we first drew breath -and where we spent the early years of our life. -Scenes long since forgotten arose in memory as -clearly as though but yesterday enacted. Not -to the old home only has change come, to us -and ours Time has brought much of change and -somewhat of sorrow; yet upon us personally -has his hand rested lightly, to us he has imparted -kindness and blessing far more liberally -than sorrow. With saddened feelings we returned -to the hotel where we left our friends. -Here we were soon surrounded by those who -had known us in childhood and were intimate -friends of our parents. Somehow, they had -gotten notice of our being there and came forward -to offer congratulations and welcome us -back to our early home. Intercessions were -made for us to remain with them for the night -and give them a lecture, which we decided to -do. After bidding adieu to our kind friends -from Harford, who now turned their steps -homeward, we were escorted to the mansion of -William Sherman who with his estimable wife<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</span> -and family contributed largely to the pleasures -of our visit to Homer.</p> - -<p>“The Presbyterian church was at once opened -to us, and notice of the meeting circulated as -fully as possible in the brief time that remained -before the evening. The house though large -was densely filled with an attentive and intelligent -audience. On the earnest invitation of -a committee of gentlemen we remained over -another day and spoke in the same church on -the following evening, when the body of the -house and the large gallery were again as full -as could be comfortably seated. Though we -interspersed our lecture pretty freely with -woman’s rights, or rather we might say with -woman’s wrongs, no one seemed at all alarmed; -but, if we may believe the assertions of the -people, new trains of thought were awakened -and a most favorable impression made on the -minds of the community.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer then proceeded by stage to -Glen Haven where she received a most cordial -welcome from Dr. Jackson, and at his request:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We addressed the patients and other inmates -of the house in a large sitting room on -Thursday evening, and at his solicitation concluded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</span> -to accept the invitation of Judge Osborn, -of Scott, to return to that place and speak on -Friday evening, instead of returning home as -we had intended to do. Accordingly on Friday -evening we rode over to Scott, a distance of -three or four miles. The church in which the -meeting was held was densely filled, and we -could but wonder where all the people came -from in so small a place. Many warm though -strange friends gathered around us here, and -bade us a hearty God-speed in our mission. -They would have kept us for another night, -but home after a week’s absence was doubly -endeared to us and we could be detained no -longer; so we again took the stage for the -Glen on Saturday morning, and from thence -on steamboat and cars returned home on Saturday -evening. Altogether the excursion was a -delightful one and we have no cause to regret -that we were induced to accept the invitation -of our Harford friends to join with them in -celebrating the 77th anniversary of the birthday -of our National Independence.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>RESTING.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer’s activities during the year had -been so unremitting that she now needed rest.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</span> -Small in person and fragile in health, she had -been enabled to endure so much only by her -indomitable courage and the spirit of perseverance -which ever controlled all her actions. -This needed rest she therefore sought at Dr. -Jackson’s water cure, on the beautiful shores -of Skaneateles Lake. Here secluded from -public gaze she spent some weeks in retirement; -and yet not entirely so, for she was -there invited and consented to deliver her -lecture on Woman’s Enfranchisement to the -inmates of the cure.</p> - - -<h3>NEW LECTURES.</h3> - -<p>This lecture had been prepared during the -early months of the year and the closing -months of 1852. She delivered it on many -occasions in subsequent years in various parts -of the country, rewriting it several times in -whole or in part for that purpose. Towards -the closing years of her life she revised it once -more, fully setting forth her ideas and convictions -on the subject of woman suffrage; and in -this completed form it is printed in full in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</span> -Appendix of this work. It is believed to be -one of the strongest arguments that has ever -been written in favor of woman’s right to the -ballot. Mrs. Bloomer also prepared lectures on -woman’s right to employment and education as -fully in all respects as that enjoyed by the other -sex. These lectures, she delivered to audiences -in different parts of the country as occasion -offered. They were radical in their claims -for equality for woman in all the employments -and acquirements of life with man, for at that -time this claim was only just beginning to be -discussed. No colleges were then open to -women. No universities offered her the literary -advantages of their halls and lecture rooms, -and the general opinion was entertained among -the mass of the people that the three studies -of reading, writing and arithmetic were enough -for her. So also there was little for women to -do but to sew and stitch, and occasionally teach -school for wages far below those paid to men. -There were no women lawyers, no women -preachers, except among the Quakers, no typewriters, -no clerks in the stores, no public<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</span> -offices filled by women. Mrs. Bloomer in her -lectures insisted that all this was wrong. She -argued that the schoolroom, the workshop, -the public office, the lawyer’s forum and the -sacred desk should be opened to her sex on -entire equality with man. These were then -unpopular doctrines to promulgate either in -the public press or on the lecturer’s platform; -but Mrs. Bloomer was spared long enough to -see her rather radical ideas on this subject -brought into practical application, for at the -end of 1894 woman’s right to both education -and employment on an equality with man had -come to be almost universally recognized.</p> - - -<h3>A CLUB OF TALKERS.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer derived much mental culture -from attending the conversation-club which -had been organized through Mrs. Stanton’s -exertions and was led by her. It followed -largely the line of thought and action set forth -in the Life of Margaret Fuller Ossoli, published -about that time, who had conducted clubs of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</span> -like character some years before in Boston. It -met from time to time in the parlors of prominent -residents of the village and many questions -social, literary and even political were -freely discussed at its meetings, each member -being required to take some part in the conversation. -It was not exactly a ladies’ club, for -gentlemen also were invited to attend and did -so to some extent; but the attendance and -discussions were mainly confined to the other -sex. Mrs. Stanton was eminently qualified to -lead the club as she was and is a woman of -great general information, of large culture and -literary attainments, and an excellent talker. -Occasionally an essay was read by some member -previously appointed, and on the whole the -club added greatly to the mental attainments -of its members. Seneca Falls as a village was -noted at that time for its liberality in all reformatory -movements. It was the residence -of Mrs. Stanton, of Bascom, of Tellman, and -other leaders in liberal thought, to say nothing -of the Bloomers.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_SIXTH">CHAPTER SIXTH.</h2> -</div> - - -<h3>AT THE WORLD’S CONVENTION.</h3> - -<p>In September, Mrs. Bloomer attended the -two great temperance conventions held in that -month in the city of New York. During her -stay of ten days she was the guest of Mrs. L. -N. Fowler, where for the first time she met -her old correspondent, Mrs. Frances D. Gage, -between whom and Mrs. Bloomer there existed -for many years and until Mrs. Gage’s decease -the warmest friendship. She also here again -met her old co-laborers in temperance and -other reform work, Miss Lucy Stone and Miss -Antoinette L. Brown. When the World’s -Temperance Convention met in Metropolitan -Hall a most bitter wrangle at once commenced -over the question of admitting women to seats -in the convention, and after one or two days<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</span> -spent in its discussion it was decided in the -negative. The Whole World’s Temperance -Convention then followed, over which Rev. T. -W. Higginson presided. To this convention -both men and women were admitted as delegates, -and the proceedings throughout were -intensely interesting. A public meeting held in -the Tabernacle was interrupted to some extent -by a noisy demonstration whenever a man attempted -to speak, but the women were listened -to without interruption. Among the speakers -were Miss Stone, Miss Brown, Mrs. Gage, and -Wendell Phillips. Mrs. Bloomer was an intensely -interested participant in all these meetings, -and in a quiet way took part in them, -speaking briefly from the platform in Metropolitan -Hall. She also delivered a temperance -address in Broadway Tabernacle to a very large -audience, Miss Emily Clark and Mrs. Mary C. -Vaughan being the other speakers. While in -the city Mrs. Bloomer also attended the Crystal -Palace exhibition then open to the public. -It was a very interesting presentation of the -progress of the world up to that time in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</span> -several departments of human skill, industry -and the fine arts, but has been far exceeded in -extent and variety in subsequent years. One -of the curious things occurring at these gatherings -was a vegetarian banquet held in the Metropolitan -Hall in which, it was said by the -newspapers of the day, were gathered all the -reformers of every description then in the city. -The table was abundantly supplied with all -kinds of fruit and vegetable productions, but -every form of animal food was strictly excluded. -Some speeches were made; but, on the whole, -the affair was not esteemed a very great success. -On the following day Rev. Miss Brown -delivered a sermon from the platform in the -same hall to a fair congregation on that old -subject, “The exceeding sinfulness of sin.”</p> - -<p>Of the Whole World’s Temperance Convention -Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It was largely attended, and passed off -most happily. There were no old fogies present -to raise a disturbance and guy the speakers; -no questioning the right of each individual, -whether man or woman, to utter his thoughts<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</span> -on the great subject which they had met to -consider. All was peace and harmony and it -did the heart good to be there.</p> - -<p>“There were delegates present from some -twenty states and Canada and Europe, and a -more earnest and intelligent set of men and -women were never met together. We had the -pleasure of meeting and taking by the hand -many of our friends and co-workers to whom -though personally unknown we had long been -attached.</p> - -<p>“The time allotted to the convention was -too short to allow so full and free an interchange -of sentiment as was desirable. Many who had -come up hither with hearts burning with zeal -for the good cause, many from whom it would -have been pleasant and profitable to hear, were -obliged to forego the privilege of speaking on -account of the limited time which had been -fixed upon for the convention. The ‘whole -world’ could not possibly be heard in two days, -yet all appeared satisfied with the rich feast that -had been furnished them; and we trust that -those who were not heard in New York have -gone home strengthened and better prepared -to make themselves heard and their influence -felt in the coming contest.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</span></p> - -<p>Returning home Mrs. Bloomer issued another -number of her paper, and then with her husband -started on a Western trip. Of the first -part of this tour, Mrs. Bloomer herself gave -the following report:</p> - - -<h3>A WESTERN TRIP.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Columbus, Oct. 10, 1853. We reached -Cleveland about six o’clock on Sunday morning, -when we soon found our old friend C. E. -Wheeler and wife where we spent the few days -of our stay very pleasantly. We had heard -much of the beauty of Cleveland, but in this -respect I think it has not been overrated. It -is indeed a fine city full of life and enterprise. -The broad streets so nicely shaded give it an -appearance of health and comfort unlike that -of any other city I have ever visited. It is -rapidly growing in population and wealth, and -great numbers of fine buildings are now in process -of erection. It is destined ere long to -take rank in importance with any city in the -West.</p> - -<p>“On Monday evening, I addressed a large -and attentive audience at the Athenæum on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</span> -the subject of temperance and the Maine law. -The subject is attracting great attention in -this state this fall, and great efforts are being -made to secure the passage of a prohibitory -law at the next session of the legislature. Party -lines are set aside and the frowns and threats -of party leaders entirely disregarded in many -sections. This is the only true course to be -pursued, and I rejoice to see the men thus -breaking away from party shackles and earnestly -contending for the right.</p> - -<p>“Yesterday, the National Woman’s-Rights -Convention commenced its session. The attendance, -though respectable, was not large. -There are many here from abroad, and I should -judge the Northern states were well represented. -Mrs. F. D. Gage, our dear Aunt Fanny, is president. -I was prevented from attending the afternoon -session on account of having accepted -an invitation extended to me by the Temperance -Convention to repeat before that body -the address delivered on Monday evening at -the Athenæum. Gen. Gary, Dr. Jewitt, and -others of the great men were present. I was -rather disappointed in Dr. Jewitt; but I was -under the necessity of leaving before he finished -his speech, to meet another engagement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</span></p> - -<p>“The attendance at the Woman’s-Rights -Convention at the Melodeon, in the evening, -was very large. Mrs. Garrison read several -resolutions submitted by the business committee. -I followed with an address of about -three-quarters of an hour on woman’s right of -franchise, after which Lucretia Mott occupied -a half-hour or more in her usual happy and -interesting style of speech.</p> - -<p>“We next visited Mount Vernon, which is a -pleasant village of about 6,000 inhabitants, and -where I addressed the people on the Maine -law. There are four papers published here; -among them is the <em>Western Home Visitor</em>, -which is a reformatory paper of high character -and has a circulation of about four thousand -copies. Newart was our next stopping place. -It has a rather bad reputation for hard drinking, -but it has a division of the Sons of Temperance -which is doing good work. I judge there is a -considerable reform spirit here, also, from the -fact that the First Presbyterian church was -opened to me by the unanimous consent of the -trustees, that I might be heard on the Maine -law.</p> - -<p>“We arrived in this city on Saturday, and -stopped at the Niel House where the attendance -is excellent. Just opposite is the magnificent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</span> -state house in process of erection, which -when completed will be second in size and -grandeur only to the National Capitol at Washington. -I addressed a large audience on Saturday -evening on the Maine law, and this -evening I propose speaking again on intemperance -and the wrongs of woman. I had the -pleasure of a call from Mrs. Janney, secretary -of the Woman’s State-Temperance Society of -this state, from whom I learned that the society -is far less efficient than ours though it is slowly -gaining ground. The reason for this inefficiency -is doubtless the fact that its leaders are unwilling -to send out agents of their own sex to lecture -and gather funds to promote the cause. -To-morrow we leave here and travel westward.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>CONTINUES HER JOURNEY.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer then passed on to Richmond, -Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee. -Unfortunately, her own report of her visits to -these cities is lost and cannot be reproduced. -She remained one or two days in each of them, -and in each delivered one or two addresses,—certainly -two in Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee, -one on temperance and one on woman’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</span> -enfranchisement in each city. In all she was -favored with large audiences and listened to -with the closest attention, and highly favorable -notices of her lectures appeared in the newspapers -of all the cities visited. With the exception -of Lucy Stone, who had previously -spoken in some of them, she was up to that -time the first woman who had been heard on -the platform in the large towns of the great -West.</p> - -<p>But the journey, with all she did during its -continuance, was really beyond her strength -and she was very glad to return home the latter -part of the month and secure the rest she so -greatly needed. But she could not keep quiet, -and her pluck and perseverance enabled her to -go on with her work. The issues of the <em>Lily</em> -were resumed, and she was soon again in the -lecture field in reply to pressing invitations -from surrounding towns. Her last lecture, at -this time, in New York was delivered at the -courthouse in Ovid, in which beautiful town -some of the earlier years of her life had been -spent.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</span></p> - - -<h3>AN ANNOUNCEMENT—A REMOVAL.</h3> - -<p>The December number of the <em>Lily</em> contained -the following announcement:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Our husband having purchased an interest -in the <cite>Western Home Visitor</cite> published at -Mount Vernon, Ohio, and determined upon -moving to that place forthwith we, as a true -and faithful wife, are bound to say in the language -of Ruth ‘where thou goest, I will go’; -and so, before another number of the <em>Lily</em> -reaches its subscribers, we shall if all is well be -settled in our Western home.</p> - -<p>“This announcement, we are well aware, will -be an unpleasant surprise to many of our readers -and friends in this state; yet we trust that -our change of location will not be deemed by -them sufficient cause for deserting us. We go -but a short distance to the west. The <em>Lily</em> -will continue to be published and its character -will be in no wise changed. ‘Uncle Sam’ will -carry it as safely and regularly to the homes of -our friends as he has done heretofore, and also -convey all letters and remittances to us as safely -and securely in Ohio as in New York. Then, -friends, we pray you let not our change of -location affect our intercourse with each other;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</span> -but remember that, there as well as here, we -shall labor for the promotion of the great and -good cause to which we have devoted so many -years of our life. We look confidently to you -for that support and encouragement which you -have bestowed so liberally heretofore, and we -trust that your efforts in behalf of the <em>Lily</em> will -be increased rather than diminished.</p> - -<p>“We feel that it matters little in what part -of the vineyard we are placed, so we but improve -and cultivate to the best of our ability -the part assigned us. And this feeling bears -us up under the heart-sorrow occasioned by the -sundering of the many ties that bind us to -home and friends in our native state. We bid -farewell to all with an aching heart.</p> - -<p>“Yet our grief in parting with associations -so dear, is mingled with hope for the future. -We prefer to look on the bright side of every -picture, and to do what we can to render life’s -journey pleasant and happy rather than darken -and embitter it by mournings and grief. So -we will dash aside the tears, and school our -heart to bear with fortitude this the greatest -sorrow ever laid upon us; believing that it is -for our interest to take this step, though it be -so agonizing to part with those we love.</p> - -<p>“We go to seek a home among strangers,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</span> -not knowing what will be our reception, or -whether kindred spirits are there to gather -around and cheer our loneliness; but in this, -too, we have hope that we shall be met in the -same spirit of kindness which we bear with us.</p> - -<p>“We have never been pleased with the appearance -of our paper in folio form, and so -have determined to change it back to a quarto; -and we shall hope, with the increased facilities -which we shall have for printing it at Mount -Vernon, that <em>The Lily</em> will present a more -respectable appearance than it has done the -past year.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The removal of Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer from -Seneca Falls excited a good deal of interest, -as they had been many years residents of that -place and had taken an active part in the events -of village life. A public meeting was called -and largely attended by their friends and admirers, -at which speeches were made and a fine -supper served. A report of this gathering will -be given in full. The editor of the <cite>Courier</cite>, -Mr. Isaac Fuller, who had been intimately acquainted -with Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer for many -years, published the following article in his -paper:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</span></p> - - -<h3>A TESTIMONIAL.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“<em>The Lily.</em> This paper will hereafter be -published at Mount Vernon, Ohio, its editor -and proprietor having moved with her husband -to that place. Although we disapprove of some -of the measures advocated in the <em>Lily</em>, we part -with it and its worthy editor with sincere regret. -It is now five years since its publication -was commenced, and during the whole time -Mrs. Bloomer has had the entire direction of -it, both editorially and financially, displaying -talents and business qualifications possessed by -few of the gentler sex and which but few of -her friends were prepared to see her exhibit. -The ability and energy with which the <em>Lily</em> has -been conducted have attained for it a circulation -of over four thousand copies in different parts -of the Union, thus giving to our enterprising -village notoriety which it would not have otherwise -obtained. Our business engagements -with Mrs. Bloomer have been such as to give -us a knowledge of the facts above mentioned, -to which we add that she possesses in an eminent -degree, those social virtues which everywhere -command respect and which give value -to character in every position occupied by members -of refined society. We say this because<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</span> -we know that strangers are wont to consider -the editor of the <em>Lily</em> a coarse, unrefined woman -possessing few or none of the traits which adorn -the female character, and as cherishing a disregard -of the duties devolving upon woman in -the domestic relations of society; whereas just -the reverse is the fact. We hope the <em>Lily</em> will -lose none of its vitality from being transplanted, -and may its amiable editor enjoy a long and -happy life!”<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> -</div> - - -<h3>DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT TO MR. AND MRS. -BLOOMER.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“D. C. Bloomer, Esq., having made known -his intention to remove from the village where -he has resided for sixteen years past, the numerous -friends of himself and wife assembled by -appointment at Union Hall, on Tuesday evening -last, for the purpose of publicly testifying -their respect for them. The proceeding originated -with the Good Templars, a temperance -order to which Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer belong, -but was participated in by citizens of all classes. -The assemblage composed about equally of -both sexes was very large, numbering we should -judge from 400 to 500 persons. Five tables<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</span> -most bountifully spread and extending the -whole length of the hall were twice filled. -After the refreshments were disposed of C. -Salisbury, Esq., was called to the chair, and -speeches and toasts followed. Appropriate -and extended remarks were made by Gilbert -Wilcoxen, Esq., C. H. Reed, Esq., S. D. Tillman, -Esq., Rev. Mr. Fraly, and others. We -are not able to report what was said, but the -sentiments offered were highly complimentary -to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer, both of whom responded -in a very handsome manner. The -following resolutions were presented and passed -by a hearty and unanimous ‘aye’:</p> - -<p>“<em>Whereas</em> we have learned that our respected -friend and fellow-citizen, Dexter C. Bloomer, -and his wife, Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, are about -to remove from this village;</p> - -<p>“And <em>whereas</em> they have, during the long -period they have resided among us not only sustained -the character of good citizens, but have -been known as efficient and active workers in -the cause of temperance; therefore,</p> - -<p>“<em>Resolved</em> that we, the temperance men and -women of Seneca Falls here assembled on this -occasion, do tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer -our warmest and most sincere acknowledgments -for their faithful and devoted service in promoting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</span> -the noble work of redeeming the world from -the evils of intemperance.</p> - -<p>“<em>Resolved</em> that, as citizens of the village, we -also desire to tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer -an expression of the high regard we entertain -for them, and to bear our willing testimony to -the general esteem and respect in which they -are held by their neighbors and associates -among whom they have so long resided.</p> - -<p>“<em>Resolved</em> that, while we part with our friends -with sincere regret, our warmest wishes for -their future welfare will go with them to their -new home, and we shall always hear of their -prosperity with the greatest satisfaction.</p> - -<p>“The serious part of the proceedings having -been gotten along with, music and dancing -were introduced and the festivities were prolonged -to a late hour, when the assembly dispersed -and all retired to their homes with a -consciousness of having discharged their duty -to valued friends who were about removing -from their midst.</p> - -<p>“The whole of the proceedings passed off -most agreeably and pleasantly, and we regard -the affair as the very highest compliment that -could have been paid to those in whose honor -it was gotten up.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</span></p> - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> From <cite>Seneca County Courier</cite>, Dec. 1853.</p> - -</div> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_SEVENTH">CHAPTER SEVENTH.</h2> -</div> - - -<h3>AN ASSISTANT EDITOR.</h3> - -<p>On taking up her residence in Mount Vernon, -Mrs. Bloomer became assistant editor of -the <cite>Western Home Visitor</cite>, of which her husband -was editor and one of the proprietors. This -was a weekly family paper, having a large circulation -and printed in folio form on a large -sheet. It was devoted to educational progress -and all reformatory questions designed to advance -the interests of the community in which -it circulated. It advocated temperance and -sound morality, and its columns were filled -weekly with matter appropriate to be read in -the family circle. Its columns contained no -advertisements, and it depended for its support -solely on its patrons’ yearly subscriptions. We -give below Mrs. Bloomer’s salutatory, and also<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</span> -her first additional article on assuming her -position as assistant editor:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“<em>Salutatory.</em> Following the custom set to -me by my husband, I make my editorial bow -to the readers of the <cite>Visitor</cite>. I suppose it is -not necessary for me to enter into any detailed -account of myself, as the papers have already -done that for me. Neither do I suppose it -necessary to make any statements in regard to -my sentiments and principles, as they are already -generally well known to the public. -What I have been in the past, I expect to be -in the future,—an uncompromising opponent -of wrong and oppression in every form, and a -sustainer of the right and the true, with whatever -subject it may be connected. I have no -promises to make, preferring to stand uncommitted -and at liberty to write as the spirit -moves me, or as the circumstances of the case -may require. Having a separate organ of my -own independent of any other paper or person -through which I can speak forth my sentiments -on the great reform questions of the day, freely -and independently, I probably shall not introduce -into the columns of the <cite>Visitor</cite> anything -particularly obnoxious on those subjects; yet I -may frequently come in contact with old prejudices<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</span> -and bigoted notions, for it is impossible -for the free progressive spirit of the present day -to be bound by the opinion and prejudices of a -former age. I trust, however, that my readers -will bear with me and listen to me even though -they do not approve, and if I say anything -very bad, attribute it to my womanly folly or -ignorance. And, as it is but right that I should -bear whatever censure my doings may deserve, -I shall write over my own initials in all matters -of any moment. With this much for an introduction -I extend to you, readers of the <cite>Visitor</cite> -one and all, a cordial greeting, and wish you -not only a ‘Happy New-Year’ but that it may -prove happy and prosperous to you to its close.”</p> - -<p>“<em>Woman’s Right to Employment.</em> To woman -equally with man has been given the right to -labor, the right to employment for both mind -and body; and such employment is as necessary -to her health and happiness, to her mental and -physical development, as to his. All women -need employment, active, useful employment; -and if they do not have it, they sink down into a -state of listlessness and insipidity and become -enfeebled in health and prematurely old simply -because denied this great want of their nature. -Nothing has tended more to the physical and -moral degradation of the race than the erroneous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</span> -and silly idea that woman is too weak, too -delicate a creature to have imposed upon her -the more active duties of life,—that it is not -respectable or praiseworthy for her to earn a -support or competence for herself.</p> - -<p>“We see no reason why it should be considered -disreputable for a woman to be usefully -employed, while it is so highly respectable for -her brother; why it is so much more commendable -for her to be a drone, dependent on the -labors of others, than for her to make for herself -a name and fortune by her own energy and -enterprise. A great wrong is committed by -parents toward their daughters in this respect. -While their sons as they come to manhood are -given some kind of occupation that will afford -not only healthy exercise of the body and mind -but also the means of an honorable independence, -the daughters are kept at home in -inactivity and indolence, with no higher object -in life than to dress, dance, read novels, gossip, -flirt and ‘set their caps’ for husbands. How -well the majority of them are fitted to be the -companions and mothers of men, every day’s -history will tell.</p> - -<p>“Certainly, our girls would be far better and -happier than now if they were educated and -encouraged to occupy their hands and minds<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</span> -in some useful business occupation; and parents -do a great injustice to their daughters when -they doom them to a life of idleness or, what -is worse, to a life of frivolity and fashionable -dissipation.</p> - -<p>“It was said by a distinguished clergyman -of one who had passed away from earth, ‘She -ate, she drank, she slept, she dressed, she danced -and she died.’ Such may be truly said to be -the history of many women of the present day. -They eat, they drink, they sleep, they dress, -they dance and at last die, without having accomplished -the great purposes of their creation. -Can woman be content with this aimless, -frivolous life? Is she satisfied to lead a mere -butterfly existence, to stifle and crush all aspirations -for a nobler destiny, to dwarf the intellect, -deform the body, sacrifice the health -and desecrate all the faculties which the -Almighty Father has given her and which He -requires her to put to good use and give an -account thereof to Him? While all other -created things both animal and vegetable perform -their allotted parts in the universe of -being, shall woman, a being created in God’s -own image, endowed with reason and intellect, -capable of the highest attainments and destined -to an immortal existence, alone be an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</span> -idler, a drone, and pervert the noble faculties -of her being from the great purposes for which -they were given?</p> - -<p>“It will not always be thus; the public mind -is undergoing a rapid change in its opinion of -woman and is beginning to regard her sphere, -rights and duties in altogether a different light -from that in which she has been viewed in past -ages. Woman herself is doing much to rend -asunder the dark veil of error and prejudice -which has so long blinded the world in regard -to her true position; and we feel assured that, -when a more thorough education is given to -her and she is recognized as an intelligent -being capable of self-government, and in all -rights, responsibilities and duties man’s equal, -we shall have a generation of women who will -blush over the ignorance and folly of the present -day.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - -<p>And for six months thereafter, the <cite>Visitor</cite> -contained nearly every week one or more -articles from her pen. Some were on temperance, -some on woman’s “fads” and foibles of -that day. She aimed to sustain every good<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</span> -word and deed and to rebuke vice in all its -forms.</p> - -<p>Of course she did not escape criticism in -prosecuting her work. Especially, people at -that early day would not listen quietly to her -severe analysis of the laws bearing upon the -legal rights of women. They sometimes -denied her positions, and at other times doubted -the wisdom of the changes which she advocated. -Between her and the editor of another -paper published in the city, quite an extended -controversy arose which ran through several -numbers of their respective papers, Mrs. -Bloomer sustained her side of the debate with -numerous quotations from legal writers, and -she had the satisfaction of seeing her position -substantially admitted by her opponents.</p> - - -<h3>PROSPERITY OF THE <em>LILY</em>.</h3> - -<p>But Mrs. Bloomer’s attention and time were -given chiefly to the <em>Lily</em>, the publication of -which in her new home was commenced on -the first of January. Printed in new type on -a steam press, it presented a very neat and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</span> -handsome appearance. The people of the -state were greatly pleased with its removal to -their limits and new subscriptions came in -with surprising rapidity; its semi-monthly issue -soon reached over six thousand copies. Mrs. -Bloomer was greatly encouraged by these -signs of approval and renewed her exertions -and labors to make the <em>Lily</em> in all respects acceptable -to its many friends. She wrote from -one to three pages each week of original matter -for its pages, and was aided at the same time -by numerous correspondents. She continued -to write continuously in advocacy of temperance, -making that the leading object of her -work, but she also wrote for woman’s advancement -in all the fields of honest endeavor. She -asked for her plenty of work and good pay; -she insisted that to her should be opened every -educational institution; and she demanded for -her also the right of suffrage as her inalienable -right. Some extracts from her editorials will -follow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</span></p> - - -<h3>ENFRANCHISEMENT OF WOMAN.</h3> - -<p>Replying to and commenting upon an article -on an alleged corruption in the state legislature, -Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Where then shall the remedy for purifying -and healing the nation be found? We answer, -in the education and enfranchisement of woman! -Loose the chains that bind her to the condition -of a dependent, a slave to passion and the -caprices of men. Open for her the doors of -our colleges and universities and bid her enter. -Hold up before her a pattern for womanly greatness -and excellence, and bid her to occupy the -same high positions held by her brothers. -Teach her to aspire to that true knowledge -that should fit her to become the future mother -and teacher of statesmen and rulers. Resign to -her control the children committed to her care, -and bid her guard them from all temptation -and danger that threaten to assail them both -at home and abroad. Restore to her her -heaven-born right of self-government, and -give her a voice in making the laws which are -to govern for good or evil the actions and -sentiments of society at large. Let <em>her</em> say<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</span> -whether the grogshop, the gaming house and -the brothel shall be suffered to open wide their -doors to entice her sons to ruin. Let her say -whether man shall have power to override -virtue and sobriety and send the minions of -evil into our halls of legislation to make laws -for the people. Let her say whether we shall -have a Maine Law, and whether such a law -shall be observed and enforced——Do this, -and we shall soon see a great change wrought -in society and in the character of our rulers! -Our only hope for the future of our country -lies in the elevation of woman physically, -mentally, socially and politically, and in the -triumph of the principles which lie at the -foundation of the so-called ‘Woman’s Rights’ -reform.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S RIGHT.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Woman <em>has</em> a right to vote for civil officers, -to hold offices, and so rule over men. If any -law against it exists in the Bible, it has been -overruled by divine sanction. Deborah ruled -Israel forty years and, instead of being told -she was out of her sphere, that she had usurped -authority over men, we are assured that she -was highly approved and that she ruled wisely<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</span> -and well. No one calls in question the right -of Queen Victoria to rule over her kingdom -notwithstanding there are some men in it; nor -do we believe, if she is a wise and faithful -sovereign, that she will be condemned at the -last great day for thus ruling over men. -What was right for Deborah was right for Queen -Victoria. If it is right for Victoria to sit on -the throne of England it is right for any -American Woman to occupy the Presidential -Chair at Washington. All that is needed is -votes enough to elevate her to that post of -honor and of trust and sufficient ability to discharge -its duties. Of the latter requisite, judging -from some of those who have already occupied -that seat, no great amount is demanded.”</p> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S CLAIM.</h3> - -<p>“A correspondent asks what it is that we -and other advocates of woman’s rights want?</p> - -<p>“We answer, we claim all the rights guaranteed -by the Constitution of the United States -to the citizens of the republic. We claim to -be one-half of the people of the United States, -and we deny the right of the other half to -disfranchise us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</span></p> - - -<h3>DESTROYING LIQUOR.</h3> - -<p>“We hold in all honor the names of those -noble women of Mount Vernon who, a few -years ago, boldly entered the rumshop and -gambling house and poured out the liquors and -destroyed the implements wherewith their -husbands and brothers had been at once -robbed of their reason and their money, and -converted into dupes and madmen. And we -believe, if the same spirit now dwelt in the -hearts of all the women of this beautiful city, -that every rumshop would soon be closed, no -matter whether legislators or councilmen passed -ordinances or not. Woman has neither made -nor consented to laws which leave her, and her -children, at the mercy of heartless rumsellers -and she should never submit to them. She has -a right—nay, it is her duty—to arise in -her own defense and in the defense of the souls -entrusted to her keeping and insist that, either -with or without law, the destroyer shall be driven -from the land. And if men have not the courage -to boldly attack the foe, then let woman -meet him face to face and never retire from the -contest till she can do so as a victor. Horace -Mann tells that woman may with propriety go -into the dark lanes and alleys of our great<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</span> -cities and endeavor to conquer men to virtue. -If it be proper for her to visit such haunts of -iniquity on such an errand, it would be far more -praiseworthy for her to apply her efforts to -remove the cause which produces vice and -crime.”</p> - - -<h3>GOLDEN RULES FOR WIVES.</h3> - -<p>“Faugh, on such twaddle! ‘Golden rules -for wives’—‘duty of wives’—how sick we are -at the sight of such paragraphs! Why don’t -our wise editors give us now and then some -‘golden rules’ for husbands, by way of variety? -Why not tell us of the promises men make at -the altar, and of the injunction ‘Husbands, love -your wives as your own selves’? ‘Implicit -submission of a man to his wife is disgraceful -to both, but implicit obedience of the wife to -the will of the husband is what she promised -at the altar.’ So you say! What nonsense! -what absurdity! what downright injustice! A -disgrace for a man to yield to the wishes of his -wife, but an honor for a wife to yield implicit -obedience to the commands of her husband, -be he good or bad, just or unjust, a kind husband -or a tyrannical master! Oh! how much -of sorrow, of shame and unhappiness have such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</span> -teachings occasioned. Master and slave! Such -they make the relationship existing between -husband and wife; and oh, how fearfully has -woman been made to feel that he who promised -at the altar to love, cherish and protect her is -but a legalized master and tyrant! We deny -that it is any more her duty to make her husband’s -happiness her study than it is his business -to study her happiness. We deny that it -is woman’s duty to love and obey her husband, -unless he prove himself worthy of her love and -unless his requirements are just and reasonable. -Marriage is a union of two intelligent, immortal -beings in a life partnership, in which each -should study the pleasure and the happiness of -the other and they should mutually share the -joys and bear the burdens of life.”</p> - - -<h3>THE CLERGY.</h3> - -<p>“It is too true that the majority of this class -of men stand aloof from the humanitarian -questions of the day, and exert their influence to -prejudice their people against them and to -prevent their hearing the truth; yet it is not -less true that there are among them many -warm-hearted, earnest and true men; and for -this reason the charges brought by reformers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</span> -should be limited. We find that it is with -clergymen as with other people; there are some -very open and liberal, and others very conservative -and bigoted. Some would think it a -desecration to allow a woman to lecture in their -church, while others not only freely offer their -church for temperance, but also for woman’s-rights -lectures. Some think it an abomination -for women to speak in public on any subject, -while others wish that there were a hundred to -take the platform in behalf of temperance where -there is but one now. We have discussed -temperance and woman’s rights in numerous -churches and have had clergymen for our listeners. -While we would by no means excuse -those who so coldly and scornfully turn away -from the woman question and its discussion, -yet we feel unwilling to see the more liberal -classed with them and subjected to censure. -We know of no other course for reformers to -pursue, but to be sure they are right and then -‘go ahead’ without regard to the opposition of -the clergy or any other class of men.”</p> - - -<h3>MALE BLOOMERS.</h3> - -<p>“Under this head, many of our brother -editors are aiming their wit and ridicule at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</span> -those gentlemen who have donned the <em>shawl</em> -as a comfortable article of wearing apparel in -cold weather. There is a class of men who -seem to think it their especial business to superintend -the wardrobes of both men and women, -and if any dare to depart from their ideas of -propriety they forthwith launch out all sorts -of witticisms and hard names, and proclaim -their opinions, their likes and dislikes, with all -the importance of authorized dictators. As to -the shawl, it would be well if it could be banished -from use entirely, as it is an inconvenient -and injurious article of apparel, owing to its -requiring both hands to keep it on and thereby -tending to contract the chest and cause stooping -shoulders. But, if worn at all, men have -the same right to it that women have. If they -find it convenient that is enough, and no one -has a right to object to their wearing it because -women wear shawls. Indeed, we think the -shawl of right belongs to men as it answers so -well to the description of the garment prescribed -for them in Deut., xxii. 12: ‘Thou shalt -make thee fringes upon the four quarters of -thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thyself.’ -True, men have departed from this injunction -in former years, and resigned to women the -dress prescribed for themselves and worn by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</span> -their fathers in olden times. But that is no -reason why they should not resume it.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMEN MECHANICS.</h3> - -<p>It having been stated that a woman in New -Jersey had made a carriage, Mrs. Bloomer comments -as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“This is told as though it were something -wonderful for women to have mechanical -genius when, in fact, there are thousands all -over the country who could make as good mechanics -and handle tools with as much skill and -dexterity as men, if they were only allowed to -manifest their skill and ingenuity. A girl’s -hands and head are formed very much like -those of a boy; and, if put to a trade at the -age when boys are usually apprenticed, our -word for it she will master her business quite -as soon as the boy at the same trade, be the -trade what it may. Women have taste and -ingenuity for something besides washing dishes -and sewing on buttons, and so people will -find out some day, hard as it is now to believe -it.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</span></p> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S DRESS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Our counsel to every woman is, wear what -pleases you best. Pursue a quiet and independent -course in the matter, turning neither -to the right nor the left to enquire who is pleased -or displeased; and, if others do not see fit to -keep you company by patterning their dress -after yours, you will at least be left in the -peaceable enjoyment of your own comfortable -attire, and real friends will value you according -to your worth, and not according to the length -of your train.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMEN DRUNKARDS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Pity the law couldn’t be brought to bear -upon a few more respectable lady drunkards—and -respectable gentlemen drunkards, too—and -shut them in a dungeon till they could -learn in what real respectability consists! The -so-called ‘respectable ladies,’ the upper-ten -drunkards, are in our view decidedly vulgar, -and should be classed in public estimation with -the drunken occupant of the shanty or the frequenter -of the low drunkery. They are even -worse than these, for their influence is much -greater.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</span></p> - - -<h3>PROGRESS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The signs of the times cheer on the honest -true-hearted laborers in this cause to greater -devotion in the work in which they are engaged. -They point to a triumph in the future, to the -coming of that brighter day when the mists of -ignorance and barbarism that have so long -rested upon the life and hopes of women will -be dispelled, and when justice and right will -bear sway. For be it remembered that these -things point, as unerringly as does the needle -to the pole, to the wider and fuller emancipation -yet in store for our sex, to the acknowledgment -of her civil as well as her social and -legal rights. And that this end will be achieved -we believe to be as certain as that time will -continue to roll on in its course and humanity -continue to struggle against selfishness, bigotry -and wrong in whatever form they may present -themselves.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>SEWING MACHINES.</h3> - -<p>The question having been asked Mrs. -Bloomer, What will women do now sewing -machines are coming into use? she replied as -follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It will be no strange thing to see, within -a few years, women merchants, women bookkeepers, -women shoemakers, women cabinetmakers, -women jewelers, women booksellers, -typesetters, editors, publishers, farmers, physicians, -preachers, lawyers. Already there are -some engaged in nearly or quite all these occupations -and professions; and, as men crowd -them out of their old places, the numbers will -increase. It is well that it is so. Woman has -long enough stitched her health and life away, -and it is merciful to her that sewing machines -have been invented to relieve her of her toilsome, -ill-paid labor, and to send her forth into -more active and more lucrative pursuits where -both body and mind may have the exercise -necessary to health and happiness. Men are -aiding to forward the woman’s-rights movement -by crowding women out of their old -places. Women will be the gainers by the -change, and we are glad to see them forced to -do what their false education and false delicacy -have prevented their doing in the past.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>GOVERNOR SEYMOUR’S VETO.</h3> - -<p>A Maine Law, having passed the New<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</span> -York legislature, was vetoed by the governor; -on which Mrs. Bloomer commented as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The news of this treacherous act on the -part of the governor was celebrated by the -liquor party with firing of cannon, bonfires and -illuminations, with shouts of rejoicing and -drunken revelry. The devils in hell must have -rejoiced, while the angels in heaven must have -wept, over the scene. And how was it in the -home of the drunkard? Ah, who can picture -the agony and despair, the wailing and agonizing -prayers that went forth from the hearts of -the poor stricken women who saw all their -hopes of deliverance thus dashed to the earth -and themselves and famishing babes consigned -to hopeless degradation and misery! While -those who are called their protectors, and those -who are heaping upon them every injury and -killing them inch by inch, are enjoying their -fiendish orgies, those poor sorrowing ones sit -desolate and heart-broken in their dreary -cellar and garret homes bowed with shame and -anguish. Would that the man who has -wrought all this sorrow and wretchedness -could be made to behold the work!”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</span></p> - - -<h3>FIGHTING HER WAY.</h3> - -<p>Referring to a strike in a Philadelphia printing -office because two women had been employed -as typesetters, Mrs. Bloomer wrote:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Thus we see that woman has to fight her -way as it were at every step. Her right to -employment is denied, no matter how great -her wants, unless she find it in the limited -sphere prescribed to our sex by custom and -prejudice. Yet we rejoice that there are men -who are sufficiently liberal to open to her, here -and there, a wider field for her industry, and -who will see justice done her even though -themselves are for a time inconvenienced -thereby. Let not women be discouraged by -such hostile manifestations on the part of men, -but rather let them press forward until they -break down every barrier which is raised to -obstruct their advancement; and if they are -but true to themselves, they will come off -victorious and thenceforth find their way to -every lucrative employment clear before -them.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM.</h3> - -<p>During Mrs. Bloomer’s year of residence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</span> -in Ohio, she received a great many invitations -to deliver her lectures. Some of these -she accepted. The first one was at Zanesville; -and, although she stated in giving a report of -it that she had been told she would meet with -only a cold reception, yet she declared she had -never found warmer friends or was treated -with greater respect than at that place. “My -lecture was listened to by a very large and attentive -audience; indeed, all who came were -not able to get within the doors. Judging -from the expressions after the meeting, people -were well satisfied with the lecture on woman’s -rights. I was earnestly requested to lecture -again in the evening; but as I had made -an appointment in Columbus to-night, I was -under the necessity of declining.” And substantially -the same report might have been -made as to all lectures delivered in different -parts of the state. But she did not confine her -work on the platform to Ohio only. During -the summer she visited Indiana, also, and was -listened to by large meetings held in Richmond -and other towns.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</span></p> - -<p>Of some of her experiences in her lecture -tours, Mrs. Bloomer gave the following -report:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“At M. I lectured by Invitation before a -young men’s literary society. No price was -fixed upon in advance, and I expected but little; -but having been told that no lecturer, -unless it was Horace Mann who preceded me, -had drawn so large a house and put so much -money in the treasury, when they asked me how -much they should pay me I said, ‘You say I -have done as well for you, and even better -than did Horace Mann, pay me what you paid -him and it will be right.’ I think they were a -little surprised that a woman should ask as -much as a man; but seeing the justice of my -demand, they paid it without a word. At that -day lecturers were more poorly paid than since, -and for a woman to have the same pay for -the same work as a man was no doubt a new -idea to them. At Z. a gentleman invited me -and made all other arrangements. On my -arrival there he called on me and said that -some society, thinking that money would be -made by my lecture, were talking of seeing me -on my arrival and arranging with me for a certain -sum and they would take the balance.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</span> -He advised me to have nothing to do with -them if they should propose it, as I could just -as well have the whole. Men were so accustomed -to getting the services of women for -little or nothing, that they seemed jealous -when one got anything like the money that -would cheerfully be paid to men for the same -service.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>AT THE OHIO STATE CONVENTION.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer attended the meeting of the -Ohio Woman’s State-Temperance Society, held -at Columbus early in January, and took an -active part in its proceedings. She was elected -its corresponding secretary, and was a member -of the committee which proceeded to the State -Capitol and presented a petition to each branch -of the legislature then in session asking for the -enactment of stringent prohibitory laws. Not -being entirely satisfied with the regular report -of the committee on resolutions, she offered -a series on her own responsibility. These declared -in substance, that the redemption of our -race from the manifold evils of intemperance -is of greater importance than the triumph of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</span> -any political party; that the question must go -to the ballot-box for final settlement; that, as -men regard women as weak and dependent -beings, women ask protection at their hands; -and that it should be their duty to make themselves -acquainted with woman’s sentiments on -this great question, and honestly carry them -out. In support of the resolutions, she said she -considered many of the temperance men really -responsible for the protracted rum interest. -They were so wedded to party that they heeded -not their duty to the welfare and morals of -society. In spite of all that had been done, -the cause lingers and the rumsellers and manufacturers -triumph. The temperance men are -to blame for not acting consistently or independently -for the cause. They will not act together -as for a paramount interest; they do not -strike the nail on the head. It is useless to -dally thus from year to year and not strike a -blow to tell upon the evil and the curse. The -resolutions, after discussion, were unanimously -adopted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</span></p> - - -<h3>A WOMAN TYPESETTER.</h3> - -<p>Fully believing that she should carry out in -practice what she advocated in theory, Mrs. -Bloomer secured early in the spring the services -of Mrs. C. W. Lundy, of New York, as typesetter; -previously to coming to Mount Vernon, -she had had three months’ experience in the -work. The fact of her employment and coming -into the office was freely talked of in the -presence of the employees, all of whom were -men, and no word of dissent or disapproval, to -Mrs. Bloomer’s knowledge, was expressed. It -was agreed that her employee should receive -all necessary instructions from Mr. Higgins -himself, he being a practical printer, or from -the men engaged in the office. It was soon -seen that the men employed in typesetting, -and especially the foreman, looked with disfavor -on the movement and by various uncourteous -acts and remarks endeavored to -make the situation an unpleasant one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</span></p> - - -<h3>A STRIKE FOLLOWED.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer herself gave the following report -of this strike of the male typesetters. -After alluding to the employment of Mrs. -Lundy and her introduction into the printing -office of the <cite>Home Visitor</cite>, she proceeds:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Nothing, however, occurred of sufficient -magnitude for us to notice till the fourteenth -of last month. On that day, in the absence of -both Mr. Bloomer and Mr. Higgins, Mrs. Lundy -asked our opinion in relation to the proper -indention of a piece of poetry which she was -at work upon. As we are not a printer, we -could only give a guess at its correctness; so -we advised her to step into the other room and -ask one of the men about it. She did so, and -directly returned saying they refused to give -the desired information. We went directly in -and asked an explanation of their conduct; -when all hands, with the foreman of the office -as leader, avowed their determination not to -work in an office with or give instruction to -a <em>woman</em>. And, further, they said they had -drawn up a paper to that effect which had been -signed by all the printers in town. The foreman<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</span> -also defied us to find a printer in Ohio -who would give instructions to a woman.</p> - -<p>“This was placing us in a ‘fix,’ truly. We -must do one of two things: either break our -word with Mrs. L. and sacrifice our preferences -and principles, or else the place of these men -must be supplied by others who were more -gentlemanly and who did not despise the efforts -of woman to place herself in a position -where by her own talents and industry she -could earn for herself an honorable independence. -The question was at once decided in -our mind, and we knew well that in their decision -we should be sustained by the proprietors -of the <cite>Visitor</cite>. We took the first opportunity -to acquaint Mr. Higgins with the state -of affairs; and, on Mr. Bloomer’s return the -next day, we also informed him how things -stood. They then repaired to the <cite>Visitor</cite> office -and held a long conference with their workmen, -telling them it was not their intention to employ -women to set the type of the <cite>Visitor</cite>, but -that Mrs. L. would remain and work on the -<em>Lily</em>, and that they should expect of them that -they should give her all the instructions she -might need in her work. If they would do -this willingly and cheerfully, well; if not, they -might consider themselves discharged. They<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</span> -would not yield to such an arbitrary rule on -the part of those in their employ. To this, the -printers replied that they were firm in their -resolutions and would not depart from them; -whereupon all hands took up their march out -of the office.</p> - -<p>“This action on the part of the printers has -resulted in the employment of women to set -the type for the <cite>Visitor</cite>. Three women were -at once engaged for that purpose. A journeyman -was immediately procured from Columbus, -and other help has since been engaged; so that -the proprietors have been enabled to get out -their paper regularly, without acceding to the -unreasonable demands of the printers of Mount -Vernon.</p> - -<p>“We have removed our <em>Lily</em> cases into the -<cite>Visitor</cite> office, and now the work on both papers -is done in the same room, four women and -three men working together peaceably and -harmoniously. It does our heart good to see -the happy change which has been wrought in -the office by the attempt to crush woman’s -efforts in her own behalf. The moral atmosphere -has been purified, and superciliousness -has given place to friendly and cheerful intercourse.”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</span></p> - - -<h3>LUCY STONE APPEARS.</h3> - -<p>While Mrs. Bloomer’s troubles with her printers -were under way, Miss Lucy Stone visited -the city and gave an address on “Woman and -Her Employment.” Mrs. Bloomer says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“This happened most fortunately in the -midst of the excitement about our difficulties -in our office, and her words were like soothing -oil on the troubled waters. It seemed as -though an overruling Providence had directed -her steps hitherward to allay the excitement -and to subdue the angry feelings, to plead the -cause of womanhood, to proclaim the eternal -principles of justice and right; and she was in -a great degree successful. We have heard no -word of dissatisfaction or disapproval, but on -the contrary all were highly pleased with her -remarks, and we trust those who heard her are -wiser and better for having listened to her.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>A VISIT TO NEW YORK STATE.</h3> - -<p>During the summer, Mrs. Bloomer visited -her former home at Seneca Falls, N. Y., where -she received a very warm welcome from her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</span> -many co-workers and friends of former days. -Writing home to the <cite>Visitor</cite>, she says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Seneca Falls! There is a charm in that -word, D——, that will ever arrest our attention -and awaken an interest whenever and wherever -we may see or hear it. So many years of our -lives have been spent here, and so intimate and -dear are many associations connected with the -place and the people, that they can never be -forgotten however attractive or absorbing may -be the future events and associations of life’s -journey. You will feel a thrill of pleasure, not -unmixed with sadness, when you know that I -am again on the spot thus endeared to memory, -and again surrounded by those with whom we -have long held social and business intercourse. -Would that you were with me here for a little -time, would that you could walk with me again -the streets so often trod by us, and note with -me the changes that a few months have -wrought! Would that you could see face to -face the friends of old, and receive the hearty -grasp of the hand which would meet you at -almost every step, and above all that you could -gaze with me upon our dear cottage home -which we took so much pleasure in improving -and beautifying and in which we found so much<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</span> -real enjoyment! I can hardly realize that it is -not my home still, that I should not if I passed -within find everything as of old, and you to -welcome my return.—A. B.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>AT THE NEW YORK STATE CONVENTION.</h3> - -<p>While in New York, Mrs. Bloomer went to the -second annual meeting of the Woman’s State-Temperance -Society held at Utica on the 7th day -of June. It was largely attended, and was presided -over by Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan who made -an able and eloquent opening address. Great interest -prevailed among the temperance workers -in the state at that time, owing to the veto by -Gov. Seymour of a prohibitory liquor law which -had passed the legislature. Various resolutions -bearing upon this subject, and upon the -reasons assigned by the governor for his action, -were offered and discussed. One resolution, -aimed at the use of tobacco as a fruitful cause -of drunkenness and of injury to the boys and -young men of the country, was also offered; -on this, Mrs. Bloomer took the floor and -spoke as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“She said the resolution under consideration -seemed to her one of great importance. The -tendency to this vice in the young boys of the -day cannot escape the attention of any observing -mind; if one may believe the statements of -some of the best physicians of the country in -relation to the use of tobacco, it is a fruitful -source of disease and crime. That it creates a -thirst, is admitted by those who use it; and -that thousands are led to quench that thirst in -the intoxicating bowl, is a truth that cannot be -denied. One of these poisons seems to imply -and call for the other. Tobacco comes first in -order, alcohol follows.</p> - -<p>“In view of these facts, what must we anticipate -from the boys of our country who -have so early become addicted to the use of -the weed? Is there not fear that their future -career will be an inglorious one, and that they -will be led to slake the unnatural thirst which -tobacco has occasioned in the cup? Does not -this thought call loudly to the parents to look -well to the habits of their sons, to fathers to -set them an example of virtue and sobriety by -themselves abstaining from the use of the filthy -weed, and to both fathers and mothers by -their wise commands and counsels to lead<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</span> -them to hate and shun the vice as they would -that of its twin brother, drunkenness?</p> - -<p>“It is a mournful truth that too many parents -regard the tendency to evil on the part of -their sons with indifference, as an innocent -harmless habit. They seem to think it a matter -of course that they should grow up filthy -tobacco chewers and smokers; and hence we -see little fellows who have hardly escaped from -their frocks smoking the cigar or long pipe in -perfect imitation of their elders, and this, too, -without reproach or warning from those who -should teach them better. The practice if followed -will prove ruinous to health, if no more -terrible results follow. Parents should take -this into consideration and act accordingly, as -they value the future happiness of their children.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Of this New York Convention, Mrs. Bloomer -on returning home wrote for the <em>Lily</em> as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The meeting passed off most happily and -we trust it will be productive of great good to -the cause. The officers and agents of the -society, with one or two exceptions, were present. -The report of the executive committee -and the treasurer show the society to be in as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</span> -prosperous a condition, if not even more prosperous -than at its annual meeting one year ago. -A determination was manifested on the part of -all to go forward in the work so long as their -efforts were needed. Five or six agents have -been in the field during the year, and their collections -have amounted to nearly two thousand -dollars. This money has been expended for -the good of the cause. One of the agents told -us that she had lectured one hundred and fourteen -times since last October. This shows an -amount of labor expended in the cause equal to, -if not exceeding, that given by any man in the -state. Altogether, the convention was highly -interesting and pleasant and it afforded us -much pleasure to be present at its meetings.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>GOOD TEMPLARS IN OHIO.</h3> - -<p>During the year the temperance order of -Good Templars was introduced into the state -and its lodges established in several of its cities -and villages, so that towards the close of the -year a state grand-lodge was organized at -Alliance. The first lodge was instituted at -Conneat, and the second at Mount Vernon.</p> - -<p>This latter lodge was called Star of Hope<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</span> -lodge, and soon numbered among its members -many of the leading Temperance men and -women of the city. Mrs. Bloomer, for reasons -already given, took great interest in the spread -of this order. For that purpose she visited different -parts of the state, and also several towns -in Indiana, in some of which she instituted -lodges, special authority having been given her -for that purpose. She also occupied a prominent -position in her home lodge, and had the -pleasure as presiding officer of assisting to initiate -into its mysteries Hon. William Windom, -afterwards Secretary of the Treasury, and Hon. -William F. Sapp, both of whom were residents -of Mount Vernon, together with other prominent -citizens. It cannot be doubted that the -institution of this lodge, together with Mrs. -Bloomer’s labors in the cause, had a controlling -influence in the temperance work in Mount -Vernon during the year 1854.</p> - -<p>On leaving Mount Vernon, in December, -Mrs. Bloomer published the following card:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</span></p><div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Star of Hope lodge in this city continues -to prosper. Its members now exceed 150 and -are constantly increasing. Its weekly meetings, -which are very fully attended, are deeply interesting -and we hope are productive of great -good to the cause. Our association with the -members of this lodge has been pleasant and -agreeable, and we shall part with them with -real regret. Our wish and prayer is that Star -of Hope lodge may long continue to hold its -weekly meetings, and that its members may -never falter in unwavering fidelity to their -pledges. When far away we shall often refer -to hours spent in their lodge-room during the -last year as among the pleasantest passed in -Mount Vernon.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>THE <em>LILY</em> SOLD.</h3> - -<p>But another change now came to Mrs. -Bloomer. Her husband in July had sold out -his interest in the <cite>Western Home Visitor</cite> to his -partner, Mr. E. A. Higgins, and both his connection -and that of Mrs. Bloomer with the -<cite>Visitor</cite> then ceased, except that the former -continued to aid Mr. Higgins for a few months -in its editorial management. This, of course, -made no change in the publication of the <em>Lily</em>.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</span> -In September, Mr. Bloomer made an extensive -tour in the West proceeding as far as western -Iowa and Nebraska. After looking the ground -carefully over, he determined to locate at -Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River, in Iowa, -and made purchases of property at that place. -In relation to this change of residence and the -disposition of the <em>Lily</em>, Mrs. Bloomer in reply to -a statement that her paper had died of “fun -poked at it” wrote in 1890 as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“My husband after leaving the <cite>Visitor</cite> determined -on locating in this far-away city -(Council Bluffs), then three hundred miles beyond -a railroad. There were no facilities for -printing and mailing a paper with so large a -circulation as mine, except a hand press and a -stagecoach, and so it seemed best for me to -part with the <em>Lily</em>. Finding a purchaser in -Mrs. Mary A. Birdsall, of Richmond, Indiana, -I disposed of the paper to her and it was removed -to that city. Mrs. Birdsall published it -for two or three years and then suffered it to -go down, from what cause I never knew. But -this much is true, it did not die of ‘fun poked -at it.’ It had long outlived fun and ridicule<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</span> -and was highly respected and appreciated by -its thousands of readers. It had done its work, -it had scattered seed that had sprung up and -borne fruit a thousandfold. Its work can never -die. You say rightly that the <em>Lily</em> was the -pioneer journal in the Northwest for woman’s -enfranchisement. Other journals have taken -its place, and the movement has gone steadily -forward and nears its final triumph.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The above was written about 1890.</p> - - -<h3>SHE IS SORRY.</h3> - -<p>In announcing the change in her residence -and the transfer of the <em>Lily</em> to Mrs. Birdsall, at -Richmond, Ind., Mrs. Bloomer wrote among -other matters connected with the change as -follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“We have deeply cherished <em>The Lily</em>, and -we have been greatly cheered by the daily -evidence we have had of the good it was doing. -This has encouraged us to go forward even -when we were nearly fainting under our self-imposed -task, and did circumstances favor it -we should probably labor on, weary as we have -sometimes felt and great as has often been the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</span> -effort necessary to the discharge of duty. But -the <em>Lily</em>, being as we conceive of secondary -importance, must not stand in the way of what -we believe our interest. Home and husband -being dearer to us than all beside, we cannot -hesitate to sacrifice all for them; and so we -cheerfully resign our pet to the care of its -foster-mother, feeling well assured that our -readers will lose nothing by the change, -if they will only put forth their hands to -strengthen her in her undertaking.</p> - -<p>“As will be seen by the prospectus, we do -not entirely sunder our connection with the -<em>Lily</em>, but only throw off its greater burdens. -As Corresponding Editor, we shall hold frequent -chats with our old friends and readers -provided they will listen to us and welcome it -to their homes as of old. We have no idea of -retiring into obscurity, but shall keep the public -posted as to our whereabouts, and tell them of -the events occurring in our far-distant home -amid the Bluffs of the Missouri.”</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_EIGHTH">CHAPTER EIGHTH.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer gave up her residence in -Mount Vernon with sincere regret, but with -the earnest hope that it would bring a much-needed -rest and improved health. She had -mingled freely among the people, and many -social courtesies had been extended to her. -She had worked faithfully in the temperance -cause, through the medium of the Good Templars -and in other ways, and enjoyed greatly -the fact that the sale of intoxicating drinks had -been almost entirely suppressed in the town.</p> - - -<h3>ON HER TRAVELS.</h3> - -<p>On leaving Mount Vernon she proceeded to -Richmond, Indiana, where she transferred the -<em>Lily</em> and all belonging to it, type, cases, subscription -books and lists, to Mrs. Mary Birdsall, -the new editor and proprietor. She spent -several days there very pleasantly visiting,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</span> -among others, the family of Mr. James S. Starr, -a resident of Richmond. On its becoming -known that Mrs. Bloomer was in the town, an -invitation was soon extended to her to deliver -her lecture on woman’s wrongs and rights. -This she accepted, and was greeted with a large -audience. She gave to Mrs. Birdsall all information -in her power relative to the new -work she had taken upon herself in assuming the -publication of the <em>Lily</em>, and promised to write -frequently for its columns, a promise which she -faithfully discharged so long as the paper continued -to be published; but of these productions -it is now impossible to obtain a copy—at -least the writer hereof has found it so.</p> - -<p>The two or three months following were -spent in travel and in visiting relatives and -friends. She first journeyed to Indianapolis, -reaching there on the first day of January, 1855. -The city was resonant with the sounds of rejoicing -on the advent of the New Year and -firecrackers and toy pistols were ablaze on all -the streets. On the following evening, she -delivered her lecture on woman’s rights in one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</span> -of the principal public halls of the city to a -large audience. Leaving the next day, she -passed on to Cincinnati, viewing on the way -the point on the Ohio River known as North -Bend from which General Harrison had been -taken to assume the responsible duties of the -presidential office, which he was able to meet -only for a single month. In Cincinnati she -delivered but one lecture, having been taken -dangerously ill and being in consequence confined -to the hotel for several days. With the -first signs of returning strength, she left for the -home of a relative in central Ohio where she -remained until her health was partially restored. -She was then able to accept invitations to lecture -in surrounding towns; among those she -visited, was West Jefferson where she met Mrs. -Mary Swan and her son, Mr. A. B. Walker, -who subsequently became respected and useful -residents of Council Bluffs and renewed their -acquaintance with Mrs. Bloomer. Leaving -Ohio towards the end of the month, she spent -the remainder of the winter with relatives in -her old home in New York.</p> - -<figure class="figcenter illowp52" id="png_201" style="max-width: 43.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/png_201.jpg" alt="Amelia Bloomer picture"> -</figure> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</span></p> - -<p>Brothers and sisters both of herself and of her -husband were then living, and all were in the -prime of life. The journey was made by rail -from Cleveland to near the head of Seneca -Lake, where some days were passed. Then -down the lake to Geneva, at which place and -at Buffalo, Canandaigua, Waterloo, and Seneca -Falls their relatives mostly resided. Mrs. -Bloomer delivered one or more of her lectures -during the winter; but this was a season of rest -for her, and one she greatly needed. Her long -years of work on the <em>Lily</em> had ended, although -she still continued to write monthly communications -for its columns. The little village of -Aurora, the place of her husband’s nativity, -was also one of her stopping places. Near it -was a Friends’ or Quaker neighborhood, and -her sojourn was with some of these kind-hearted -people. One of them was Humphrey Howland, -a venerable man and an old resident. With -these kind hosts Mrs. Bloomer attended a fifth-day -morning meeting in their plain frame meeting -house, and had an opportunity of witnessing -their peculiar customs and their mode of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</span> -religious service. The building was of the -plainest kind and wholly devoid of paint. The -people sat on wooden benches, in profound -silence, the women on one side, the men on the -other with their hats on. After the stillness -had lasted nearly half-an-hour a comparatively -young woman arose, and after laying aside her -bonnet proceeded to deliver a most earnest -exhortation to all present to live holy lives. -And so Mrs. Bloomer on that day listened to a -woman preacher. Then ensued a season of -quiet thinking; after which all arose to their -feet, handshaking followed all round, and the -good people departed to their homes. By special -invitation, Mrs. Bloomer delivered one of -her lectures in the village. And so the winter -passed among relatives and friends rapidly and -pleasantly away, and the time drew near when -she must leave for her new home in the far -distant west.</p> - -<p>This had been purchased by her husband -while on a visit to Council Bluffs, in the state -of Iowa, the previous autumn. It was in those -days a long journey to undertake, especially as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</span> -a large portion of it must be made either in -stagecoach or by steamboat, and was therefore -looked forward to with a great deal of interest.</p> - - -<h3>STARTS FOR IOWA.</h3> - -<p>Finally making her adieu to her parents, to -brother, sisters and relatives, she started westward -about the 20th of March. A few days -were spent with Mr. C. A. Bloomer, a brother -of her husband, at Little Rock near Buffalo, -and several more in the family of Mr. F. V. -Chamberlain, in Chicago. That city was just -then beginning to put on metropolitan airs -and had a population of 40,000 or 50,000. -Here Mrs. Bloomer bade good-bye to a niece -who had accompanied her thus far, and who -took the cars to meet a brother in the central -part of the state. Leaving Chicago, the travelers -proceeded by railroad to Alton. The -country on either side of the road exhibited the -vast prairies of the state in an almost unbroken -condition for a great part of the way, and it is -recollected that from the car windows deer -and other game were frequently seen running<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</span> -at large. Springfield, the state capital, was -then only a small village. The railroad terminated -at Alton, and from thence the passage -was by steamboat to St. Louis. At that city, -then just beginning to loom up in importance -among the great western towns, the halt was -first at a hotel; but a call having been made at -the hospitable home of Mrs. Frances D. Gage, -her house thereafter became the home of the -travelers until they embarked on a steamer on -the Missouri River for their destination.</p> - -<p>We now give Mrs. Bloomer’s reminiscences, -written some years later by herself:</p> - - -<h3>“EARLY DAYS IN THE WEST.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In compliance with the wishes of my old-settler -friends, I have called to remembrance -and jotted down some of the events connected -with the early years of my residence in this -western land. I fear they will not prove as interesting -to my readers as they were to me at -the time of their occurrence and are now as I -recall them after a lapse of thirty-eight years.</p> - -<p>“One beautiful spring day in the middle of -April, 1855, I first set foot on Iowa soil in our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</span> -neighboring city of Glenwood. We came from -our New York home to settle in Council Bluffs. -The only public conveyance at that time to -this section of the country was the stagecoach -across the state from Davenport and the -Missouri-river steamer hailing from St. Louis. -Preferring the steamer we went to St. Louis to -embark for our destination, but learned on -reaching there that owing to low water no boat -had yet been able to come as far as this city, -St. Joseph having been the farthest point -reached.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“DELAYED IN ST. LOUIS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Encouraged with the hope that by tarrying -in St. Louis a week we could come all the -way through by steamer we restrained our impatience -and spent a week very pleasantly with -our old-time friend, Frances D. Gage. She was -a noted writer and lecturer of that day, but has -since laid down the burden of life and gone to -her reward.</p> - -<p>“During our stay in St. Louis Mrs. Gage -and I together held a woman’s-suffrage meeting -in the library hall of that city, which was -largely attended and well received by press and -people. At the end of a week as there was yet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</span> -no prospect of a rise in the river we took a -packet and came on to St. Joseph. Here we -had to wait two days for the stage, which only -made tri-weekly trips to Council Bluffs and -had left the very morning of our coming to the -Missouri town, some hours before we arrived. -The hotel at which we were obliged to stop -was a very ordinary affair, as was common to -western towns at that early day. The waiting -was long and tedious. We could not even -walk about and view the city because of a high -wind that prevailed and sent the dust in clouds -into our faces.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“THE MISSOURI RIVER’S RAVAGES.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Here we first saw the devastations the Missouri -River was making in eating its way up -into the city and undermining great brick buildings -and swallowing them up in its waters. -The second day of our arrival it got out that we -were at the hotel, and all unknown to us some -progressive or curious ones went about and -obtained numerous signatures to a paper requesting -me to give them a lecture. The first -intimation I had of this was after supper, when -I was summoned to the parlor to meet two -gentlemen who, after introducing themselves,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</span> -made known the object of their call and presented -me with the paper largely signed by the -citizens begging me to give them a woman’s-rights -lecture before leaving the place. Thanking -the gentlemen for their kindness, I informed -them of my intended departure in a few hours -and that it would be impossible to comply with -the request. They replied they were aware of -my going and for that reason they wanted the -lecture that very evening. There would be -time before the stage left at ten o’clock in the -evening. ‘This evening, gentlemen!’ said I; -‘how can that be when there has been no -notice given?’ One of them looked at his -watch and said: ‘It is a little after seven -o’clock. We will give you a good house in an -hour if you will consent to speak, the lecture -to commence at eight o’clock.’</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“CONSENTS TO DELIVER A LECTURE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Being so urged I reluctantly consented, -though with many misgivings, for I could not -understand how an audience could be collected -in an hour. I had never yet refused to proclaim -the new doctrine of woman’s rights when -I found people anxious to hear and opportunity -offered and I could not go back upon it -now.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</span></p> - -<p>“My consent obtained the gentlemen left, -while I hastened to my room to make known -to my husband the extra effort I was to make -in the few hours intervening before we started on -our homeward journey. And it was an extra -effort, for my trunk was packed and strapped -and must be opened, for I was not willing to go -upon the platform in my traveling dress. I, -who had ‘turned the world upside down’ by -preaching a new gospel and was being sorely -criticised therefor, must make as good an impression -as possible with my clothes at least. -Immediately after I reached my room we were -startled by hearing a great outcry and ringing -of bells on the street. Rushing to the window -we soon learned the cause. Passing along the -sidewalk under our window was a large black -man ringing a dinner bell.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“ODD METHOD OF ADVERTISING.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Every other minute the bell would stop and -then come forth the stentorian cry: ‘Mrs. -Bloomer will lecture at the courthouse at eight -o’clock.’ Then the bell again, and again the cry, -and the same cry and ringing of bells -off on the other streets, till the town was alive -with noise. We were greatly amused over this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</span> -novel western way of giving a notice and calling -a crowd together, and we realized then -how fully a notice could be given in the time -fixed.</p> - -<p>“My preparations were delayed somewhat -over this new use to which slaves could be put, -for it was in slavery days and the bell-ringers -were slaves. However, we were at the courthouse -on time, and sure enough the place was -filled with an eager and curious crowd that had -come to see and listen to that strange woman -whose name and doings had startled the world -from its old-time peace and sobriety. It was -the first time one of the ‘women agitators’ had -come so far as St. Joseph, and it was not -strange that an anxious audience awaited me.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“OFF IN A STAGECOACH.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Returning to the hotel after the lecture, I -hardly had time to remove my hat when I was -again summoned to the parlor, there to meet -the gentlemen who had called on me a few -hours before. They had come to ask for another -lecture, and on my declining urged that -if necessary Mr. Bloomer could go on to Council -Bluffs by himself and I follow a day or two -later. They had heard enough to whet their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</span> -appetite for more and were very anxious to -hear me again. But I was firm in denying their -request. I had given them one lecture with -considerable inconvenience to myself. I was -far from well, was anxious to reach the end of -my journey, and could not think of traveling -by myself on a stagecoach through a strange land -and would not be persuaded to tarry with them -longer. At two o’clock on a rainy morning, -feeling tired and sick and suffering from a severe -cold and want of sleep and rest, we bade adieu -to St. Joseph and took the stage for Council -Bluffs.</p> - -<p>“The coach was filled with passengers, but -no women were aboard but myself. There -were several young men bound for the newly -organized territory of Nebraska, and the famous -Kit Carson returning to his home in Nebraska. -Having heard much of him we eyed -him with a good deal of interest and curiosity, -but saw nothing remarkable about him except -his clothes, which were of buckskin, fringed -around the bottom, wrists and collar, a style -entirely new to me. One of the young men had -come from the far east, Massachusetts, I think, -going to Nebraska to seek his fortune. He had -run out of money and found himself without -means in a land of strangers.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</span></p> - - -<h3>“BEFRIENDS A STRANGER.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“At one of the stations where they changed -horses, he approached Mr. Bloomer and asked -for a loan, offering his watch as security. -Though an entire stranger Mr. Bloomer concluded -to befriend him, so gave him the money -he asked and took his watch. But when the -time came for him to leave us and cross into -Nebraska, Mr. Bloomer gave him back his -watch. He felt that he could trust him and -that he would need his watch. It was not a -misplaced confidence, for in due time the money -was returned. All of the passengers left us -before we reached Glenwood at some point below -to cross a ferry into Nebraska, and from there -on to Council Bluffs we were the only passengers. -It was a real relief to have the coach to ourselves, -after riding two days and a night crowded -in with six or eight men, and we saw them -leave without regret.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“ARRIVES AT GLENWOOD.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“On the afternoon of April 15, 1855, we -reached Glenwood; and here, while our driver -tarried to change horses, we left the coach and -took a survey of our surroundings. The place<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</span> -was small, the hotel uninviting, but the country -beautiful. Being tired with our long cooped-up -ride, we strolled on in advance of the stage -and soon reached a lovely grove. Here we sat -down upon a log to enjoy the scenery and eat -a light lunch from our basket. The stage soon -came along, and we took our seats inside feeling -refreshed by our walk and rejoicing that we -were nearing the end of our 1,500-mile journey.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“EARLY HARDSHIPS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“At about five o’clock the second day out -from St. Joseph we drew up in front of the -Pacific Hotel in this city, which was then <em>the</em> -hotel of Council Bluffs and comprised about -half of what has since been known as the Inman -House. Here we remained two weeks -hoping in vain that a rise in the river would -float a boat bringing our household goods up -from St. Louis; but finally went to housekeeping -with a few things kindly lent us by a friend -in a home purchased some months before and -in which, with some additions, we have continued -to reside for thirty-eight years. We -had brought with us from our eastern home a -trunk full of choice shrubbery and fruit grafts. -It was necessary that these should be planted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</span> -and cared for; so we went into our home under -these discouraging conditions, and only -planted out our shrubbery to see it sicken -and die under the burning sun for want of -water.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“SUFFER FROM DROUTH.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“For weeks there was no rain and no water -in the well to give the thirsty plants, which -had beautifully sprouted in the trunk, and so -we lost them all. One morning a great mystery -came to us. We had set out a patch -about twelve feet square with apple grafts. -These were budded and growing about two -feet high, when all at once we discovered that -every one had been cut off near the ground -with a sloping, smooth cut as with a sharp -knife. We could come to but one conclusion, -and that was that some one envying us the -trees had taken off half of them, thinking to -root the tops. But why did they not pull them -up and take the whole? was our query. It -was to us ‘a nine days’ wonder,’ but was finally -solved by our learning that rabbits had been -the thieves and had cut them off so smoothly -with their teeth.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</span></p> - - -<h3>“FURNITURE WAS SCARCE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Our first housekeeping in Council Bluffs -was in two rooms with bare floors and bare -walls. The furniture consisted of two old -wooden chairs, an old table, a bed made on -the floor, and three trunks. The bedstead lent -us with the bed went together with screws, but -as the screws could not be found the bedstead -was useless and the bed had to lie on the floor. -To these borrowed things, we added an old-fashioned -cook stove that we were so fortunate -as to find here and a few common dishes. -Here, with these surroundings, I received my -first calls and made my first acquaintances. If -more than two happened to call at the same -time the two chairs were utilized as far as they -would go and I and the others sat on the trunks. -It was sometimes unpleasant and a little mortifying, -but I made the best of it, knowing it -would not always last.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“DAYS OF HOSPITALITY.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“And really I don’t know as my furniture -and surroundings made one bit of difference in -my welcome to Council Bluffs society. I afterwards -learned that many others were little<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</span> -better off, and that there were no furniture and -carpet stores in the city. Nevertheless, I was -more than glad when word was brought us, on -the morning of July 4th, that a steamer had -arrived with our household goods. I was glad -to get carpets down and my rooms made more -comfortable, for our own sakes. On that -Fourth of July the citizens were so patriotic as -to have a celebration. The oration was delivered -in ‘Hang Hollow,’ so called because an -emigrant murderer had been hung there, but -by later citizens named Glendale. We attended -this celebration and had pointed out to us the -tree from a limb of which the man was hung. -The reader and orator for the day I do not -remember.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“EARLY OMAHA.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Having joined the people of Council Bluffs -in celebrating in the forenoon of this Fourth -of July, 1855, we took a carriage and drove -over to Omaha about noon, crossing the Missouri -on a ferry-boat. This being the first Independence -Day in Nebraska since it had become -a territory, the people of Omaha showed -their patriotism in common with the rest of -the country by celebrating. It was the first -time, too, that I had stepped foot on Nebraska<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</span> -soil, so the day possessed more than usual -interest. We found that an oration had been -delivered by Secretary Cuming, then acting -governor. This had been followed by the -usual reading of the Declaration of Independence. -The exercises were over when we reached -the Douglass House, then the only hotel in -Omaha. Across the road from this place a -speaker’s stand had been erected. A dinner -table was placed on the east side of the house -and covered with boughs cut from trees for -shade. Liquor flowed freely.</p> - -<p>“Council Bluffs was then a city of 2,000 or -3,000 inhabitants. The buildings were mostly -of logs. There were no sidewalks. The streets -were not opened, beaten paths through fields -of sunflowers answering for thoroughfares in -many places. The place was well supplied -with hotels. Besides the Pacific House there -was the City Hotel, a little low log building on -the corner of Broadway and Glen Avenue, kept -by Mrs. Dunn; and farther up on Broadway, -where the blue barn now stands, the Robinson -House kept by G. A. Robinson. This was also -an old log building covered with cottonwood -boards on the outside and lined with muslin -tacked to the logs on the inside.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</span></p> - - -<h3>“PLASTERED HOUSES WERE SCARCE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I think there were but two or three plastered -houses in the city at that time, and no -greater number built of lumber. Nearly all -were of logs covered outside on the front with -cottonwood boards and on the inside, both -walls and ceiling, with unbleached muslin sewed -together and nailed on.</p> - -<p>“Bancroft Street, now Fourth, where we -had made our home, was open but a little way -from Willow Avenue, the bright bluffs extending -across to Main Street. Besides our house, -which was newly built, the frame house adjoining -and a log house just below were all the -street contained, and from Bancroft to the -river there was not a house to obstruct our -view. Bluff Street was not opened, and no -house of any description was built upon it. It -was only a high bluff, which extended down -across Bancroft Street to Main Street. Turley’s -Glen was the only opening, being a resort for -the Indians, who frequently pitched their tents -and camped there for days together. The little -valley between the bluffs contained Broadway, -the only street. No good buildings were on it -except a few log structures.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</span></p> - - -<h3>“WORSHIPPED IN LOG CHURCHES.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Of churches I think there were but two. -The Methodists had a small frame building on -the side of the hill in rear of where the Ogden -House now stands. The Rev. Mr. Shinn was -the pastor. The Congregationalists worshipped -in a log building on Broadway, west of Atkins’ -drugstore. The Rev. George Rice owned this -property at that time. He lived with his family -in one log house, and held services in the one -adjoining. This latter was fitted up for a -church with a row of seats around the wall made -of slabs with the flat side turned up and sticks -put up through the holes bored in the floor for -legs. The pulpit was a dry-goods box turned up -on end with the open side next the preacher. -The congregation was not large and was made -up of people from several denominations, many -of whom were new arrivals in the city.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“EARLY CHURCH WORK.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“One morning soon after we were settled in -our new home, I had a call from the Rev. Mr. -Rice, of the Congregational church, inviting me -to attend a meeting of the sewing society at his -house in the afternoon. I went and found there<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</span> -about half-a-dozen ladles. This was the annual -meeting, and officers were to be elected for the -ensuing year. This church had commenced the -erection of a new edifice on a lot donated by -S. S. Bayliss, on Main and Pearl Streets, opposite -the park. It was of brick and the walls -already up, but they had no money to go further. -The object of the ladies was to raise -money for flooring and seating the new church, -and they evidently wanted to infuse new spirit -and aid into their society. I was consequently -chosen their president, and Mrs. Sophia Douglass -who was also a newcomer was elected first -director—thus putting their affairs into the -hands of two Episcopalians. Inasmuch as -there was no church of our own here and we -were attendants upon the Rev. Mr. Rice’s -instructions, we took hold of the work with a -will and the following winter carried through a -very successful fair by which we raised money -enough to put the new church in shape.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“DEFENDS WOMAN’S RIGHTS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Thanksgiving evening, 1855, by invitation -of the Rev. Mr. Rice, I gave a temperance lecture -from the pulpit of the new church and a -little later, about the last of November, one on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</span> -‘Woman’s Enfranchisement’ at the Methodist -church, by invitation of the Men’s Literary and -Debating Society; and again, by invitation of -the same society and the Rev. Mr. Rice, Jan. -18, 1856, I spoke on ‘Female Education’ at -the Congregational church. During the following -years I gave several lectures on some phase -of the woman question.</p> - -<p>“At the close of my lecture on ‘Woman -Suffrage’ in the Methodist church, in November, -1855, I was approached by Gen. William -Larimer, then of Omaha, but recently of Pittsburg, -Pa., and a member of the first Nebraska -legislature, with a request that I go to Omaha -and repeat my lecture before the legislature. -A few days later I received a formal invitation -from the legislature, signed by twenty-five of -its members, to give them a lecture on woman -suffrage or such phase of the woman question -as I might select.</p> - -<p>“Jan. 8, 1856, I made my appearance in the -House of Representatives of Nebraska, having -accepted the invitation to appear before that -body. I was escorted to the platform by Gen. -Larimer, who made way for me through a great -crowd who had congregated to hear me. Indeed, -it was a packed house, men standing up -between those who were sitting on benches<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</span> -around the room, and leaning against the wall, -and the platform was so packed up to the -very desk that I hardly had elbow-room. Gen. -Larimer introduced me amidst silence so profound -that one could almost hear a pin drop, -and I was listened to with the most absorbed -interest to the end. Then came great applause -and a request that I give the lecture for publication. -This latter I declined doing. Omaha -was hardly large enough and was without daily -papers and, besides, I felt that I might wish to -make further use of the lecture and publishing -it would prevent its again being brought out.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE INTERESTED.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The papers gave very flattering notices of -the lecture, and it caused a great deal of excitement -among the members of the legislature; -those opposed to the principles it discussed -showing opposition, while its friends, who were -in the majority, were loud in extolling it. The -result of the lecture was the bringing in of a -bill in favor of woman suffrage some days later, -which passed the lower house, and was read -twice by the senate, and only failed of a passage -because the session came to an end before it -could be reached for a third reading—the last<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</span> -hours being consumed by the wrangling of the -members over the fixing of county boundaries -and the location of city sites. Men talked to -kill time till the last hour expired and the session -adjourned <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">sine die</i>. A number of important -bills were not reached, the woman-suffrage -bill among them. I was assured by Gov. Richardson -and others that the bill would undoubtedly -have passed had a little more time been -allowed them. The session was one of only -forty days and it was near its close when the -bill was introduced. Other matters engrossed -the attention and the speaker’s gavel stopped -all further discussion of matters in dispute.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“DANGERS MET IN CROSSING THE MISSOURI.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In the year following I gave a lecture on -‘Woman’s Education,’ on invitation of the -Library Association of Omaha, and for its benefit. -I so well remember that trip to Omaha! -It was in the winter. The river was breaking up -and when I reached it I found the ice floating -and no way to get across except on a flatboat, -which was poled across. I feared to place myself -upon it and came near turning back. But -I remembered my engagement and saw a carriage -waiting for me on the other shore; so,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</span> -with many misgivings and assurances from the -boatmen, I ventured on board and was landed -safely on the other side. The lecture that -evening was given in the Presbyterian church -to a full house, Dr. Miller presiding and introducing -me. But if I ran a risk in crossing to -Omaha my heart fairly stood still coming back. -A high wind was blowing and when I reached -the river I found it filled with great blocks of -floating ice that endangered any boat it encountered. -The ice was running badly, and -there was no conveyance over, except a skiff -rowed by two boatmen. The flatboat could -not be managed in such a gale. The skiff was -in great danger of being swallowed up by the -high tossing waves or struck by the great cakes -of floating ice and capsized.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“BUFFETS THE ICE IN A SKIFF.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The boatmen at first positively refused to -take me into the skiff. The man waiting could -go, they said, but the woman must be left behind. -I thought of my danger in embarking -and being swallowed up by waves; and I thought -of husband and child awaiting me at home, and -no one to care for them; then I asked why I -could not cross as well as the man. The boatmen<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</span> -said, because women would get frightened -and jump and rock the boat and upset it, and -there was really great danger. Then I said if -I will promise to sit very still and not stir, can -I go? The gentleman interceded, and on my -promise I was allowed to get into the boat. I -sat in the middle of my seat and held on to -each side of the boat, and I am sure I never -stirred a muscle or winked an eye or hardly -breathed while those brave men guided their -skiff over the tossing waves, which seemed -to engulf us at times and anon bore us on their -tossing crests. Soon we were safely over and -landed, ready to take stage for home, feeling -that we had been mercifully preserved on our -two very dangerous trips, and on my part resolved -never to incur a like danger again.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“WOMAN’S EQUALITY IN LAW.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“On my previous trip to Omaha, I had gone -in an old-fashioned stagecoach and crossed the -river on a ferry-boat. But the ferry-boat was -laid up at this time on account of the ice, so -there was no way of crossing but the skiff and -the flatboat while the ice was running. Thanks -to enterprise and skill, we at this day know -nothing of such inconvenience and danger.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</span> -And thanks to progress and enlightenment, -woman’s cause has so far advanced that there -is little need of her making extra effort to bring -her claims and the knowledge of her rights to -equality in law with man before the people.”</p> -</div> - -<h3>DESCRIBES COUNCIL BLUFFS.</h3> - -<p>Writing in 1855, soon after her arrival in her -new home, Mrs. Bloomer describes it as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Council Bluffs is located on the east side of -the Missouri River, in Iowa, instead of on the -west or Nebraska side, where it is placed on -most of the maps. It lies about three miles -from the river, the level lands or bottoms being -about that distance in width; and then commences -a chain of high hills, or bluffs, which -line the Missouri for thousands of miles and -which, at this point, extend eastward in the -state some five or six miles. These bluffs are -composed of immense piles of yellow marl -varying in height from fifty to two hundred -and fifty feet and thrown into every conceivable -shape and form—rounded, oblong, conical, -and peaked. Sometimes we see them covered -with trees and bushes, but most commonly -with only grass and flowers. They present at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</span> -this season of the year, robed in their rich carpet -of green, a delightful appearance. Among -these bluffs are numerous beautiful valleys, -some of them sufficiently extensive for large -farms, and through which clear and pellucid -streams of water flow gurgling down to join -the mighty Missouri, forming as they find their -way across the bottoms streams which glisten -as pure as silver in the sun. It was along one -of these valleys, a fourth of a mile in width -and extending for upwards of half-a-mile into the -bluffs, that the old town of Kanesville was -built. Here a log city was constructed, and -here for several years dwelt from two to eight -thousand of those singular people who have -now found a home in the vicinity of Great -Salt Lake. These people, or most of them, remained -here until 1852 when they took their -departure, selling out or surrendering up their -claims to the gentiles. Hundreds of the log -cabins in which they lived have disappeared, -but many are still standing. The gentiles who -succeeded the Mormons soon began to build -better houses. Several good frame and brick -buildings have already been constructed, including -a three-story brick hotel and the land -office, besides a number of stores and private -residences.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</span></p> - -<p>“Others are in process of creation and will -be carried forward as fast as materials and -labor can be obtained. On all sides we see the -work of beautifying the town going forward. -Gardens are being fenced, trees planted, streets -opened and graded, and every preparation made -for accommodating the population. The city -is extending out on the bottoms towards the -river, the bottom lands being here high and -dry and in no danger of being overflowed, and -the probability is that at no distant day they -will be covered with dwellings. These lands -are considered very valuable and are held at -high prices by their owners. The soil is extremely -rich and productive and finely adapted -to either farming or gardening.</p> - -<p>“Situated as we are three hundred miles west -of the railroads connecting the Mississippi with -the cities of the East, we of course neither hear -the shrill whistle of the locomotive nor see the -trains of cars dashing through our streets with -a velocity that outstrips the speed of the light-footed -deer; but we are living in full expectation -of the day when these things will be as -familiar to us as they now are to my eastern -readers. This city will be the western terminus -of the first railroad built across the state, and -it is fondly hoped and expected that three<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</span> -years hence we shall be startled by the shrill -whistle of the iron horse as he comes to bathe -his head in the waters of the Missouri, and -from here, or from Omaha, directly opposite, -will he set out on his long journey to the most -western limit of the continent. Then Council -Bluffs will no longer be ‘out of the world,’ but -directly in the centre of it, and many who now -hesitate about making their home here will -regret that their doubts and fears debarred -them from uniting their labors with their more -enterprising countrymen in building up a great -and prosperous community in the very centre -of the Union.”</p> -</div> - -<p>It will be noted that the above was written -in 1855; and with what remarkable correctness -Mrs. Bloomer prophesied as to the future of -the country in which she had just taken up her -residence must strike every one, except that it -was nearly ten years instead of three before -the railroad reached Council Bluffs.</p> - -<p>She then goes on to advise people to come -West and acquire land (then to be had at -government price) and thus secure homes for -themselves, and then continues:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“My residence is on a gentle elevation at -the foot of one of the highest bluffs in the city, -with a western front commanding a fine view -of the grass-carpeted bottoms upon which hundreds -of cattle are grazing, of Omaha across -the river, and of the plains of Nebraska beyond -which stretch away in the distance as far as -the eye can reach. I love to ascend the bluffs -in the rear of our house, and watch the setting -sun as it descends below the horizon far off -towards the blue and peaceful waters of the -Pacific; and as I do so, I contemplate the day -when the wild valley before me will be filled -with the hum and stir and thronging multitude -of a great city, and these bluffs covered with -elegant residences and tasteful retreats from -the turmoil and activity that will reign below,—for -no one here doubts that such is to be the -future of Council Bluffs.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>DESCRIBES HER NEW HOME.</h3> - -<p>Here is also another letter written by Mrs. -Bloomer in May, 1855, giving a further description -of her home in the west and of its surroundings:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="right"> -“<span class="smcap">Council Bluffs</span>, <em>May</em>, 1855.</p> -<p class="no-indent"> -“<span class="smcap">My dear Mrs. Vaughan</span>:<br> -</p> - -<p>“From my far-distant home among the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</span> -bluffs of the Missouri I send you greeting. -We have now been here four weeks, and for -two weeks I have been installed as housekeeper -in my own house. The business of housekeeping, -as you well know, is not new to me; but -it is a long time since I have confined myself -to that business alone, and it seems a little -strange after the many and various duties devolving -upon me for the last six or seven years -to be relieved of the greater part of them and -to settle down in this strange place with nothing -to care for save my house and garden.</p> - -<p>“Far from the place of my nativity, far from -the spot where since childhood all the years -of my life have been spent, save one, far from -dearly loved kindred and highly cherished -friends, far from all the noble spirits with whom -I have long labored in the cause of humanity, -far from all I have ever best known and loved -save him who is my companion in life’s journey, -I have commenced life as it were anew. Here, -surrounded by lovely flower-decked prairies and -nestled down among the hills that overlook -the Missouri and the vast plains of Nebraska -beyond, we have chosen our future home and -shall do what we may by our aid and influence -for the upbuilding and prosperity of this infant -city.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</span></p> - -<p>“Do not imagine us in a wild and uncultivated -country, deprived of the comforts of life, -and of the enjoyments and advantages of refined -society, for it is not so. Neither are we -surrounded by hordes of savage Indians and in -danger of falling victims to the tomahawk and -scalping-knife, as some people in the east imagine. -* * * We do not consider ourselves as -far out of the world as we are set down by those -who realize nothing of the immense emigration -into the mighty West, or of the energy and ‘goaheadativeness’ -of the people who come hither. -We see some Indians occasionally, it is true, -but they are only visitors from Nebraska, they -do not belong to this state. A party of Pawnees -some two weeks ago pitched their tent on -the summit of a high bluff near our house where -they remained until last Sunday, when they -struck their tent, packed it and all other movables -on the back of a mule and then took up their -line of march to the westward, the men riding on -horseback while the ‘squaws’ went on foot. -The mule was led by a squaw. Two squaws had -papooses on their backs, and another carried -a dog in the same manner. I had frequent -visits from some of them while they remained -here, and on leaving they called to bid us good-bye, -in tolerably fair English. There is something<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</span> -interesting to me in these children of nature -and I almost regretted their departure.</p> - -<p>“The Indians who come here are perfectly -harmless and no one pays any attention to -them. They come and go at their pleasure. -We shall see little of them hereafter, as the -government has just paid off its indebtedness to -the Omahas and they were then removed to the -new quarters assigned them about a hundred -miles to the northward, in Nebraska. They -were all collected at Omaha City, and from -thence started on their journey accompanied -by the Indian agent who is to pay them twenty -thousand dollars in cash when they reach their -destination. The tribe now numbers but eight -hundred and five, counting men, women and children, -and has but two hundred men capable of -bearing arms. Ten years ago they numbered -sixteen hundred. Their parting from their old -home and the graves of their fathers is said by -those who witnessed it to have been exceedingly -interesting and pathetic. The women and the -aged men wept, and the stout-hearted warriors -could ill conceal their emotion of tenderness and -affection.</p> - -<p>“People are now flocking in here in considerable -numbers, either to settle or to make investments -in real estate, in the hope and expectation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</span> -of realizing a fortune by the rise in -the value of property. We have dally stages -from the east and south, and they generally -come loaded inside and out to the extent of -their capacity. The land-office is crowded both -by settlers and speculators eager to enter the -choicest lands remaining unsold. The land directly -adjoining the town, and for some five or -six miles back, is all taken, and one cannot buy -a farm at Uncle Sam’s prices within that distance -of the city. Good land can be obtained -at second hand for from five dollars to ten dollars -per acre.</p> - -<p>“By the laws of the state, women can own -and hold property, both real and personal, and -I am happy to know that many women are -availing themselves of these provisions by securing -to themselves a share of its broad acres. I -do wish that more women would become -owners of the soil, and I am especially anxious -that you, Mrs. Vaughan, and those women who -labored so untiringly with you in the cause of -humanity, should come in for a share. I know -that such women do not usually carry long -purses, and are not very well rewarded for their -wearing toil, yet with land at $1.25 per acre -it does seem as though they ought to be able -to secure at least eighty acres. One woman who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</span> -is supporting herself by typesetting in your -state has secured an interest in this vicinity, -and she is now hoarding her wages that she -may add a few acres more to those she has -already. A few years hence, these lands will -be valuable and the owners will realize something -from their sale, if they do not wish to -retain them.</p> - -<p>“This city is the western terminus of railroads -to be located across this state, and it is ardently -hoped and expected that ere many years the -shrill whistle of the iron horse will be heard -among the bluffs of the Missouri. There are -two newspapers published here and both are -well sustained, I am told. There are two church -edifices nearly completed, Methodist and Congregational. -Each has a settled pastor and services -are held regularly on Sundays. The people -who settle here are mostly from the east, -and are nearly all Americans; consequently we -have an intelligent, well-ordered community. -Omaha, the capital of Nebraska, is situated -directly opposite, on the western bank of the -Missouri, and in full view of this city. It now -contains about four hundred inhabitants.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</span></p> - -<p>The personal reminiscences of Mrs. Bloomer -given above show very fully that, in removing -to Council Bluffs, she did not give up any of -her wonted zeal in behalf of those reforms to -which so much of her life had been devoted. -She continued to write for the <em>Lily</em> so long as -its publication was kept up, and the productions -of her pen frequently appeared in the -columns of the city papers, and of other papers -in the state and throughout the Union.</p> - - -<h3>LIFE IN COUNCIL BLUFFS.</h3> - -<p>But the first months of her life in Council -Bluffs were quiet ones. They gave her opportunity -to gain the much needed rest which -years of labor and activity had rendered necessary. -She spent many hours in roaming -over the bluffs and valleys. Life seemed to -have opened a new page for her, and in its -daily duties she found sufficient employment. -The population of the city was small and -social intercourse amongst its members, as in -all new western communities, was pleasant and -unconventional. Everybody knew everybody<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</span> -else, and all whose characters were clean and -untarnished met each other on a footing of -perfect equality. All attended the same -church and all joined in the same festivities. -It was in many respects an ideal state of society; -being far away from railroads and the -great centres of population, there was great -exemption from the cares and anxieties of -older communities. Housekeeping was the -first duty that fell upon Mrs. Bloomer, and she -strove to make her new home pleasant and inviting. -It soon became the resort of many -new as well as old friends. People coming to -the city very often desired to meet her and -she always received them kindly, extending to -all a generous welcome. With her husband -she early joined with others in the organization -of a literary club, taking an active part in -its proceedings.</p> - - -<h3>AGAINST STRONG DRINK.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer had begun her public life in -New York state as an advocate of Temperance. -She had opposed at all times the use as a beverage<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</span> -of intoxicating drinks in all their various -forms, and in her adopted state she continued -the earnest advocate of these ideas -and principles. She wrote and spoke when -called for in their advocacy and defense. -When a lodge of Good Templars was organized -in 1856, she became an active member and -continued her membership in it so long as it -was kept up.</p> - -<p>Though the custom of using strong drinks -at social gatherings was common in her new -home, yet she firmly set her face against it and -nothing of the kind was ever found in her -dwelling. When societies were organized, -plans adopted, money expended in promoting -temperance principles she was always found -among the most zealous in promoting sobriety -in all its forms.</p> - -<p>In subsequent years, Mrs. Bloomer became -an active worker in the Women’s Christian -Temperance Union; and in an address delivered -before it in Council Bluffs, some ten -years before her death, she referred to her -own and others’ labors in the city as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</span></p> - - -<h3>HER EXPERIENCES.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I have thus given you, as briefly as -possible, a sketch of the introduction and -early efforts of woman in this cause of temperance. -It may not be so interesting to you -as to those of us who encountered the opposition, -bore the suffering, endured the struggle, -who were subject to ridicule, censure and frowns -for the cause’s sake and for woman’s sake. It -is well that you of this later generation should -know something of what has gone before; that -you should know that, long before the -W. C. T. U. arose, organizations of women did -as great and greater work than that large body -of women are doing. We had a cause and a -purpose, and there was no lack of zeal and -enthusiasm. There was no cold-hearted, half-way -work with the Washingtonians and those -who enlisted under them. I must mention -Rev. George G. Rice, of this city, as among the -liberal-minded men of early days. On my coming -to Council Bluffs, he very soon called upon -me and invited me to give a temperance lecture -in his church; and later, at his request, I spoke -on the education of girls from his pulpit, and -also the church was freely given me for woman’s-rights -lectures.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</span></p> - -<p>“Council Bluffs has always been a hard field -for temperance work. Originally a frontier -town, it was for many years almost completely -in the hands of the gambling and liquor-drinking -classes of the community. On my first -coming here, in 1855, Sunday was hardly recognized -at all as a day of rest or religious -observance. It was the carnival day of the -pleasure-seeking of every kind. Business was -carried on as usual. The saloons were open -and games of chance openly carried on along -the streets. But even then there were a faithful -few. A division of the Sons of Temperance -had been organized, and very soon after we -came we assisted in the organization of a lodge -of Good Templars. These two societies handsomely -fitted up and carpeted a large hall in -Empire Block, opposite the Pacific House, and -held regular meetings on different evenings of -each week for several years. But financial -troubles coming on, they were unable to meet -their expenses, and before 1860 both had ceased -to exist. I do not know whether the Sons of -Temperance ever renewed their organization, -but think they did not. But the Good Templars -have at different times started up anew and I -am glad to hear are quite prosperous at the present -time. I have a strong feeling of sympathy<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</span> -with this organization because I was connected -with it in New York, Ohio, and here, in my -earlier days, and because it admits women to -its membership on a footing of equality with -men, and it was through its membership women -passed through struggles for recognition. I -have frequently assisted in the formation of -lodges, and one of my last acts before coming -to Council Bluffs was going by myself as deputy -grand-chief templar to Indiana to organize -two new lodges. Other organizations for promoting -temperance work have existed here at -different times. The late D. W. Price was president -of one of the most effective of these, and -really did a good work. Moved by his eloquent -and effective pleadings, many votaries -of strong drink were reformed and restored to -their right minds and still remain sober citizens.</p> - -<p>“The women of the city have not been -wholly remiss in their duties to this cause, -though they have not done all they could and -should. In 1874 a society was organized, a constitution -adopted, and a committee appointed -to canvass the city to obtain memberships, and -signatures to a petition to the city council asking -that the laws enacted for their protection -against liquor selling be enforced, and the license -law amended. But their petitions passed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</span> -unheeded, as those of tens of thousands of -women in other sections had done before them. -They were laid on the table as unworthy of -notice, and when taken up received but one -vote in their favor. What cared our city fathers -for the petitions of disfranchised women? -They had no votes to give to affect them at the -next election, while the veriest drunkard had; -and so should they not consult their constituents? -Temperance workers, either men or -women, have never received much help from -the constituted authorities either of our city or -county. Generally they have looked upon violations -of the law with indifference. That is -the case at the present time. Although we -have a rigid prohibitory law now in force in -this state, its provisions are openly violated -and whatever effort is made to enforce it -comes not from the men sworn to enforce the -law but from individuals in private life, who are -thus compelled to give their time and money -to do that which should be done by officers -elected for that purpose.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer fully believed in the virtue of -prohibitory legislation. She rejoiced when this -principle was adopted into the laws of Iowa and -strove in all suitable ways to secure the advancement<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</span> -of those laws. She wrote frequently and -largely in their defense and the columns of the -city press bear witness to the zeal with which -she advocated her views. She was greatly distressed -when her rector came out in his pulpit -and preached sermons against the virtues of -prohibition, and censured and criticised his -position with great force and spirit.</p> - - -<h3>FOR WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT.</h3> - -<p>But beyond all other questions, Mrs. -Bloomer’s thoughts, hopes and labors were -given to Woman’s Enfranchisement. In that -cause she was a pioneer. She studied, considered -and dwelt upon it in all its various -bearings. She believed most sincerely that -the Temperance principle of which she was an -ardent advocate could never fully triumph until -Woman’s voice could be fully and decisively -heard in its settlement. This was her position -in all her writings and addresses on that subject, -and these were continued and frequent so -long as her strength lasted. Moreover, she -fully believed that the unjust legal enactments<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</span> -coming down from a semi-barbarous age, together -with the harsh teachings of legal writers, -would have to be completely changed in letter -and spirit before woman could occupy the high -place for which she was designed by her Creator -and become in very deed and truth a helpmeet for -man. And finally she insisted that the precious -right of suffrage, the high privilege of casting a -ballot along with man, should be accorded to -woman as her inalienable birthright, and that -she should exercise that right as a solemn duty -devolving upon her as a responsible human -being and as a citizen of a free republic. These -were unpopular doctrines when she first commenced -to espouse and uphold them in her -paper, more than fifty years before her decease; -but she never failed to maintain them, in all -suitable ways and at all proper times, throughout -her subsequent career.</p> - -<p>Her house in Council Bluffs was always the -welcome resort of those who were engaged in -proclaiming these doctrines and urging them -upon the favorable consideration of the people -of the great West. From time to time, especially<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</span> -in the earlier days, nearly all these prominent -advocates were her guests. Among them -may be named Miss Susan B. Anthony, -Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary A. Livermore, -Anna Dickinson, Mrs. M. H. Cutler, Frederick -Douglass, Phœbe Cozzens, and many others. -And frequently when these advocates of her -favorite reform visited her she arranged for -public meetings for them in church or hall, so -that through Mrs. Bloomer’s instrumentality -her neighbors and friends were afforded opportunity -of listening to some of the most noted -lecturers of the day; and it is here no more -than strict justice to record that she was, in all -her work of promoting temperance and woman’s -enfranchisement, aided and sustained by the -cordial assistance and support of her husband. -No note or word of discord ever arose between -them on these subjects (and, indeed, very few -on any other); they passed their long lives -happily trying to alleviate the sufferings and -right the wrongs of their fellow-travelers -through the journey of life.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer’s pen was also very busy and she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</span> -frequently wrote for the newspapers in her own -city and in other parts of the country. Whenever -an attack was made, either upon her -personally or upon her favorite ideas, it was -sure to call forth from her a vigorous reply. -She did not confine herself to temperance and -woman’s rights; but wrote freely and often upon -other kindred subjects, also. It would extend -this work far beyond its prescribed limits, to republish -even a small part of the productions of -her pen; but some articles will be given further -on. Just here we cannot omit to give one of -her replies to the objection that woman should -not vote because she could not fight:</p> - - -<h3>VOTING AND FIGHTING.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“My reply to the argument of our opponents -that ‘if women vote they must also fight,’ is -this: All men have not earned their right to -the ballot by the bullet; and, if only those who -fight should vote, there are many sickly men, -many weak little men, many deformed men, -and many strong and able-bodied but cowardly -men, who should at once be disfranchised. -These all vote but they do not fight, and fighting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</span> -is not made a condition precedent to the -right to the ballot. The law only requires that -those of sufficient physical strength and endurance -shall take up arms in their country’s -defense, and I think not many women can be -found to fill the law’s requirement: so they -would have to be excused with the weak little -men, the big cowardly men, and the men who -are physically disqualified. We know there -are thousands of voters who never did any fighting -and who never will. Why then must woman -be denied the right of franchise because she -cannot fight? If there are any great strong -women who want to fight for their country in -its hour of peril, they should be allowed to do -so, and men have no right to disarm them and -send them home against their will. But as -there are other duties to be discharged, other -interests to be cared for, in time of war besides -fighting, women will find enough to do to look -after these in the absence of their fighting men. -They may enter the hospitals on the battlefields -as nurses, or they may care for the crops -or the young soldiers at home. They may -also do the voting and look after the affairs of -government, the same as do all the weak men, -who vote and hold office and do not fight. -And, further, as men do not think it right for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</span> -women to fight, and fear it will be forced upon -them with the ballot, they can easily make a -law to excuse them, and doubtless with the -help of the women will do so. There is great -injustice, so long as the ballot is given to all -men the weak as well as the strong, without -condition, in denying to woman a voice in -matters deeply affecting her interest and -happiness, and through her the happiness and -welfare of mankind because, perchance, there -may come a time in the history of our country -when we shall be plunged into war and she not -be qualified to hold a musket!</p> - -<p>“This objection, like many others we hear, is -too absurd to emanate from the brains of intelligent -men and I cannot think they honestly -entertain such views. If they will but give us a -voice in the matter, we will not only save ourselves -from being sent to the battlefield, but -will, if possible, keep them at home with us by -averting the threatened danger and difficulties -and so compromising matters with other powers -that peace shall be maintained and bloodshed -avoided.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<p class="center">PROGRESS.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer was mainly instrumental in -organizing a woman’s-suffrage society in Council<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</span> -Bluffs, in 1870, and was its first president. -Through her influence woman’s position was -greatly enlarged in that community. In 1880, -she was enabled to write as follows: “The -trustees of the public library of this city are -women, the teachers in the public schools, with -one or two exceptions, are women, the principal -of the high school is a woman, and a large -number of the clerks in the dry-goods stores -are women.”</p> - -<p>The revised Code of Iowa, promulgated in -1873, almost entirely abolished the legal distinction -between men and married women as -to property rights. As to single women there -was, of course, no distinction. That code is -still in force, and its liberal provisions in regard -to the rights of married women have been still -further enlarged. The wife may hold separate -property, and may make contracts and incur -liabilities as to the same, which may be enforced -by or against her as though she were a -single woman. So also a married woman may -sue or be sued without joining her husband in -matters relating to her separate property, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</span> -she may maintain an action against her husband -in matters relating to her separate property -rights. Their rights and interests in -each other’s property are identical. They may -be witnesses for, but they cannot be against, -each other in criminal actions.</p> - -<p>It is not claimed that, for bringing about -these beneficent changes in the laws of Iowa, -Mrs. Bloomer is entitled to the sole credit. -There were other efficient workers in the -same field; but it is certain that her long residence -in the state, and her continued and persistent -advocacy of the principles of justice on -which they are founded, contributed largely to -their adoption by the lawmaking powers.</p> - - -<h3>STATE SUFFRAGE SOCIETY.</h3> - -<p>The first Iowa Woman’s State Suffrage Society -was organized at Mount Pleasant, in 1870. -Mrs. Bloomer was present at this gathering of -the earnest workers of the state and took an -active part in their proceedings. Hon. Henry -O’Conner, then attorney-general of the state, -was made its first president, and Mrs. Bloomer<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</span> -its first vice-president. On her way home, she -stopped over at Des Moines, with Mrs. Anna -Savary and with Mrs. H. B. Cutler; addressed -in the afternoon a large Temperance gathering -on the capitol grounds, and in the evening both -ladies spoke on woman’s enfranchisement in -the Baptist church. The first annual meeting -of the society was held in Des Moines in -October, 1871. Mrs. Bloomer presided and -was chosen president; she attended its annual -meetings in subsequent years so long as she -had the strength to do so. She was for years -in constant correspondence with its members, -and whenever the question of woman suffrage -was before the general assembly she did not -fail, by petition and otherwise, to do all in her -power to promote its success. In 1875 she was -an inmate of the Cleveland Sanitorium, and -while there delivered to the inmates an address -on the subject in which she was so deeply -interested. In 1867 she made a long and wearisome -journey, while in very poor health, to the -city of New York to attend the meeting of the -Woman-Suffrage Association, and was elected<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</span> -one of its vice-presidents, a position she continued -to hold so long as she lived. She was -an interested listener to the proceedings of the -Woman’s Council held in Des Moines in 1883, -but took no part in them further than a very -short address.</p> - - -<h3>HISTORY OF IOWA SUFFRAGE WORK.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer furnished the main portion of -the chapter on Iowa in the third volume of the -History of Woman Suffrage, published by Mrs. -Stanton and Miss Anthony in 1887. In short, -the advocacy of woman’s enfranchisement was -her life-work from 1851 down to the end of her -days. She was in constant written communication -with many of its leading advocates not -only in Iowa but all over the country. They -visited her often in her home, and she was subjected -to frequent interviews from newspaper -reporters. A volume could be filled with their -writings called out by conversations with her. -She always treated them with kindness and -courtesy, and received many kind notices from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</span> -the press. She always had a cheerful and -pleasant greeting for her many visitors.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer was spared to witness the -triumph of many of the reforms she had earnestly -advocated. The temperance principle in -which her heart was so much absorbed made -great progress during her lifetime, and the prohibitive -features she so earnestly advocated -were engrafted on the laws of her adopted state. -She was not spared to see woman accorded a -right to the ballot in all the states, but she was -cheered by the wonderful progress in that direction -that took place all over the world. In -Wyoming and Utah women had voted for several -years, and only a few weeks before her departure -she learned with infinite satisfaction -from Mrs. Jennie A. Irvine, a favorite niece -residing in Colorado, that the right of suffrage -had been granted to women in that state. -While therefore she was never herself permitted -to exercise that inestimable right, yet -she died in the full conviction that only a few -years would elapse before it would be accorded -to women in all the free countries in the world.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</span></p> - - -<h3>ESSAYS BY MRS. BLOOMER.</h3> - -<p>In the following pages are given the productions -of Mrs. Bloomer’s pen on a variety of -subjects. Most of these essays have been -printed in newspapers located in different parts -of the country, but are here made public again -in more durable form. It is believed they will -not be devoid of interest to the reader:</p> - - -<h3>“WIFELY DUTIES.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="fs90">“‘<em>Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.</em>’—<span class="smcap">Gen.</span>, -iv. 7.</p> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“These words were addressed to Cain by the -Creator. They are the same as those used to -Eve, except that in the one case they were addressed -to the one to be ruled, and in the other -to the one who was to rule. The latter is more -clearly a command than the former. And if -a command, then Cain only obeyed it in ruling -over his brother; and, as there was no limit -fixed to the rule, was he very much to blame -for taking the life of his brother? Did not -God command him to rule and was not God -responsible for the result?</p> - -<p>“And if God foretelling to Eve that her -husband should rule over her was a command<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</span> -to which all women were to be subject for all -time, does not this command to Cain to rule -over his brother follow the seed of Cain for all -time, and are not all elder brothers commanded -to rule over the younger, and is it not the duty -of the younger to submit to such rule?</p> - -<p>“Clearly the Scripture quoted was not a command -in either case. We cannot throw upon -God all the fearful consequences that have -grown out of and resulted from the construction -so often put upon these words. Read -them as prophecy, substitute ‘wilt’ for ‘shalt’—as -I am told the original fully warrants—and -they become clear enough. In both cases -it was a prophetic declaration of what was to -follow, and the prophecy as we all know has -been fulfilled to the letter.</p> - -<p>“But read this Scripture as we may, I do not -believe it has any binding force at this day. -However much the first Adam may have ruled -his wife, other Adams can derive no warrant -from his case for ruling their wives, except in -the evil nature they have inherited from him. -The Adams still abound in the land, and will -abound until woman fully asserts her individuality -and compels men to acknowledge her equal -right with themselves to life, liberty and the -pursuit of happiness.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</span></p> - -<p>“The passages from the New Testament so -frequently quoted have lost their terrors. We -all know that in the early days when they were -written woman’s position was one of ignorance -and subjection. Peter and Paul were imbued -with the prevalent sentiment of the times, and -wrote of things as they found them. In writing -of woman they followed the law and custom -of the day in which they lived. They -thought woman’s name was ‘submission’ just -as many men think now, and wrote of her just -as they write now.</p> - -<p>“Barnard, in his ‘History and Progress of -Education’ tells us that: ‘In India it was a terrible -disgrace for a woman to learn to read, and -the avowal of that knowledge was sufficient to -class her with the most abandoned of her sex. -Her duties and attainments were only such as -would conduce to the mere physical comfort of -her lord and master.’ Again, in writing of the -ancient Persians, he says: ‘Female education -was utterly neglected. The wife was the slave -of the husband, and every morning must kneel -at his feet and nine times ask the question, -What do you wish that I should do? and, having -received his reply, bowing humbly, she -must withdraw and obey his commands.’</p> - -<p>“Of Greece he says: ‘The female children<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</span> -were not allowed any instruction except such -as they might receive at home. The condition -of the female sex, except the abandoned portion -of it, at Athens was pitiable. Secluded -from society and all intellectual improvement, -their lives must have been gloomy, dull and -hopeless.’</p> - -<p>“When we consider the condition of woman -in the early ages we cannot be surprised at the -injunction laid upon her by the apostles. But -would John have her remain in that position? -Clearly he would; but not so her Creator. He -has called her out of former bondage and -pointed out to her a higher mission.</p> - -<p>“It is worthy of note that the writers of the -New Testament did not give us a ‘Thus saith -the Lord’ with any of the injunctions to women, -nor did our Saviour enjoin any such rules -upon her. So while we admit that the words -of the apostles may have been proper at the day -and under the circumstances of their utterance, -we claim that the condition of woman has been -so changed and her mind so educated since -that time that they are not applicable to her -now. We are told by some that her condition -thousands of years ago was her natural condition, -that in which God placed her and intended -her to remain. If this be so, a great wrong has<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</span> -been done her by taking her out of the condition -of ignorance and depravity in which she -then existed. An educated mind cannot be -kept in slavery. Our system of education is -all wrong if God intended her to remain the -ignorant slave of man she then was. How -comes it that, if that was her natural God-ordained -position, we find her condition so different -at the present day? Whether right or -wrong, that condition has greatly changed ever -since the introduction of Christianity. And -this work, this change, is not of herself, not of -man. We must recognize in her course the -direction and guidance of a Higher Power. If -this change, this progress, tend to evil (as its -opponents predict), then He who rules and -overrules is for some wise purpose of His own -bringing the evil on the world. But if, as we -believe, it is for the good not only of woman -but of humanity then, too, we should recognize -the Higher Power that so orders it and do -what we may to help forward His work. In -any case we cannot by opposition, Bible argument, -or indifference stay His work and will.</p> - -<p>“Woman had a part to play in life that St. -Paul never dreamed of, and he who lives in the -next generation will see greater changes than -the past has produced. As well say that men<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</span> -should be and do as they were and did in the -days of Abraham, as to say that women should -be kept in the state of bondage in which she -existed thousands of years ago. The world -moves and woman must move with it. She -inherits the same blood, the same spirit of liberty, -that descends to her brother and for -which her fathers bled and died. To fight -against this progression is like fighting against -the emancipation of the slaves. As the chains -of the latter were broken and the oppressed -set free, in spite of opposition and Bible argument, -so will the All-Father, in His own good -time and way, bring about the emancipation -of woman and make her the equal with man in -power and dominion that He proclaimed her -to be at the creation, that we may have—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container fs90"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent22">“‘everywhere</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Two heads in council, two beside the hearth,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Two in the tangled business of the world,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Two in the liberal offices of life.’</div> - <div class="right">“A.B.”</div> - </div> -</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer, in commenting on an article -in the Chicago <cite>Tribune</cite> stating that women -should not be called by their husbands’ titles, -wrote for the <cite>Western Woman’s Journal</cite> as -follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</span></p> - - -<h3>NAMES OF MARRIED WOMEN.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“I am glad the <cite>Tribune</cite> has spoken out on -this question, and had it gone further and included -names as well as titles in its criticisms -it would have done better. It has become so -much the fashion for women to call themselves -and to be known by their husbands’ names and -titles that a woman’s Christian name is seldom -heard or known. Why a woman as soon as -she is married is willing to drop the good name -of Mary or Elizabeth and take that of John, -Thomas or Harry I never could understand. -And as to titles, why a woman should be called -Mrs. General, Mrs. Colonel, Mrs. Captain or -Mrs. Judge I don’t know except it be on the -principle that husband and wife are one and -that one the husband, and the wife is his appendage -and must be known by his title instead -of having an individuality of her own.</p> - -<p>“So far is this matter of appropriating names -and titles carried, that women retain them after -the death of the husbands and call themselves -Mrs. Colonel or Mrs. Doctor when there is no -such doctor or colonel in existence. It would -seem as though, the man being dead, his title -would die with him and henceforth his wife -assume her Christian name.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</span></p> - -<p>“Quite recently an inquiry came to me from -New York for the Christian name of a woman -who had been quite prominent. On looking -over letters and papers bearing her name I -found that in every instance she had used her -husband’s initials, and it was only after sending a -postal with the inquiry one hundred and fifty -miles that I learned her name and transmitted -it to New York. This is but one instance of -the many where women use the name of the -husband with ‘Mrs.’ prefixed whenever they -have occasion to write their names.</p> - -<p>“But women are not alone to blame in the -matter. The press does its part to keep up -what the <cite>Tribune</cite> calls a vulgar custom. We -have an instance at hand. Only a short time -ago the daily press announced that ‘Mrs. -Colonel C. S. Chase, of Omaha, is very ill.’ -And again a short time after it announced ‘the -death of Mrs. Colonel Chase,’ thus following -the woman to the grave with her husband’s -name and title. She was not a colonel, had -never been a colonel, and it surely would have -been more proper to say Mary, the wife of Col. -Chase. Doubtless all have fallen into the custom -thoughtlessly.</p> - -<p>“Where a woman has earned a title of her -own, it is right that she should be called by it,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</span> -and I see no reason why the prefix of Mrs. -should always be attached. It would be quite -improper to say Mr. Doctor Green; then why -should we say Mrs. Doctor Hilton?</p> - -<p>“There are cases where it may be allowable -and necessary to use the husband’s initials -when naming or addressing his wife, but -usually it is best for her to retain and be known -by the name her parents gave her. The name -or title of her husband gives no additional dignity -or character to her, and it sinks her own -individuality in him; which no woman should -allow.</p> - -<p>“Ever since the world began all women of -note have been known by their own Christian -names. Adam named his wife Eve and we -have no account of her ever being called Mrs. -Adam. Victoria of England has never called -herself Mrs. Albert Saxe-Coburg, nor has -Eugénie been known as Mrs. Emperor Louis -Napoleon. Go back through all history and -all married queens, all members of royal houses, -all married women of any distinction such as -artists, authors, scholars, teachers, actresses, -singers, etc., have ever been known and called -by their Christian names. In our own day and -country this is the universal custom. Lydia -H. Sigourney, Emma Willard, Margaret Fuller<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</span> -Ossoli, Lucretia Mott, Frances D. Gage, Mary -A. Livermore, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Paulina -W. Davis, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Lucy -Stone Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, -Celia Burleigh, and a host of others of equal or -less note never called themselves Mrs. John, -Mrs. Tom and Mrs. Henry. Anna Mary -Howitt, Dinah Maria Muloch, and Elizabeth -Barrett Browning may be given as instances of -English writers who have seen fit to drop their -own names and adopt the Christian name and -title of their husbands. The wife of our first -president is known and revered in memory as -Martha Washington, instead of Mrs. George -or Mrs. General Washington; and Susannah -Wesley is far better known than Mrs. Rev. -John Wesley.</p> - -<p>“In law, women must use their own names -and no document is legal unless it bears the -Christian name of the woman who signed it. -Her appointment to any office is always made -in her own name and not that of her husband. -And yet many women have gotten the idea -that their husbands’ names and titles in some -way add to their dignity and importance and -so appropriate them to their own use.</p> - -<p>“May the day soon come when all this will -be done away and women bear honored titles<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</span> -of their own, earned and conferred, but not -borrowed!</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>IS IT RIGHT FOR WOMEN TO LECTURE?</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer answered this question through -the press as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The press has been very severe, in some -instances, in its strictures upon a certain -woman of this state for leaving home and husband -to go before our public as a lecturer, -thereby as they claim causing her husband to -commit a fearful crime.</p> - -<p>“Now supposing, instead of being out lecturing, -and home frequently, this woman had gone -away on a three months’ visit to friends—as -many ladies are in the habit of doing—would -the press be as ready to blame her as it now -is? Would she be, and are other women, -guilty of all the crime and wrongdoing which -she or their husbands may commit in their -absence? And would it be right, would it be -manly, to publicly accuse these women and -hold them up to censure? Is not their suffering -already sufficient without this added sting? -Why, pray, is it a more heinous offense to -leave home to lecture than to visit, to travel<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</span> -abroad, or to sojourn for months at fashionable -watering places?</p> - -<p>“I know nothing of the domestic affairs of -the person referred to. She has been to some -extent a lecturer on temperance. Whether led -into it by pecuniary necessity, or solely from inclination -or a desire to do good, I never knew. -But be the case as it may she is the first woman -lecturer, so far as my knowledge extends, whose -husband has ever disgraced both himself and -her by such or any similar crime or any crime -at all; while the cases are frequent of wives -who are keepers at home and faithful guardians -of family relations being humbled and disgraced -by husbands guilty of all manner of crimes and -wickedness. Men claim to be the stronger -both mentally and physically. Then why are -they ready to shoulder upon women the responsibility -of their own wrongdoing? Why -make the so-called ‘weaker vessel’ the scapegoat -to bear their sins?</p> - -<p>“But it was ever thus. The first Adam, the -‘lord of creation,’ tried to shield himself by accusing -Eve and putting upon her the punishment -of his transgression. And all Adams -from that time to this have imitated his weakness -and meanness by doing the same thing. -Let the strong bear the burdens of the weak, is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</span> -I believe a Scripture injunction, but men have -reversed this and put upon the weak and -powerless the burdens they are too cowardly -to bear themselves. In these days the Adams -abound and, no matter of what crime they may -be guilty, some daughter of Eve must be made -to sorrow, not only over the fall of a loved one -but by seeing herself publicly accused of being -in some way accessory to the crime.</p> - -<p>“If a man commits suicide, it is forthwith -charged to unpleasant domestic relations. If -another, in a fit of insanity, takes himself out -of the world his wife’s extravagance is the -cause. So, too, ‘the extravagance of the wife’ -is offered as an excuse for the reckless spendthrift -and defaulter. If a man deserts his -wife and family and goes after strange women, -the wife is in some way to blame for it; and if -he gratifies his lust by the ruin of innocent girls, -there are enough of his fellows to come to his -defense by implicating his wife as the guilty -cause of his ruin. And so on to the end of the -chapter, the same old story: ‘The woman whom -Thou gavest me did it.’ What a pitiful sneaking -plea to come from the self-styled ‘lords of -creation,’ the boasted superiors of woman!</p> - -<p>“I object to this frequent blaming of -women for the misdeeds of men and in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</span> -name of all womanhood protest against its -injustice.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S RIGHT TO PREACH.</h3> - -<p>On this subject Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The question of woman’s right to preach -has been agitated more since the action of the -Brooklyn presbytery in arraigning Dr. Cuyler -for allowing Miss Smiley to occupy his pulpit -than ever before. Instead of this action having -the effect of preventing a repetition of the -offense, or of convincing the people of its wrong -or sinfulness, and silencing women preachers, -the discussion has resulted favorably to the -women and encouraged them in their good -work.</p> - -<p>“Two weeks ago Miss Smiley preached on -Sunday both in a Methodist and Presbyterian -church in Buffalo, N. Y., by invitation of the -pastors of the churches, and she has preached -in other orthodox churches since the Brooklyn -trial, and no one has been called to account for -a transgression of the rules.</p> - -<p>“In St. Louis, the women of the Union<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</span> -Methodist church lately held a meeting to express -their sense of the propriety and need of -an ordained ministry for women in the church. -The meeting is said to have been spirited and -earnest, and embraced many of the leading -women of the Methodist church and of other -denominations. They offered their own -prayers, made their own speeches, and called -no man to their aid. The proceedings and -speeches are reported at length in the <cite>Democrat</cite>, -and reflect much credit upon the able women -engaged in them. The following memorial reported -by the committee was unanimously -adopted:</p> - -<p>“‘To the General Conference of the Methodist -Church. Fathers and Brethren: We the -undersigned members of the Methodist church -respectfully but earnestly petition your venerable -body to take such action, at your coming -session in Brooklyn, New York, as may be -necessary to allow women to be ordained as -preachers, subject only to such requirements as -are defined in our discipline.’</p> - -<p>“In this, as in all other reforms, persecution -and opposition strengthen the cause they would -crush. The result of the anti-slavery movement -should convince all that any God-ordained -progressive movement, though it may be stayed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</span> -for a time, cannot be killed and buried because -men will it so.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>PETTICOAT PRESENTATION.</h3> - -<p>Some ladies of Quincy having presented a -petticoat to some obnoxious individual, Mrs. -Bloomer wrote as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It has long been customary for men, when -they wish to express great contempt for the action -of an individual, or to hold him up to the -scorn and ridicule of the world, to present him -with a <em>petticoat</em>. No matter whether the action -be one of meanness and cowardice, or one of -heroism in defense of a good cause, the man -so acting must be degraded in the eyes of the -world by the offer of a woman’s garment—no -other being found sufficiently expressive -of the disgust of its contemners. It has always -seemed strange to me that men were willing to -dishonor the mothers who bore them and the -wives they have chosen for life-companions by -thus selecting one of their garments as the most -fitting badge of cowardice, of meanness, of -treachery, of weakness, of littleness of soul; -and I have never heard of an instance of the -kind but my cheek has tingled with shame and -indignation—shame that men could thus unblushingly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</span> -offer insult to woman, indignation -that woman must receive and submit tamely -to the insult.</p> - -<p>“But if such action on the part of men has -been painful to me, much more so is the action -of the women of Quincy as given in last week’s -<cite>Chronotype</cite>. It is bad enough for men thus to -dishonor and insult us; but when woman imitates -them in wrongdoing and desecrates her -own garment to so bad a use, it is doubly to be -deplored, for it is an admission that we are -guilty of all the weakness and meanness they -attribute to us and that our garment is chosen -to represent. It should rather be woman’s part -to frown down all such acts with any part of her -costume, and ever stand ready to defend it from -dishonor.</p> - -<p>“I by no means wish to condemn the ladies -of Quincy for showing their contempt of the -‘gallant soldier of Kansas.’ Far from it, I -admit their spirit and glory in their womanly -courage; for I hold it to be the right and duty -of woman to mark the slanderer, to speak out -against wrong, to defend the injured and innocent, -and to drive out and put down immorality -and crime, by the power of her own might if -need be. I only differ with them in the manner -of punishing the coward and would have counseled<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</span> -a more womanly course. Had they -waited upon the ‘slanderer’ and ‘coward,’ expressed -in strong terms their scorn and contempt -for his actions, and warned him to leave -the town, it would have been more creditable -to them and to the sex than was the presentation -of the ‘red flannel garment’—a woman’s -garment—as a badge of all that is most despicable -in man. I am too jealous of the good -name of woman, and hold in too much respect -a woman’s petticoat to see it disgraced by any -‘slanderer,’ ‘coward’ or ‘whipped puppy,’ and -I would to the last defend it from such disgrace.</p> - -<p>“If that garment is in reality the badge of cowardice -and inferiority that men would make it to -be, then the sooner it is abandoned by woman -and one more appropriate to her true character -substituted the better. But it is not so. On -the contrary it is honored by having been worn -by the good, the great, the noble, the heroic, the -virtuous, the honorable, the gifted, the most -highly praised and exalted among women; and -so long as it continues to be so worn it is entitled -to respect from both men and women, and -he who dares treat it with disrespect should -receive the censures of men and the scorn of -women.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</span></p> - -<p>“The error of the Quincy women was one -of the head and not of the heart. Women are -sometimes led into error by unthinkingly imitating -the follies and vices of men, or by acting -under their direction. In the ‘good time coming,’ -when women learn to do their own thinking -and to rely more on their own judgments, -they will rarely be led into wrong or unwise -action. May the day hasten speedily on when -woman’s dormant powers shall be so developed -by education that she will stand forth before -the world in all the nobleness and excellence of -her being! Then no longer will men revile her -garments or taunt her as they now too often -do, directly or indirectly, with cowardice, inferiority -and weakness of intellect.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>OBJECTIONS TO WOMAN SUFFRAGE ANSWERED.</h3> - -<p>While the woman-suffrage amendment was -before the general assembly of Iowa, Senator -Gaylord, a member of that body, published a -list of twenty-one reasons why it should not -be adopted. These Mrs. Bloomer, in a letter -to the Des Moines <cite>Register</cite>, answered as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“1. He says ‘it is not in the interest or in -the disposition of man to legislate against -woman,’ etc. And yet for ages men have legislated -against woman and deprived her of all -right to her own person, her earnings, her property, -and her children. The common law -places woman in a position little better than -that of slavery. And this law was made by -men; and it was not until the agitation of the -woman’s-rights question by women, and their -exposure of the injustice of the laws and their -demands for redress of grievances, that changes -were made in their favor. If the senator does -not know of this, let him read up the common -law on these points and the history of the -woman-suffrage question for the last thirty -years, and he will find that up to that time it -<em>was</em> the ‘disposition of men to legislate against’ -every interest of woman.</p> - -<p>“2. He says ‘she ought not to be compelled -by law to work out a poll-tax in the public -highway, nor to learn the art of butchery on -the battlefield.’ Most certainly she ought not, -but she could hire a substitute to do these -things, just as Senator Gaylord does. I venture -the assertion, without knowing, that he did -not earn his right to the ballot by the bullet -or by shoveling dirt on the highways. If only<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</span> -those who do these things were allowed to vote -the number of voters would be small indeed.</p> - -<p>“3. ‘Because there is no evidence that the -most intelligent women ask for the miserable -privilege of becoming politicians.’ Does the -senator think that it is a miserable privilege to -have the right to the ballot, the right to vote -for good men and measures, the right to self-protection, -the right to sit in the halls of legislation -making wise and just laws for the government -of his country, which shall tend to the -interest and happiness of the whole people? -One who prizes these privileges so lightly -should be deprived of them and the wonder is -that, holding such opinions as he does, we find -a ‘miserable politician’ having his seat in the -legislative hall of this great state, where he -surely ought not to be. The fact that the -women and the men who are asking for the -enfranchisement of women are among the most -intelligent, refined, affectionate and exemplary -citizens is too patent to need proof from me.</p> - -<p>“4. ‘Because woman is superior to man, and -she owes her superiority to the fact that she -has never waded in the dirty pool of politics.’ -Dear me! how worried this man is about the -‘dirty,’ ‘miserable’ politics! And again how -strange, knowing the pool to be so muddy, that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</span> -he has waded in so deep! and to think of his -going home to his family with all this filth upon -him! Really, if the place is so muddy it is -high time that woman come in, with all the -purity and goodness he gives her credit for, -and sweep out the dirt that is befouling her -husband and sons and make it a more fit place -for them. An atmosphere that is too impure -for her to breathe cannot but be dangerous to -them, and it is her duty to rescue them from -the ‘muddy’ pool or so to cleanse it that it -will be safe for both.</p> - -<p>“5. Senator Gaylord may call himself a wizard -if he likes, and we shall not object; but -women prefer not to be angels while sojourning -here below, but rather good, sensible, practical -wives and mothers, prepared to discharge -life’s duties in whatever situation they may be -placed—in the home, at the ballot-box or in -legislative halls, wherever duty, interest and -inclination may lead them.</p> - -<p>“6. ‘Because a deference is now shown to -women, which would be denied,’ etc. Deference -shown to women does not make up for -deprivation of rights, Mr. Gaylord. Besides, it -is not a fact, but on the contrary, that equality -of rights, politically or otherwise, leads men to -disrespect woman. Give us rights and then, if<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</span> -you must, withhold courtesy: I trust we should -have strength to bear it.</p> - -<p>“7. ‘Because, if married women should vote -against their husbands, there would be war.’ -And who would make the war, Mr. Gaylord? -No man, except one who wishes to play the -tyrant in his family and enslave his wife’s -thought and actions, could ever utter so silly -a reason for depriving her of rights to which -she is as justly entitled as himself. Does he -question the right of a man to do his own -thinking and vote as he pleases? Why then a -woman? The very fact that he thus claims -the right to make her action subservient to his -wishes, or to make war upon her if she does not -submit to his own dictation, is reason sufficient -why her individuality and right to self-government -should be recognized and secured to her -by making her an enfranchised citizen.</p> - -<p>“8. ‘Because there are bad women,’ etc. -Well, why may not bad women vote as well as -bad men? If they had had a vote long ago -perhaps they would not be bad now, and perhaps -there would not be so many bad men -either. I would sooner trust those women to -vote right than many men who now disgrace -the ballot; and as to any contamination at the -polls, we no more fear it than on the streets, at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</span> -public gatherings, in the stores, and in various -places where we meet and brush by them unharmed. -We have more to fear from the men -who make women bad. But, inasmuch as -many women are compelled to associate in the -closest relations with these men, and we all -have to tolerate them in society, and come in -contact with them in business matters, we -think no great harm can come to us by dropping -a bit of paper in the same box. But if -there is really danger from such contact, we -can avoid it by having voting places for our -own sex away from theirs.</p> - -<p>“9. ‘Because, if a woman trains up her children -right, they will vote right.’ etc. No, not -always. The training of the mother is often -counteracted by the influence, authority and example -of the father, and the two might differ -as to what was right. The mother might teach -her son that the ballot is a high and sacred -thing, a mighty power to be wielded for the -best interests and happiness of humanity, a -power for the putting down of evil and for -the forming and sustaining just governments; -while the father might teach him that the right -of the elective franchise is a ‘miserable privilege,’ -that it leads to a ‘muddy pool’ into -which all must wade, that it is all ‘moonshine<span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</span> -and monsoons’ and that the ‘privilege of voting -is not to be so much desired as the privilege -of being voted for.’ Which training is he to -follow? Where lies the danger?</p> - -<p>“10. The senator here claims that men are -‘vain, ambitious and aspiring, caring more to -be voted for than to vote,’ and he fears that -women will show the same weakness if permitted -to vote. It is to be hoped, for the -credit of womanhood, that if a woman ever -takes his seat she will not disgrace herself by -the utterance of such senseless twaddle in opposition -to any measure as characterized his -effort on the proposed amendment!</p> - -<p>“13. ‘Because there must be a dividing line, -somewhere, between those who may vote and -who may not,’ etc. Then why not let the -educated, intelligent, sober and moral of both -sexes vote, and shut out the ignorant, drunken -and immoral? Why let men vote and make -laws, no matter how low and vile they may be, -simply because they are men while those who -are subject to the man-made laws are denied -the right to vote, simply because they are -women? The line so drawn is unnatural, -unjust, and productive of great wrong to all -parties. The line as now drawn shuts out only -Indians, idiots, and women.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</span></p> - -<p>“14. Here our senator throws all the responsibility -upon the ‘All-wise Author of our -natures,’ and claims that He has made laws to -prevent woman entering the ‘moonshine and -monsoon of politics,’ forgetting that God called -Deborah to the political field and made her a -judge in Israel, and that for all time there have -been queens and rulers among women, evidently -with God’s approval. The All-Father gave -woman an intelligent mind and capacity for -governing, and then left her free to exercise -her gifts as she saw fit; and if there be times -when by sickness or other circumstance she -may be prevented from the discharge of political -duties, so also there are times and circumstances -when men are kept from the polls and -from office, and if this be reason why the former -should not be enfranchised then it is also reason -why the latter should be disfranchised.</p> - -<p>“15. ‘Because the wife has a voice and a -vote already, and her husband is her agent to -carry that vote to the ballot-box.’ How is it -about the thousands of women who have no -husbands to do such errands for them? How -does this proxy-voting work when the wife -differs with the husband on the question to be -voted on? Does he waive his own preference -and deposit the vote in accordance with her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</span> -wishes? If he does not, then does he represent -her? The only just course is to let her deposit -her own vote; then both will be represented. -Now, they are not. Man deposits his vote -regardless of his wife’s interests and wishes.</p> - -<p>“17. ‘Because there cannot be two equal -heads in the same family.’ ‘Where the wife is -anybody, the husband must be a nobody.’ ‘If -the wife has sense enough to vote, the husband -is dwarfed.’ So, according to our senator, the -wife should be a weak-minded, senseless thing -deprived of all right of opinion, so that the -husband may rise to the dignity of a voter. -Is not this sound logic? Did the superior -brain of man ever before conceive of so strong -an argument why woman should not vote? -Two heads are better than one, Mr. Senator, -and there may be two equal heads in the same -family, at the same time, and neither of them -be ‘dwarfed’ or belittled by the superiority of -the other. If such is not the condition of your -family, your wife is a subject for sympathy.</p> - -<p>“18. ‘Because politics would pervert and -destroy woman’s nature, the religious element,’ -etc. God implanted in woman’s nature a love -of home and a love of her offspring, and also -an instinctive knowledge of what is proper and -what improper for her to do; and it needs no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</span> -laws of man’s making to incite the one or compel -the other. Give her her rights and her own -good sense will teach her how to use them. -Does the ballot change man’s nature for the -worse? Why then woman’s?</p> - -<p>“Pp. 11, 12, 19, 20 and 21. These concluding -reasons show a dreadful imaginative picture -of the condition of things that would exist in -the family should women be permitted to go -to the polls and exercise the rights secured to -them by the laws of their country. ‘Strife, -contention, jealousy, hatred, slander, rivalry, -intemperance, licentiousness, temper, retaliation, -suicide, suspicion, discord, divorce,’ all -these are to come to our good senator’s family -when his wife has a right to vote. He anticipates -it all and is doing all he can to avert the -dire calamity. But while he is to be commiserated, -he must remember that all families -are not alike, and where he sees only dire disaster -other men see the dawning of a better -day and are ready to ‘turn the crank’ that shall -hasten it on. Other men do not fear and -tremble; but calmly await the time when they -can take their wives on their arms and, side by -side, go to the polls and drop in the little -paper that declares them equal in rights and -privileges. In these families there will be no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</span> -war, for such men are proud to own their wives -their equals and do not feel that they themselves -are dwarfed thereby. As the ballot elevates and -ennobles man, so they believe it will be with -woman, and they cannot understand how rendering -justice to her is going to convert her into -the coarse, vile, quarrelsome thing our senator -predicts, or how acknowledging her the equal -of her husband is going to ‘dwarf’ men and convert -them into ruffians and nobodies.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>ON HOUSEKEEPING—WOMAN’S BURDENS.</h3> - -<p>The following essay on this subject was read -by Mrs. Bloomer before a local society or club in -Council Bluffs:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It has always seemed to me that there was -something wrong in the present system of -housekeeping. Men have particular branches -of business to which they give their exclusive -attention, and never attempt to carry on three -or four trades at the same time. Housekeeping -comprises at least three trades, that of cook, -laundress and seamstress, to which might be -added that of house cleaning; and yet it is expected -of woman that she will single-handed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</span> -successfully carry on these various trades, and -at the same time bear and rear children and -teach them to become great and good. How -long would men undergo a like amount of labor -without devising some means of lightening and -separating its burdens?</p> - -<p>“I wish to call your attention to the fact -that in the mythical second chapter of Genesis, -upon which men lay so much stress as their -authority for subjugating and belittling the -position of woman, no toil was imposed on our -Mother Eve. The ground was cursed for man’s -sake, and he was to labor and eat his bread in -the sweat of his face. But to woman no command -to labor was given, no toil laid upon her, -no ground or stove cursed for her sake. She -was to bear children; but motherhood was -never cursed by the Almighty. Woman is the -mother of mankind, the living Providence -(under God) who gives to every human being -its mental, moral and physical organization, -who stamps upon every human heart her seal -for good or for evil. How important then that -her surroundings be pleasant, her thoughts -elevated, her mind imbued with the best and -noblest traits, her individuality acknowledged, -her freedom assured, that she may impart wise -and noble characters to her children, surround<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</span> -them with good influences and train them in -all goodness and virtue! This is the part of -woman. But how can she be fitted for such -life work when subjected to the whims and commands -of another, to the constant round of -housekeeping labor, to toil and drudgery, to -cares, annoyances and perplexities which she -has not health and strength and nerve to bear? -How can one woman cook and wash dishes -three times a day, sweep and dust the house, -wash and iron, scrub and clean, make and mend -and darn for a family, and yet have time or -spirit for the improvement of her own mind so -that she may stamp strong characters upon her -children? How can a mother whose every -hour from early morn to late at night is filled -with cares and worries and toil to supply the -physical needs of her family find time or be -prepared to instruct properly the tender minds -committed to her care?</p> - -<p>“It is to woman’s weary hours and broken -health, and to her subject, unhappy and unsatisfactory -position, that we may impute much -of the evil, vice and crime that are abroad. -And to the same cause are due so many -domestic quarrels, separations and divorces. -Children are born into the world with the stamp -of the mother’s mind upon them. I believe it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</span> -is conceded that children are more indebted -to their mothers than to their fathers for their -natural gifts. How important then that every -facility be afforded the mother for making good -impressions on her child! How strange that -men so entirely overlook this law of inheritance! -What can they expect of children when the -mother is degraded and enslaved?</p> - -<p>“Is there not some way of relief from this -drudging, weary work over the cook stove, -washtub and sewing machine; from this load of -labor and care? Why should one hundred -women in each of one hundred separate houses -be compelled to do the work that could equally -as well or better be done by less than one-fifth -of that number by some reasonable and just -system of coöperation? Why cannot the cooking -and washing and sewing be all attended to -in a coöperative establishment, and thus relieve -women, and mothers particularly, of the heavy -burdens their fourfold labors now impose upon -them, and give them time for self-improvement -and the care and culture of their children? -It is said that in the city of New York there -are but 30,000 household servants to more than -270,000 families. By this we see that nine out -of every ten wives and mothers in that city are -subjected to the daily round of household labor.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</span> -Can we not trace a large percentage of the vice -and degradation of that city to that cause? -And this state of things will hold good to a -large extent over the whole country.</p> - -<p>“Time is not allowed me to go into the -details of coöperative housekeeping, even -had I the matter well matured in my own -mind, which I have not. But I have given -reasons why some plan should be devised to -relieve woman of hard labor and crushing care, -and I leave it for her who is to follow on my -side of the question to present a plan that shall -recommend itself to our approval.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>THE CIVIL WAR.</h3> - -<p>The War of the Rebellion aroused the feelings, -as also the patriotism, of the women of -the Northern states to a high state of activity. -Perhaps at first they did not enter into the contest -so earnestly as did the women of the -South, that is, their feelings were not so deeply -aroused; but ere long, as the war went on, they -came up nobly to the duties before them and -were henceforward unwearied and unremitting -in their discharge. Their fathers, brothers, sons<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</span> -and husbands were in the armies of the Union -periling their lives for its complete restoration. -They could but hope that success might crown -their efforts, and in various ways they sought -to help on the contest until the end should be -reached, the republic saved; and many also -hoped and prayed that, when victory came, it -would bring also the complete destruction of -slavery. Mrs. Bloomer entered into this feeling, -and the work done by the women of the North, -with all the energies of her ardent spirit. Two -regiments were raised in Council Bluffs and the -vicinity, and many of the young men of the -city were in their ranks. The women did a -great deal towards providing them with camp -conveniences and furnishing them with needed -clothing and other comforts necessary for the -arduous and dangerous life on which they were -about to enter. Each day, dress parade found -very many on the regimental grounds encouraging -“the boys” in the discharge of their -duties. Among other things, a beautiful flag -was prepared and Mrs. Bloomer was delegated -by the ladies to present it to company A,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</span> -which had been mainly recruited in the city. -This she did in the presence of the whole regiment, -in the following short speech:</p> - - -<h3>MRS. BLOOMER’S ADDRESS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Captain Craig, Sir: In behalf of the loyal -ladies of Council Bluffs I present to you, and -through you to the company you command, -this flag. Its materials are not of so rich a -texture as we could have wished, but they are -the best our city afforded; and we hope that -you will accept it as an expression of our respect -for yourself and your company, and our warm -sympathy for the cause you go forth to uphold. -This flag has emblazoned upon it the stars and -stripes of our country. It was under these -that our Fathers fought the battle of the Revolution -and secured for us that priceless gift, -the Constitution of the United States.</p> - -<p>“You are now going forth to sustain and -defend that Constitution against an unjust and -monstrous rebellion, fomented and carried -on by wicked and ambitious men, who have -for their object the overthrow of the best -government the world has ever seen. To this -noble cause we dedicate this flag. We know -you will carry it proudly, gallantly and bravely -on the field of battle and wherever you go, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</span> -we trust it may ever be to you the emblem of -victory.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers: We cannot part with you without -a few words of counsel and warning. In -the new and dangerous path you are entering -upon, let us entreat you to guard well your -steps and keep yourselves aloof from every -vice. Avoid, above all things, profanity and -the intoxicating cup. The latter slays annually -more than fall on the battlefield. The hearts -of mothers, wives and sisters go forth after you. -Many tears will be shed and many prayers -will be offered in your behalf. See to it, then, -that you so conduct yourselves that whatever -may befall you, whether you fall in the service -of your country or return to gladden the hearts -of the loved ones you leave behind and to -enjoy the peace you will have conquered—that -no sting shall pierce their hearts, no stain -rest on your fair fame. Go forth in your sense -of right, relying on the justice of your cause. -Seek peace with God your Saviour, that you -may be prepared to meet His summons should -it come suddenly, or to enjoy life should it -please Him to spare you for many days.</p> - -<p>“Our good wishes go with you, and we shall -ever hold you in honorable remembrance; and -when this important war is ended which calls<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</span> -you from us, and you are discharged from duty, -we shall heartily welcome you back to your -home and friends.”</p> -</div> - -<p>This address was delivered at dress parade -just as the sun was going down and only a day -or two before the regiment left for the front. -The volunteer soldiers listened with deep -emotion, and when allusion was made to the -homes and friends left behind many a stout -heart heaved and tears trickled down many a -manly face.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Kinsman, in behalf of Captain -Craig, accepted the flag from Mrs. Bloomer in -a neat and appropriate address.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Kinsman had been a partner of -her husband and a dear friend of Mrs. Bloomer’s; -over his subsequent career she watched with -the greatest interest. He soon rose to be the -captain of his company, then a lieutenant-colonel, -and then colonel of an Iowa regiment -at whose head he fell bravely fighting at the -Battle of Black River Bridge, in Mississippi, in -1863. As showing the earnest patriotism of -Mrs. Bloomer and her intelligent appreciation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</span> -of the great questions involved in it, the following -letter written by her to the convention -of loyal women in New York City in 1864 is -here inserted:</p> - - -<h3>LETTER TO CONVENTION OF LOYAL WOMEN.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="no-indent"> -“<span class="smcap">Miss Anthony</span>:<br> -</p> - -<p>“Your letter inviting me to meet in council -with the loyal women of the nation -on the 14th inst. in the city of New York -is received. Most gladly does my heart -respond to the call for such a meeting, and -most earnestly do I hope that the deliberations -on that occasion will result in much good to -woman and to the cause you meet to promote.</p> - -<p>“The women of the North are charged by -the press with a lack of zeal and enthusiasm in -the war. The charge may be true to some extent. -Though for the most part the women of -the loyal states are loyal to the government, -and in favor of sustaining its every measure -for putting down the rebellion, yet they do not -I fear enter fully into the spirit of the revolution, -or share greatly in the enthusiasm and -devotion which sustain the women of the South -in their struggle for what they believe their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</span> -independence and freedom from oppression. -This is owing, doubtless, to the war being -waged on soil remote from us, to women -having no part in the active contest, and to the -deprivation and heart-sorrows it has occasioned -them. There are too many who think only of -themselves and too little of the sufferings of -the soldiers who have volunteered to save their -country. While they are willing to give of -their time and means to relieve the sick and -wounded, they at the same time decry the -war, lament the sacrifices and expenditure it -occasions, think it should have been prevented -by a compromise and long for peace on -almost any terms. These think not of the great -cause at stake, they care not for the poor slave, -think not of the future of our country, and -fail to see the hand of God in the movement -punishing the nation for sin and leading it -up through much suffering and tribulation to -a brighter and more glorious destiny.</p> - -<p>“But there is a class of women who have -looked beyond the mere clash of arms and the -battlefield of the dead and dying, and recognize -the necessity and importance of this dark -hour of trial to our country. The first cannon -fired at Sumter sounded in their ears the -death knell of slavery and proclaimed the will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</span> -of the Almighty to this nation. These have -never believed we should have peace or great -success until the doom of slavery was irrevocably -sealed. That seal has been set. Our -noble President has bowed to the will of the -Supreme Power and by the guidance and sustaining -spirit of that Power will, I trust, lead -our country successfully through the great and -fearful struggle and place it upon a firm and -more enduring basis.</p> - -<p>“The contest has outlasted the expectation -of all, and has cost the nation a vast amount -of blood and treasure. It has called into the -field a million or more of soldiers, and the -number of fathers, brothers and sons slain upon -the battlefield and wasted away in camps and -hospitals is counted by hundreds of thousands, -while its expenses run up to billions. And -still the war for the Union, for Freedom, and the -integrity of our national boundaries goes forward; -and in the hearts of true Union men -everywhere the firm resolve has been made -that it shall go on until the rebellion is crushed, -cost what it may, and continue though it should -last as long as did the war which brought our -nation into existence.</p> - -<p>“Now the question for us to consider is: -Are we prepared for the further and continued<span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</span> -sacrifice? Have we yet more sons and brothers -to yield up on the altar of our country? To -this question let every loyal woman address -herself; and I fondly hope that the proceedings -of your convention will be such as to -nerve woman for whatever sacrifice and trial -await her.</p> - -<p>“I know there are many women in whose -hearts the love of country and of justice is -strong, and who are willing to incur any loss -and make almost any sacrifice rather than that -the rebellion should succeed and the chains of -the bondmen be more firmly riveted. If they -manifest less enthusiasm than their patriotic -brothers it is because they have not so great -an opportunity for its exercise. The customs -of society do not permit any stormy or noisy -manifestation of feeling on the part of woman. -But the blood of Revolutionary sires flows as -purely in her veins as in those of her more -favored brothers, and she can feel as deeply, -suffer as intensely, and endure as bravely as -do they.</p> - -<p>“But I would have her do more than suffer -and endure. I would that she should not only -resolve to stand by the government of the -Union in its work of defeating the schemes of -its enemies, but that she should let her voice<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</span> -go forth to the government in clear and unmistakable -tones against any peace with -rebels, except upon the basis of entire submission -to the authority of the government. -Against the schemes and plans of the ‘peace -party’ in the North the loyal women everywhere -protest. That party seeks to obtain -peace through compromise, and it advocates an -armistice with rebels who ask for none. Such -a peace we do not want, for it would be either -brought about by the recognition of the rebel -government, or by base and dishonorable submission -to its demands. To either of these -results we are alike opposed. When peace -comes, let it come through the complete -triumph of the Union army; and with the -destruction of the great cause of the rebellion, -which we all know to be African Slavery.</p> - -<p>“What part woman is to take in the work, -and in what way she can best hold up the hands -and cheer the heart of the great man who is at -the head of our government, will be for the -loyal women in council to determine.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - -<p>The ladies of Council Bluffs were zealous in -sending clothing and necessary hospital stores -to the soldiers fighting at the front. Mrs.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</span> -Bloomer was one of the most active in this -work. She was placed on many committees, -often at the head of them, and her house was -a centre around which their efforts were -directed. She was a thorough patriot, and did -all in her power to promote the welfare of -those who were fighting the battle of the Union. -She attended for three weeks the great Sanitary -Fair held in Chicago in the early part of 1865, -and previous to going to it had been largely -instrumental in collecting the noble contribution -sent thither by Iowa. Here, for the first -time, she met General Grant, the illustrious -commander of the Union armies. Mrs. -Bloomer had never been classed among the -“abolitionists,” but she was nevertheless an -intense hater of slavery and the slave power, -and no one rejoiced more sincerely that the -war finally ended with the overthrow of that -blight upon the fair name of our country.</p> - - -<h3>VISITS WASHINGTON.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer, after her removal to the West, -made occasional visits to her old home in New<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</span> -York, there spending several weeks with relatives -and friends. In the autumn of 1880, with -her husband, she passed nearly a week in the -national capital viewing the noble buildings -and the wonderful collections of nature and -art with which they are so abundantly filled. -One day was spent at the Smithsonian Institution, -where the ethnological department -attracted great attention. The Patent Office -was looked through, and the Corcoran gallery -of paintings and statuary admired and -carefully inspected. One day was given to -Mount Vernon and the former residence of the -Father of his Country visited. It was a beautiful -day and the passage down and up the -Potomac delightful. The scenes at Mount -Vernon were most impressive, and made a place -in her memory never to be effaced.</p> - - -<h3>IN NEW YORK CITY.</h3> - -<p>Proceeding from Washington northward, -they spent one day in Philadelphia very pleasantly; -and, on arriving in New York, Mrs. -Bloomer and her husband arranged for a stop<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</span> -in the great metropolis of several weeks. They -spent two days with relatives in Westchester -County, and after her return Mrs. Bloomer met -her old and dear friends, Mrs. Douglass and -Mrs. Chamberlain, and had very pleasant visits -with them. A day was taken up in visiting some -of the noted places in the city, and then Mrs. -Bloomer accepted an invitation to visit Mrs. -Stanton at her residence in Tenyfly, in New -Jersey; but before she had time to do this, -word came to her of the dangerous illness of -her sister. Giving up all her plans, she at once -repaired to the residence of Mr. John Lowden, -at Waterloo, N. Y., and remained by the bedside -of her sister until her spirit passed away. -Of a large family of brothers and sisters, Mrs. -Bloomer was then the only one left. After -attending the funeral, she spent a few days with -her husband in the excellent family of her -niece, Mrs. N. J. Milliken, at Canandaigua, -N. Y., being present at the marriage of one of -her daughters; and then, after another stop in -Buffalo of a few days more, returned to Council -Bluffs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</span></p> - -<p>One more visit was made to New York, in -1889, to attend the golden anniversary of her -husband’s brother, Mr. C. A. Bloomer, of Buffalo. -The occasion was a very happy one; -and after some days spent in that city, she -once more passed on to her old home in Seneca -Falls, visiting also at Canandaigua and other -places in the vicinity.</p> - - -<h3>VISITS COLORADO.</h3> - -<p>In 1879 Mrs. Bloomer made her first journey -to Colorado, its mountains and magnificent -scenery. This was repeated in subsequent -years, the last trip having been made in 1894, -only a few months before her death. During -these tours she spent many days in Denver, -Leadville, Idaho Springs, Pueblo, Colorado -Springs, and Manitou. All the points round -the latter famous watering place were visited. -She rode through the Garden of the Gods, -Monument Park, and Cheyenne Cañon, and -traversed the great caves opened up in the -mountains. Climbing Cheyenne Mountain, -she stood on the spot where the famous poet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</span> -and writer Helen H. Jackson was laid at rest. -The scenery from this point over the surrounding -mountains and valleys is truly wonderful -and makes a great impression on all beholders.</p> - - -<h3>A LETTER.</h3> - -<p>The following descriptive letter written to a -local paper by Mrs. Bloomer from Manitou, -Colorado, August 12, 1879, gives her impression -of that place and vicinity at that time:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Our stay at Denver was a short one, as we -found the weather at that place about as hot -as in Council Bluffs. After looking over that -city for one day, we hastened on to this famed -resort for invalids and summer tourists seeking -pleasure and recreation. As usual at this -season, the hotels are crowded, and scores of -camp tents dot the hills in every direction.</p> - -<p>“We took up our temporary abode at the -Cliff House, principally because of its nearness -to the springs, three of which are in the immediate -vicinity. This is a popular house and is -crowded with guests. The Manitou and Beebe, -though farther from the springs, are full and -are first-class houses. Scores of cottages are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</span> -leased for a few weeks or months by visitors, -and many private houses take temporary -lodgers or boarders. Among owners of the latter -is Mrs. Dr. Leonard, formerly of Council Bluffs. -She is proprietor of the bath-houses here, and -is doing a good paying business, sometimes as -many as a hundred a day taking baths. She -has built a house of her own, but leases the -bath-house, which belongs to the town company. -She has also considerable practice as a -physician.</p> - -<p>“Cheyenne Cañon, Ute Pass, Williams Pass, -Pike’s Peak, the Garden of the Gods, Glen -Eyrie, Queen’s Cañon, and Monument Park are -the principal points of interest visited daily by -people here. A few mornings since, a party of -seventeen gentlemen and ladies left one hotel on -horseback for the ascent of Pike’s Peak. They -made the journey safely and returned at dark, -some of them feeling little worse for the trip, -while others were pretty well used up. Yesterday -a gentleman and lady made the same journey -on foot. As the distance is twelve miles, -all the way up the steep mountain side, this -was considered quite a feat. To-day the same -parties have gone on foot to Cheyenne Cañon, a -distance of twelve miles. I have not heard -that the lady is one of the celebrated ‘walkers,’<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</span> -but she certainly deserves that her name be -added to the list.</p> - -<p>“Yesterday we made up a party of six and -started soon after breakfast for the Garden -of the Gods, Glen Eyrie, and Monument Park. -The day was one of the finest imaginable, the -air cool and invigorating, and our driver a man -experienced in the business of showing to -tourists the wonders of this section of this -wonderful state. We found him a very intelligent -and much-traveled man, and learned -that he was one of the magistrates of the town. -Our road to the Garden of the Gods was ascending -all the way. In reply to a query as -to why the place was so named, the guide told -us a story of how a southern gentleman came -to the spot some years ago bringing with him -two colored slaves, a man and a woman. He -built here a cabin, and soon after took his -gun and started out for a further journey, leaving -the slaves behind and promising an early -return. But days and weeks passed on and -he returned not, and never was heard of more. -The negroes remained in their new home, made -improvements and planted a garden, which in -this new land was a sight to gladden the eye. -This, in connection with the grand works of -nature surrounding it, grew to be the Garden<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</span> -of the Gods, the name which has made it -famous throughout the world. So much for -the story. The negroes, Jupiter and Juno, are -no more; but the great works of nature remain -in all their grandeur, and a visit to them well -repays the traveler for the journey he takes to -see them.</p> - -<p>“The rocks in this so-called garden have been -shaped into every conceivable form by the -action of wind, water and frost. Many of them, -by a little stretch of the imagination, are made -to bear a strong resemblance to men and -animals. The prevailing formation is red sandstone, -but there are also conglomerate, gypsum -and other varieties. At the south entrance, is -a huge rock standing upon the narrowest foundation, -and seemingly ready at any moment -to topple over on the people who are constantly -passing. As the incline is a little away from -the road, it is to be hoped no such catastrophe -will ever happen, even should the rock in ages -to come be so top-heavy as to break loose from -its foundations. The Grand Gateway is a narrow -passageway between immense piles of -rocks over three hundred feet high, of irregular -outline and surface, which rise sharply and -perpendicularly like a mighty wall. These -rocks are full of holes, rifts and crevices and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</span> -chasms in which thousands of swallows have -built their nests, and we could plainly hear the -twittering of the young ones from the ledge of -rocks a few feet distant, on which we climbed. -Our guide led us to a cave under one of these -walls. The opening was near the base, and so -low that one had to bend the knees and crawl -in. The guide assured us that once inside the -cave was high and roomy. Half of our party -ventured in, but they found it too dark to see -far beyond. Those of us who remained outside -could hear the echoes of their voices high -up in the rocks, showing that there is a high -open space within the seemingly solid stone. -Other rocks but a few feet distant are of gray -color, and a little further on are large white -rocks composed of gypsum, very soft and pliable. -This is now being taken out in large -quantities to be converted into plaster of Paris.</p> - -<p>“At the time we were passing through this -huge gateway, an Iowa boy was standing on -the top of one of these towering red walls waving -a white flag, and upon the other stood a -young woman waving her handkerchief. They -looked like pygmies at that great elevation, -and but for their moving about we should have -supposed them a slight projection of rock. -These we are told are the same persons who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</span> -made the journey to Pike’s Peak mentioned -above. Their ascent up the rocks was a difficult -and dangerous one, and though our guide -proposed to lead us also up to their summit, -we declined the temptation to view the surrounding -mountains from so dizzy a height. It -is very singular that these different varieties of -rock formation should be found in so close -proximity, and they furnish abundant food for -the study of the geologist. The prevailing -shape of the rocks is high and narrow, and some -of the forms into which they have been brought -by the forces of nature are remarkably beautiful -and unique.</p> - -<p>“Passing on from this famed locality over a -smooth and level road, we visited Glen Eyrie. -This spot derives its name from an eagle’s nest -high up in a crevice or shelf of the rocks, so our -guide informed us, and also that within a year -the eagles had occupied the nest, which was -plainly visible to us, looking the size of a bushelbasket. -They have now abandoned the place. -The name Glen Eyrie is given to a large tract -of land belonging to General Palmer, president -of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. He -has fenced in this wild tract, opened a road -across it, and in a nook close under the towering -rocks by which it is surrounded and far<span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</span> -from any other habitation he has built a costly -and elegant residence. The dwelling stands at -the foot or entrance to Queen’s Cañon, a narrow -gorge up which we traveled on foot the distance -of half a mile till we reached a pool or basin -of water, eight or ten feet in diameter, which -blocked our further progress. This pool is -known as the Devil’s Punchbowl, but General -Palmer has named it the Mermaid’s Bathtub. -Whether either devils or mermaids come here -to either drink or bathe, history does not record. -Our path was over big stones and rocks, and -along the bed of a mountain torrent, which we -crossed several times, stepping from rock to -rock as our path led first to one side and then -to the other. High above us on either side the -mountains rose to a great height, their sides -covered at times with the evergreen pine and -scrub-oak, and again consisting simply of bare -and naked rocks ready at any moment apparently -to tumble down upon our heads. Our -guide informed us that General Palmer has -already spent forty or fifty thousand dollars -upon the house and grounds of Glen Eyrie. I -would not give him one thousand for the whole -thing.</p> - -<p>“After the exploration of Queen’s Cañon -our party voted unanimously to proceed to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</span> -Monument Park, a distance of five miles, which -we reached just in time to enjoy a most excellent -dinner prepared for us by Mrs. Lewis, -whose husband is an extensive cattle-raiser and -lives in a comfortable dwelling at the entrance -of the park. We are told that he came a confirmed -consumptive, but has now become a -strong and healthy man. This we could well -believe, for in this locality the air was wonderfully -pure, dry and bracing, and our party -greatly enjoyed its exhilarating effects. Dinner -over, we proceeded to explore the Park and -gaze upon its unique formations. I do not feel -competent to adequately describe them. The -rocks are unlike any others in Colorado. They -are nearly white with a yellowish tinge and -often pyramidal in form. Standing out from -the general mass are numerous statue-like -columns, which seem to have been carved by -the hand of man. They bear various designations, -such as Adam and Eve, Lot’s Wife, the -Democratic Caucus, Henry Ward Beecher’s -Pulpit, the Dutch Wedding, the Anvil, etc., etc. -They range from eight to fifteen feet in height -and, what is singular, all of them are crowned -with a flat rocky cap considerably larger than -the top of the column on which it rests. This -covering is composed of materials different from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</span> -the statue itself, being of a harder or darker -substance, considerable iron being mixed with -its other constituents. I noticed one exact -form of a bottle or decanter, large and round, -with a small neck. This was smaller than the -forms that surrounded it, but it had the same -flat cap-stone that surmounted all the others. -How came these statues here? Who can tell? -Some of our party said the rocks had been -washed away in the progress of ages from -around them and left them standing out boldly -by themselves, a puzzle and a wonder to all beholders. -But some of them rise from a level -plain, standing alone, with no rocks near them, -and no evidence of any having been washed -away. They rise from the ground, a solid column, -and look as though placed there by the -hand of man to mark the spot of some great -event or the tomb of some departed one. Men -have their theories, but the mystery is buried -in the darkness of ages and none solve it satisfactorily. -We leave them to their solitude and -silence and, awe-stricken and subdued, turn our -faces whence we came.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“A. B.”<br> -</p> -</div> - - -<h3>ADOPTED CHILDREN.</h3> - -<p>No children of her own came to the home -of Mrs. Bloomer, but she cared carefully and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</span> -almost continually for the children of others. -Her residence, whether in the east or the west, -was hardly ever without their presence. Nieces -and nephews were nearly always under her -roof, and some of them remained with her -until they had homes of their own. Soon after -her removal to Council Bluffs, a little boy was -adopted into her family and his sister came to -it a few years later. These were carefully cared -for, instructed and educated, and remained with -her until they took their welfare into their own -hands. Both have now families of their own, -one residing in Oregon and the other in Arizona. -The boy, Edward, took her name, and his -children bear it also. For him as a boy and a -man, and for his children, she ever manifested -the warmest interest, preparing and sending to -them each year boxes of clothing and other -articles designed to add to their comfort and -happiness in their distant home. In the early -days of Council Bluffs, not a few of the teachers -in the public schools resided in her family. -They were mostly young women and she -always strove to afford to them a pleasant and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</span> -comfortable home. She ever insisted that the -wages of young women employed as teachers -by the school board should be the same as those -paid to men. Her position was that, so long as -they did an equal amount of work and did it -equally well, they should receive equal pay, and -this is an argument which never has been and -never can be successfully answered, although -school boards continue to set it aside as unworthy -of their consideration.</p> - - -<h3>CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WORK.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer was a zealous worker in the -church of which she was a member, as well as -in all efforts to promote the spread of true -Christianity. While a resident of Seneca Falls, -she contributed her full share to the various -agencies employed to advance the interests of -the parish. She was zealous and faithful in -attending church services and all gatherings -whether social or festive to advance church -interests. Modest and retiring in demeanor, -she took her place calmly and pleasantly -wherever called upon to labor, and found her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</span> -chief reward In the approval of a good conscience.</p> - -<p>After her removal to her new home in the -West, much additional labor came to her in the -untrodden field in which her lot was cast. -When she took up her residence in Council -Bluffs, society was unorganized, without places -of worship, and without any of the religious or -moral agencies of older communities. We -have seen in her personal memoirs how she was -very soon called into the work before her. For -two years none of the religious services to -which she had been accustomed were held in -the town, except that occasionally a bishop or -minister made his way thither; when they -came along, these always found a genuine welcome -in her home. It is remembered that -Bishops Kemper and Lee, and the Rev. Edward -W. Peet, were among her guests during the -first year of her residence. They all held -religious services in the little Congregational -church building which then stood on Main -Street. At last a young missionary arrived -and took up his residence, making his first<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</span> -home with Mrs. Bloomer in her modest dwelling -under the bluff. And so it was in future -years; whenever new clergymen of her denomination -came to begin their work in town, they -all uniformly found a home and resting place -in her house until permanent quarters were -secured. Clergymen, temperance lecturers, reformers -of almost all kinds, among them -advocates of woman’s enfranchisement, always -found a welcome place at her table. On one -occasion, being alone in the house during her -husband’s absence, she was thrown into great -trepidation at finding that her guest for the -night (who had just come up from the bloody -fields of Kansas) was armed both with bowie-knife -and revolver; but the night passed in -safety, for the owner of these appalling -weapons was one of the noble men who periled -their lives to win that state for freedom.</p> - -<p>The building up of a new community was -in those days attended with great labor and -called for unflinching courage and steady perseverance. -Churches had to be erected, school-houses -built, libraries established and good<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</span> -works of all kinds encouraged. In all this Mrs. -Bloomer did her full part. The support of the -minister and the building of churches, especially, -fell largely upon the women. They held festivals -and collected money for these objects. -They organized and maintained sewing societies -and gave entertainments of various kinds for -these objects. Mrs. Bloomer was among the -active workers in this field. She was for many -years secretary and treasurer of the Woman’s -Aid Society in her parish, a society which contributed -many thousands of dollars towards the -erection of three successive churches and wholly -built the rectory, as well as contributed largely -in other ways towards the support of the parish. -In 1880 she was president of the Art Loan-Exhibition -given for the joint benefit of the -city library and the church, one of the most -successful efforts of the kind ever held in the -city. On the parish register of her church -under the date of 1856 her name stands as -that of the first woman admitted to membership, -and until within a few months of her -decease, when she was prevented by bodily<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</span> -infirmities, she was a regular attendant upon -the services. She was, however, no mere copyist, -taking the words or teachings of others -without thought or examination; but looked -into all questions, theological, social or reformatory, -for herself, and her clergymen will -bear testimony to the many discussions they -held with her on these and kindred subjects. -One occasion her husband recalls: He came -to his dinner at the usual hour, but found his -wife and a visiting clergyman engaged in warm -argument. They had been at it all the forenoon, -the breakfast table standing as left in -the morning and all preparations for dinner -being forgotten. Of course, he enjoyed a good -laugh at their expense.</p> - - -<h3>HER CHARACTER ANALYZED.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Bloomer was a great critic, and for that -reason may not have been so popular with her -associates as she otherwise might have been. -Her criticisms, possibly, were sometimes too -unsparing and too forcibly expressed. She had -strong perceptive faculties and noticed what<span class="pagenum" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</span> -she believed to be the mistakes and failings of -others, perhaps, too freely. No one ever attacked -her, in print or otherwise, without receiving -a sharp reply either from tongue or pen -if it was in her power to answer. But no person -ever had a kinder heart, or more earnestly desired -the happiness of others, or more readily -forgot or forgave their failings. Perhaps, she -was deficient in the quality of humor and took -life too seriously; this over-earnestness, however, -if it existed at all, it is believed was brought -out more fully by dwelling so much upon what -she regarded as the wrongs of her sex and the -degradation to which they were subjected -through unjust laws and the curse of strong -drink. The same charge, that of taking things -too seriously, has recently been made by a noted -writer against the women of the present day -who are battling for what they conceive to be -the sacred rights of women.</p> - - -<h3>ABOUT THE FIRST SINNER.</h3> - -<p>Although Mrs. Bloomer was a member of -one of the more conservative branches of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</span> -Christian community, she was an earnest advocate -of woman’s admission to all departments -of Christian work. She repudiated the notion -that woman was so great a sinner in the Garden -of Eden that she should be forever excluded -from ministerial work and responsibilities. -As to the first sin in the garden, here is -her view of it as stated by herself:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“How any unprejudiced and unbiased mind -can read the original account of the Creation -and Fall and gather therefrom that the woman -committed the greater sin, I cannot understand. -When Eve was first asked to eat of the -forbidden fruit she refused, and it was only -after her scruples were overcome by promises -of great knowledge that she gave way to sin. -But how was it with Adam who was with her? -He took and ate what she offered him without -any scruples of conscience, or promises on -her part of great things to follow—certainly -showing no superiority of goodness, or intellect, -or strength of character fitting him for the -headship. The command not to eat of the -Tree of Life was given to him before her creation, -and he was doubly bound to keep it; yet -he not only permitted her to partake of the tree<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</span> -without remonstrating with her against it and -warning her of the wrong, but ate it himself -without objection or hesitation. And then, -when inquired of by God concerning what he -had done, instead of standing up like an -honorable man and confessing the wrong, he -weakly tried to shield himself by throwing the -blame on the woman. As the account stands, -he showed the greater ‘feebleness of resistance -and evinced a pliancy of character and a readiness -to yield to temptation’ that cannot be -justly charged to the woman. As the account -stands, man has much more to blush for than -to boast of.</p> - -<p>“While we are willing to accept this original -account of the Creation and Fall, we are not -willing that man should add tenfold to woman’s -share of sin and put a construction on the -whole matter that we believe was never intended -by the Creator. Eve had no more to -do with bringing sin into the world than had -Adam, nor did the Creator charge any more -upon her. The punishment inflicted upon -them for their transgression, was as heavy -upon him as upon her. Her sorrows were to -be multiplied; and so, too, was he to eat his -bread in sorrow and earn it with the sweat of -his face amid thorns and thistles. To her, no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</span> -injunction to labor was given; upon her no toil -was imposed, no ground cursed for her sake. * * * * -The Bible is brought forward to prove -the subordination of woman and to show that, -because St. Paul told the ignorant women of -his time to keep silent in the churches, the -educated, intelligent women of these times -must not only occupy the same position in the -church and the family but must not aspire to -the rights of citizenship. But the same Power -that brought the slave out of bondage will, in -His own good time and way, bring about -the emancipation of woman and make her -the equal in dominion that she was in the beginning.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY.</h3> - -<p>On the 15th of April, 1890, Mr. and Mrs. -Bloomer commemorated the Fiftieth Anniversary -of their marriage at their home in Council -Bluffs. Many invitations were issued, nearly -all of which were generously responded to, and -their house was filled with guests from three -o’clock in the afternoon when the reception -began until late in the evening. Over one -hundred persons were in attendance. A local -paper describes the affair as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“The reception of the guests began at three -o’clock. At the front-parlor entrance stood -Mr. Bloomer attired in a black broadcloth suit. -Next to him sat Mrs. Bloomer. She wore a -black-satin costume <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">en train</i> with gray damascene -front, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">crêpe</i> lace in the neck, diamond -ornaments. There were present Chas. A. -Bloomer and wife, of Buffalo, N. Y., N. J. Milliken -and wife, of Ontario County, N. Y., and -Miss Hannah Kennedy, of Omaha. Chas. A. -Bloomer is a brother of D. C. Bloomer, and is -president of the Buffalo Elevator Company. -N. J. Milliken is a nephew by marriage and -publisher of the <cite>Ontario County Times</cite>, of New -York. These constituted the reception company. -The evening reception commenced at -eight o’clock, and lasted until a late hour. -Among the callers were the vestry of St. Paul’s -Church, who paid their respects in a body to the -worthy couple.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Mrs. Harris read a beautiful poem, and an -original poem was also read by Mrs. C. K. -White, of Omaha, and Prof. McNaughton, superintendent -of city schools, read the following -address:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</span></p><div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“To Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer: It seems meet -and proper on this joyous occasion that the -public schools, their officers and teachers and -pupils, should send kindly greetings to one -who for the past thirty-five years has extended -to them a generous sympathy and, in the -earlier days of their existence, rendered them -distinguished service by aiding in the erection of -a well-planned and commodious edifice, the -adoption of a wise curriculum, and the laying of -a broad and deep foundation upon which has -been reared the fair structure of to-day; one -who has aided the teachers and pupils by -words of wise counsel and kindly sympathy -and is, by common consent, regarded as the -father of the public-school system of the city.</p> - -<p>“To you, Mr. Bloomer, and your estimable -and noted wife, in behalf of the public schools -of the city, I wish to offer sincere and hearty -congratulations; congratulations that, under a -rare dispensation of Providence, you have been -permitted to enjoy together a half-century of -companionship in the sacred bonds of family -ties—fifty years of mutual helpfulness and -love! fifty years of sowing and reaping together -in the fields whose fruitage is intelligent progress -and eternal joy! And now, amid the -abundance of the harvest, in the golden glories -of life’s autumn, may you be long permitted to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</span> -remain among your devoted and admiring -friends!”</p> -</div> - -<p>The following letter from Miss Susan B. -Anthony was received and read:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="right fs90"> -“<em>Washington, April 9th, 1890.</em></p> -<p class="no-indent">“My Dear Friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer:—<br> -</p> - -<p>“And is your Golden Wedding to be here -April 15, 1890? That seems quite as impossible -as that I should have rounded out my three -score and ten years on February 15, 1890, just -two months before.</p> - -<p>“Well, your lives have been side by side for -a whole half-century, and this, too, when the -wife has been one of the public advocates of -the equality of rights, civil and political, for -women. I hardly believe another twain made -one, where the wife belonged to the school -of equal rights for women, have lived more -happily, more truly one.</p> - -<p>“Your celebration of your fiftieth wedding -day is one of the strongest proofs of the falseness -of the charge brought against our movement -for the enfranchisement of women, viz., -that the condition of equality of political rights<span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</span> -for the wife will cause inharmony and disruption -of the marriage bond. To the contrary, -such conditions of perfect equality are the best -helps to make for peace and harmony and elevation -in all true and noble directions. Hence I -rejoice with you on having reached the golden -day of your marriage union, not only for your -own sakes, but for our cause’s sake as well.</p> - -<p>“I wish I could be present in your happy -home on that day, but the marriage of my -younger sister’s son, on April 17th, takes me to -Cleveland to witness the starting out of two -dear young people on the way you have traveled -so long and so well.</p> - -<p>“So, with gratitude for the good work done -in the first fifty years of your married life, and -wishing for you many more equally happy, and -hoping that both you and I and Mrs. Stanton -and others of the pioneers of our great movement -may live to see not only Wyoming fully -in the Union but many others redeemed from -the curse of sex aristocracy, hoping <em>and believing</em> -I am</p> - -<p><span style="margin-left: 14em;">“Very sincerely yours,</span></p> -<p class="right">“Susan B. Anthony.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The following telegram was received from -Bishop Perry, of Iowa:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="right fs90"> -“<em>Davenport, April 15th, 1890.</em></p> -<p class="center"> -“Hon. D. C and Mrs. Bloomer:—</p> - -<p>“Congratulations and benedictions. Fifty -golden years exhaust neither love nor hope.</p> - -<p><span style="margin-left: 14em;"> -“William Stevens Perry,</span></p> -<p class="right"> -“Bishop of Iowa.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Rev. G. W. Crofts also furnished a timely -and very beautiful poem. Because of his -inability to attend the reception, he called upon -the couple Monday afternoon and in a few -well chosen words presented it to them. It -was the production of the minister’s own pen, -and handsomely written on embossed cardboard -fastened with orange-tinted ribbons. -The poem was beautifully illustrated by Miss -S. D. Phere, the cuts being the representations -of a well-spent life. Upon its receipt Mrs. -Bloomer and her husband were greatly moved. -The poem is as follows:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container fs90"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="center">“1840. April 15. 1890.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="center">“<span class="smcap">To Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer.</span></div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“The Psalmist says that he who goes forth with tears,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Conveying precious seed, shall doubtless come again</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</span> - <div class="verse indent0">Rejoicing, bringing with him sheaves. ’Tis fifty years</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Since you as one were made, and out upon the plain</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of Life’s great field together moved, ‘mid hopes and fears,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And in your faithful bosoms bearing golden grain.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“To-day you come with sheaves, oh rich and golden sheaves!</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Immortal sheaves, sheaves glowing in the light of heaven</div> - <div class="verse indent0">So softly sifting down thro’ life’s autumn leaves;</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And, while the clouds that deck the sky above are riven,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">I see the angels smile. And who is there that grieves</div> - <div class="verse indent2">When noble souls in life’s great harvest-field have striven?</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“This is a day of joy and praise, a crowning day!</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Together you have walked for fifty years, and He</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Who made your hearts to beat as one thro’ all the way</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Has been your guide, His voice has stilled the stormy sea;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">In darkest hours, you’ve heavenward looked and seen the ray</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of cloudless hope shine down with sweet tranquillity.</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</span> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“When worn with toil, His loving arms have given you rest;</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Sustaining grace He gave when you were weak and faint;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">When sorrows came, ’twas then the haven of His breast</div> - <div class="verse indent2">That opened wide and took you in. To each complaint</div> - <div class="verse indent0">He lent His ear. In all things, you were truly blest</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And ever upward drawn by love’s divine constraint.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“And now upon a lofty Mount you stand and look</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Back o’er your pilgrim way; back o’er the fields you’ve sown</div> - <div class="verse indent0">You see the stubborn soil, the burning sun, the nook</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Where you did rest; and all the way is overstrown</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With flowers; flower-wreathed you see the plow and pruning-hook.</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And on that Mount there comes to you a fadeless crown.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“To Faithfulness there comes a crown, a Crown of Life;</div> - <div class="verse indent2">’Tis one the Lord doth give to those who serve Him well,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">To heroes true and strong amid the daily strife</div> - <div class="verse indent2">’Tween right and wrong. For such, the sweetest anthems swell</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</span> - <div class="verse indent0">By holy angels sung, and joy on earth is rife,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">While thro’ the vanished years you hear a golden bell.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Foremost in every noble work, in every cause</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Where God leads on, where Light is seen, where Truth is heard,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">There have you stood from first to last, the eternal laws</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of Right obeyed. Where’er your lips could frame a word</div> - <div class="verse indent0">To voice the thought, a hand could strike the great applause</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of onward march, your helpful force has been conferred.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“To you, this day, a grateful people tribute bring</div> - <div class="verse indent2">For all you’ve been to them, for all your steadfastness,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">For all your words and deeds; for every noble thing,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">They would this day your true and honest worth confess;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">They would a golden cup, filled from Affection’s spring,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Hold out to you, and thus their gratitude express.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Take, then, the Crown. Both heaven and earth proclaim it yours,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">The Sower’s crown, the Reaper’s crown, that glows with light,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">That glows with light and love, and one that aye endures.</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</span> - <div class="verse indent2">The Evening Star, that hangs upon the fringe of night</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And, like a lamp, the weary wanderer allures</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And tells him of his home afar, is not more bright.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“Look round you, then, crowned as you are, and upward, too:</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Here shine the golden sheaves; there gleam the jasper walls;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Around you gather here the noble, good and true,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">With hearts aglow, and chant their tender madrigals.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Around, above, all things are wreathed in smiles for you,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">While on you, like a burst of sun, God’s blessings fall!”</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Many valuable presents were received. One -was an elegant silver tea-set from the lawyers -of the city; another a beautiful ice-cream set -of solid silver in a handsomely ornamented -plush case of old-gold velvet, from the rector -and vestrymen of St. Paul’s Church. Other -elegant souvenirs were sent in by friends from -abroad. Indeed, the gifts were so numerous -and of so great variety that they almost proved -a burden to the recipients who, however, -realized that they came to them from generous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</span> -friends with hearts full of love and kindness, -and most thankfully received them.</p> - - -<h3>CLOSING YEARS.</h3> - -<p>Following this happy anniversary, Mrs. -Bloomer’s life moved gradually along to its -close. In 1891, after returning home from a -visit to the Chautauqua Grounds near her residence, -she suffered a partial paralysis of her -vocal organs and for a short time lost the power -of speech; but this trouble soon gradually -passed away so that she was once more able -to converse with her friends, although not so -freely and readily as formerly. Her mind was -still clear and her memory remarkably good, -and it was during this period that she wrote -the reminiscences given in the earlier part of this -work. She gradually lost to a considerable -extent the activity of movement for which in -earlier days she had been noted, and her husband -was easily able now to keep up with her -in their walks on the streets. Mrs. Bloomer -retained her youthful traits to a remarkable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</span> -degree, even in advanced years, and her friends -frequently noted this and complimented her on -her vigor and cheerfulness. On meeting them, -she was ever bright and cheerful and had a -pleasant smile and word of encouragement -for all.</p> - -<p>Her early religious convictions remained -unimpaired to the end of her life. So long as -health permitted, she was a constant and regular -attendant upon the services of her church -and at the monthly celebration of the Holy -Communion. She was active in every good -work in the parish, and a steady friend of all -benevolent enterprises in the city. During the -last few years of her life, she gave much thought -to the teachings of Christian Science and read -and studied the writings of Mrs. Eddy and -others on that subject. While she never gave -her adhesion to its peculiar doctrines, yet she -found in them very much that she deemed -worthy of careful consideration. She bore -witness to some of the remarkable results -following their application to disease in its -various forms; and, on the whole, their study<span class="pagenum" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</span> -enlarged her views on religious subjects and -perhaps enabled her to look with greater calmness -upon the vicissitudes of the present life -and the untried realities of the life beyond.</p> - -<p>To Mrs. Mary J. Coggshell, of Des Moines, -Iowa, who had then recently lost her husband, -she wrote in 1889 as follows: “My heart goes -out to you in love and sympathy in this sad -bereavement, and I pray that the Almighty -Father may sustain and comfort you and give -you strength to bear up under the great affliction. -Mourn not for your beloved one as dead, but -think of him as only transferred to another -sphere of existence where he still lives and will -await your coming. We believe that the life -that God gave can never die, that the grave -has no power over the spirit, but that it will -live on forever doing the Father’s will.”</p> - -<p>Her last journey was made to Colorado, in -the latter part of the summer of 1894. She -spent about two weeks at Colorado Springs and -Manitou, mainly in taking electric treatment -at the sanatorium of Mrs. Doctor Leonard who -had long been an intimate friend; but was prevented<span class="pagenum" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</span> -by impaired strength from again visiting -with her husband many of the interesting places -of the vicinity. Another week was spent in a -visit to a dear niece and her family in southern -Colorado; she returned home about the middle -of August, somewhat improved in health and -strength. She continued to occasionally accept -the kind invitations of her friends to social gatherings, -and spent her last Christmas at the home -and table of N. P. Dodge, one of the most prominent -citizens of Council Bluffs, where she met -also her old and long-known neighbor and -friend, Mrs. M. F. Davenport. This was, however, -the last time she was able to leave her -residence. Friends and neighbors continued to -visit her to the end and on Friday, December -28th, several were with her during nearly the -entire day; they remembered that she appeared -remarkably bright and cheerful. The final -attack came on the evening of that day, and -her brave and noble spirit passed away at twelve -o’clock noon on the following Sunday, December -30th, 1894.</p> - -<p>Of her last sickness and death, the Council<span class="pagenum" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</span> -Bluffs <cite>Daily Nonpareil</cite> of January 1st, 1895, -gave the following report:</p> - - -<h3>“END OF AN EARNEST LIFE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Mrs. Amelia Jenks Bloomer died at her -home, No. 123 Fourth Street, Sunday at noon -of heart failure at the advanced age of 76. For -years she had been afflicted with stomach -trouble, which gradually affected her heart and -brought on a serious attack last Friday, from -which she never rallied.</p> - -<p>“About six o’clock in the evening she was -sitting in her accustomed place reading, when -suddenly she fell back in her chair and exclaimed: -‘I am sick; I am sicker than I ever -was before in my life.’ Her husband was sitting -opposite to her at the time and quickly -came to her assistance. She was in intense -pain, and a physician was at once summoned. -He was unable to give her much relief and she -continued in a very critical condition during -the night and all day Saturday.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“It soon became evident that she could not -rally from the attack and the physicians told -Mr. Bloomer and the anxious friends about her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</span> -bedside that she could not recover. She was -conscious during the entire time and bore her -suffering bravely. Sunday morning she began -to sink rapidly. Towards the end her pain -seemed to leave her, and she fell into a quiet -sleep from which she never awoke. Her husband -was at her bedside holding her hand and -noted the gradual slowing of the pulse which -ceased to be perceptible about noon, when he -knew she had passed away.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“GREAT LOSS TO COUNCIL BLUFFS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In the death of Mrs. Amelia Bloomer -Council Bluffs loses one of its oldest and most -prominent residents. She was one of the early -pioneers of the west and for many years has -been a striking, picturesque character of western -Iowa. Her prominence in the woman-suffrage -movement made her one of the eminent -American women of the century. Her name -has become firmly linked with every reform -movement for the uplifting and betterment of -woman’s condition during the last fifty years.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“HER LIFE A BUSY ONE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Her life was an intensely busy one, filled -with many deeds of kindness and charity aside<span class="pagenum" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</span> -from the active part she always took in the -temperance cause and the advancement of her -sex. During her last years, however, she was -unable to actively engage in the work, but was -always ready and willing to discuss these cherished -subjects in her characteristic, fluent manner. -Up to within a few years of her death -she had been a contributor to prominent journals, -and her advice and counsel was always -highly esteemed by the more active workers of -the equal-rights cause. Her death will be felt -throughout the entire nation as an irreparable -loss to the cause she so warmly espoused.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“HER CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Although her death will bring sorrow to -many a friend, the remembrance of her kindly -life and true, Christian character will remain -as an inspiration to them for all time to come. -Earnest and steadfast as were her life and character, -so she died trusting in the faith that has -always shone through her kind words and deeds. -She will never be forgotten, for her influence, -with that of other good women, has done more -to make the civilization of the west a possibility -than the many inventions of modern science. -Her great strength of character, manifested by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</span> -her earnest and energetic life, was a part of the -truly essential civilizing influence that sustained -the early settlers in the rough experiences of -the frontier. It was her intention before she -died to publish reminiscences of these stirring -times, and her sudden death left several manuscripts -unfinished. What has been missed by -her sudden taking off, leaving this work incomplete, -can only be judged by those who knew -her best.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>“LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Mrs. Bloomer’s circle of friends in Council -Bluffs was large, and she was highly esteemed -and loved by all who knew her. She was an -excellent entertainer, and was a great favorite -among the young people of the Episcopal -Church of which she was a faithful member. -She was very fond of society and took an active -part in church and charitable work. Her -death, although she has been an invalid for -several years, was very sudden. On Christmas -day, she was able to be about and with her husband -took dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. -N. P. Dodge. She was in excellent spirits at -the time and enjoyed the holiday festivities -with much interest. On the day of her last attack,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</span> -a number of friends called upon her and -she spent the afternoon pleasantly chatting -with them. The sudden announcement of her -death came as a shock, for the fact of her -serious illness had not yet become generally -known.”</p> -</div> - - -<h3>MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>On the thirteenth of January, 1895, her -rector, Rev. Eugene J. Babcock, delivered a -memorial discourse on the life and character -of Mrs. Bloomer in St. Paul’s Church, Council -Bluffs. In this he reviewed the main incidents -in Mrs. Bloomer’s life, and concluded as follows:</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Bloomer also held the relation of -pioneer to this parish. On the two registers in -my possession the first woman’s name is hers.</p> - -<p>“On my journey hither to assume the rectorship, -I visited by the way at my former home -in Michigan. There I first learned of Mrs. -Bloomer from a gentleman whom I had met -in a college connection while I was an undergraduate. -He was a former resident of Seneca -Falls, and informed me that in my new home -I should meet a unique and striking person in -Mrs. Bloomer, whose early days were associated -with a remarkable career; that she was now<span class="pagenum" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</span> -living quietly, ill health having compelled her -to forego active duties; and that she was now -advanced in years.</p> - -<p>“Our arrival here was signalized by becoming -guests in the Senior Warden’s home. In -this we did as all the clergy had done before, -for no other home in this city has been the -hospitable asylum for so many of the cloth. -Among ourselves, the happy descriptive of -‘Saints’ Rest’ has come in vogue. From Mrs. -Bloomer that pleasant smile, which often had -to triumph over bodily ailment, was my greeting. -This showing of hospitality was in keeping -with her ambition, which she frequently -sacrificed to her personal discomfort.</p> - -<p>“Going back to a view of her early days, we -are prepared now to forecast her activity in -church affairs. Such a nature could not sit by -with hands folded. Following her acceptance -of gospel privileges through which she came -into this church, she immediately entered into -parish activities at Seneca Falls. Being a -woman of action, she did her part in the then -somewhat limited sphere of woman’s church -work. Little as it may have been comparatively, -it was another demand upon her already -enlarging engagements.</p> - -<p>“Her removal to this city deprived her of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</span> -the worship of her own church. The then line -of demarcation of the religious public into -‘Mormons’ and ‘Gentiles’ very likely infused -into the latter a fellow sympathy. Soon after -her settlement here, the Rev. Mr. Rice invited -her to attend a meeting of a sewing society -which was held at his house. This happened to -be the annual meeting; she was elected president -of the society, and Mrs. Douglas first director. -In her ‘Early Recollections’ her felicitous -comment is this: ‘Thus putting their affairs -in the hands of two Episcopalians.’ But evidently -affairs did not suffer at their hands, for -they ‘carried through a successful fair’ which -secured money to put the first church of the -Congregationalists into shape for use.</p> - -<p>“Her usual interest in what concerned her -came out in the organization of this parish. -She entered with the same characteristic zeal -and expenditure of means into its upbuilding, -both as to what was preliminary and also permanent. -She has been a good example of -what woman can do, and faithful in her service. -The women of this parish have worked so assiduously -in raising money that among men it -has become a lost art.</p> - -<p>“In spite of advanced years and impairment -of strength, she responded with her kindly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</span> -support to my call for organization of a Woman’s -Parochial Aid Society. Her kindness to -me was ever constant and uniform, and her -ingenuous frankness such as I always enjoyed. -Plain and albeit of rugged candor in her speech, -such is better for this world than the honey -covering of deceit. A former Rector, the Rev. -Mr. Webb, writes respecting her: ‘My impression -of her kindness of heart is that it never -failed; and I believe more firmly than ever that -it was God’s own cause which she so characteristically -espoused, and labored so long and -faithfully to promote.’</p> - -<p>“She had the habit of clipping from newspapers -whatever took her fancy. Her recent -quiet and somewhat afflicted living, owing to -her illness, was given to reading, needle work -and entertaining of guests when circumstances -admitted. As the golden clouds brightened -in the west of her life’s decline, there came a -strong inward faith. A late clipping seems to -speak her thought: ‘As the weeks and months -fly past, do you not think that the spirit of our -daily prayer ought to be—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container fs90"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">“‘Break, my soul, from every fetter,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Him to know is all my cry;</div> - <div class="verse indent1">Saviour, I am thine forever,</div><span class="pagenum" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</span> - <div class="verse indent1">Thine to live and thine to die,</div> - <div class="verse indent6">Only asking</div> - <div class="verse indent1">More and more of life’s supply’?’</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>“She passed into Paradise on Sunday, -December 30, 1894, and left a name worthy to -be entered among the illustrious galaxy of -notables whom the past year has numbered -with the dead. On a beautiful winter’s day, -all that remained of mortality was brought to -this church, so large an object of her affection, -and here, with impressive funeral rites which -speak comfortably our blessed hope, we committed -her body to the ground. And as the -sweet notes of the committal anthem broke -in upon the constrained stillness of the scene, -how appropriate were the words—mutely -echoed by the hushed assembly: ‘Blessed -are the dead who die in the Lord * * * for -they rest from their labors’!”</p> -</div> - -<p>In a grassy plat in beautiful Fairview Cemetery, -overlooking the cities of Council Bluffs -and Omaha, lies the grave of the true woman, -the earnest reformer, the faithful Christian, -whose history is delineated in these pages; and -near its foot stands a modest monument bearing -this inscription:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</span></p> - -<p class="center"> -“IN MEMORIAM<br> -<br> -AMELIA JENKS, WIFE OF D. C. BLOOMER<br> -<br> -DIED DEC. 30TH, 1894<br> -<br> -AGED 76 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, AND 3 DAYS<br> -<br> -A PIONEER IN WOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT”<br> -</p> - -<p>And here the author and compiler, commending -these pages to the kindly consideration -of his readers, brings his labor of love to -a close.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="APPENDIX">APPENDIX.</h2> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center fs150 no-indent">APPENDIX.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>WOMAN’S RIGHT TO THE BALLOT.</h3> - -<p class="center no-indent">BY AMELIA BLOOMER.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>It is a principle of all free governments that the -people rule. Each member of the community, in -theory at least, is supposed to give assent to Constitution -and laws to which he is subject; or, at least, it is -assumed that these were made by a majority of the -people. And this assent is given according to forms -previously prescribed. The people vote directly upon -the adoption of the Constitution, and by their representatives -in making the laws. And since all the people -must be subject to the Constitution and laws, so all the -people should be consulted in their formation; that is, -all who are of sufficient age and discretion to express -an intelligent opinion. No one who claims to be a republican -or lover of freedom at heart can dispute these -positions. They are in substance the principles promulgated -in the Declaration of Independence, and they -form the common basis upon which our national and -state governments rest. When they shall cease to be -recognized and respected by the people and by our -lawmakers, then free institutions will cease to exist.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</span></p> - -<p>But I presume their correctness, when applied to -man, will be doubted by none; for man is willing -enough to claim for himself the full recognition of all -the high prerogatives I have shown him to be entitled -to. But I hold more than this to be true. I hold that -these rights belong, not to man alone, but to the race, -and to each individual member of it, without regard to -sex. I hold that woman has as good and rightful a -claim to them as her brother, and that the man who -denies this claim is not only no good democrat, and -much less a good republican, but that in being guilty -of this denial he commits an act of the grossest injustice -and oppression. And I insist, not only that woman -is entitled to the enjoyment of all these rights which -God and nature have bestowed upon the race, but that -she is entitled to the same means of enforcing those -rights as man; and that therefore she should be heard -in the formation of Constitutions, in the making of the -laws, and in the selection of those by whom the laws -are administered.</p> - -<p>In this country there is one great tribunal by which -all theories must be tried, all principles tested, all -measures settled: and that tribunal is the ballot-box. -It is the medium through which public opinion finally -makes itself heard. Deny to any class in the community -the right to be heard at the ballot-box and that -class sinks at once into a state of slavish dependence, -of civil insignificance, which nothing can save from -becoming subjugation, oppression and wrong.</p> - -<p>From what I have said you will of course understand -that I hold, not only that the exclusion of woman<span class="pagenum" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</span> -from the ballot-box is grossly unjust, but that is her -duty—so soon as she is permitted to do so—to go -to it and cast her vote along with her husband and -brother; and that, until she shall do so, we can never -expect to have a perfectly just and upright government -under which the rights of the people—of all the people—are -respected and secured.</p> - -<p>It is objected that it does not belong to woman’s -sphere to take part in the selection of her rulers, or -the enactment of laws to which she is subject.</p> - -<p>This is mere matter of opinion. Woman’s sphere, -like man’s sphere, varies according to the aspect under -which we view it, or the circumstances in which she -may be placed. A vast majority of the British nation -would deny the assumption that Queen Victoria is out -of her sphere in reigning over an empire of an hundred -and fifty millions of souls! And if she is not out of her -sphere in presiding over the destinies of a vast empire, -why should any woman in this republic be denied her -place among a nation of sovereigns? There is no -positive rule by which to fix woman’s sphere, except -that of capacity. It is to be found, I should say, wherever -duty or interest may call her,—whether to the -kitchen, the parlor, the nursery, the workshop or the -public assembly. And, most certainly, no narrow contracted -view of her sphere can suffice to deprive her of -any of those rights which she has inherited with her -being.</p> - -<p>Again, it is objected that it would be immodest -and ‘unbecoming a lady’ for women to go to the ballot-box -to vote, or to the halls of the capitol to legislate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</span></p> - -<p>This, too, is mere matter of opinion, and depends -for its correctness upon the particular fashions or customs -of the people. In deciding upon what is appropriate -or inappropriate for individuals or classes the -community is exceedingly capricious. In one country, -or in one age, of the world, a particular act may be -considered as entirely proper which in another age or -country may be wholly condemned. But a few years -ago it was thought very unladylike and improper for -women to study medicine, and when Elizabeth Blackwell -forced her way into the Geneva, N. Y., medical -college people were amazed at the presumption. But -she graduated with high honors, went to Europe to -perfect her studies, and now stands high in her chosen -profession. She let down the bars to a hitherto proscribed -sphere. Others followed her lead, and now -there are several colleges for the medical education of -women, and women physicians without number; and -the world applauds rather than condemns.</p> - -<p>It is not a great many years since women sculptors -were unknown, because woman’s talent was not encouraged. -Some years ago a match-girl of Boston -fashioned a bust of Rufus Choate in plaster and placed -it in a show window, hoping some benevolent lover of -art might be so attracted by it as to aid her to educate -herself in the profession of sculpture. A gentleman -who saw great merit in it inquired who was the artist, -and when told that it was a young girl, exclaimed, -‘What a pity she is not a boy!’ He saw that such -talent in a boy would be likely to make him famous -and enrich the world. But a girl had no right to such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</span> -gifts. It would be an unladylike profession for her, -and so she must bury her God-given talent and keep to -match selling and dish washing. A few years later -Harriet Hosmer overleaped the obstacles that stood -in her way and went to Rome to undertake the work -of a sculptor. The world now rings with her praises -and is enriched by her genius. She, too, removed -barriers to a hitherto proscribed sphere and proved -that the All-Father in committing a talent to woman’s -trust gave along with it a right to use it. Vinnie Ream -and others have followed in the way thus opened, and -no one now questions the propriety of women working -in plaster or marble.</p> - -<p>And so of many other departments of trade, profession -and labor that within my recollection were not -thought proper for woman, simply because she had not -entered them. Women are debarred from voting and -legislating, and therefore it is unfashionable for them -to do either; but let their right to do so be once established, -and all objections of that kind will vanish -away.</p> - -<p>And I must say I can conceive of nothing so terrible -within the precincts of the ballot-box as to exclude -woman therefrom. Who go there now? Our fathers, -brothers, husbands, and sons. And do they act so badly -while there that they dare not suffer us to go with them? -If it is really so bad a place surely they should stay -away from it themselves, for I hold that any place that -is too corrupt for woman to go to is also too corrupt -for man to go to. ‘An atmosphere that is too impure -for woman to breathe cannot but be dangerous to her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</span> -sires and sons.’ We mingle with our gentlemen friends -elsewhere with safety and pleasure, and I cannot think -it possible that the exercise of the right of franchise -turns them at once into ruffians.</p> - -<p>Yet we are gravely told that woman would be -treated with rudeness and insult should she go to the -polls in the exercise of a right guaranteed to her by the -laws of her country.</p> - -<p>And would you, sir objector, be the one to do this? -Would you insult the wife or mother or sister of your -neighbor? I think not. Then judge other men by -yourself and believe that, as each man, the low as well -as the high, would have some female relative or friend -with him there, each would be equally careful for the -safety of those belonging to him and careful also of his -own language and deportment. And should one dare -to offer insult would there not, think you, be a score of -stout arms to fell the insulter to the earth?</p> - -<p>Men will behave as well I verily believe at the polls as -at other public assemblies, if they will permit woman -to go with them there; and if they have behaved badly -heretofore, which from their continual asseverations -we must believe to be the case, it is because woman -has not always been there with them.</p> - -<p>The idea advanced that woman would become debased -by participating in so important and sacred a duty -as the selection of those who are to be placed in power, -and to whom are to be committed the interests and happiness -of the whole people, comes with a bad grace from -men, who are ever claiming for her superior natural -virtues. They should remember that God made her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</span> -woman, that He gave her equal dominion with man over -the world and all that is therein, and endowed her with -high moral faculties, keen perceptions of right, and a -love of virtue and justice, and it is not easy to change -her nature. Her delicacy and sensitiveness will take -care of themselves, in any exposure, and she will be as -safe at the polls as at political and other conventions, -at state and county and church fairs, at railroad and -Fourth of July celebrations, and the various other -crowds in which she mingles freely with men. That -virtue is little worth which cannot bear itself unharmed -through a crowd, or awe and frown down impudence -whenever it meets with it. The true woman will be -woman still in whatever situation you place her; and -man will become elevated just so far as he mingles in -her society in the various relations of life.</p> - -<p>In fact this argument that it would be unsafe for -woman to go to the polls is one that man, at least, -should be ashamed to bring forward, inasmuch as it -impeaches his own gallantry and instinctive regard for -woman. But, if it be true that it would really be unsafe -for us to go to the polls with our husbands and fathers, -all danger could be avoided by our having separate -places for voting apart from theirs.</p> - -<p>But here I am answered that it is not <em>men</em> whom -we have to fear so much as the bad of our own sex, who -will rush to the polls while the good women will stay -away. To this I have to say that I have never yet met -a woman that I was afraid of, or from whom I feared -contamination. In the theatre and concert and festival -halls, the Fourth of July gatherings, in the cars, on the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</span> -fair grounds, and any day upon the street or in the -stores we meet and pass by the coarse, the frail, the -fallen of our sex. They have the same right to God’s -pure air and sunshine as we, and we could not deprive -them of it if we would and would not if we could. I see -not how these are going to harm us any more at the polls -than at all these other places.</p> - -<p>The good women will vote as soon as the exercise -of the right is granted them, and they will outnumber -the bad more than a hundred to one. Instead then of -the pure woman being contaminated, the vile woman -will be awed and silenced in her presence, and led by -her example into the right paths. Even those called -low and vile have hearts that can be touched, and they -will gladly seize the aid which the ballot and good women -will bestow to raise themselves from the degraded -condition into which bad men, bad laws and bad customs -have plunged them.</p> - -<p>This objection, then, which assumes such proportions -in the minds of many, looks very small when -viewed in the light of truth and Christian charity. I -think no man would consider it good reason for depriving -him of rights because a bad man also enjoyed the -same rights.</p> - -<p>This arguing that all women would go to the bad -if allowed to vote because some women are bad now -when none of them vote is the most absurd logic ever -conceived in the brain of man, and if those who use it -could see their silly reasoning in the light that sensible -men and women see it there would be less of it. If the -ballot makes people bad, if it is corrupting in its tendencies<span class="pagenum" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</span> -and destructive of virtue and goodness, then the -sooner men are deprived of it the better.</p> - -<p>All men, good and bad, black and white, corrupt, -debased, treacherous, criminal, may vote and make our -laws, and we hear no word against it; but if one woman -does or says aught that does not square with men’s ideas -of what she should do and say, then she should not have -the right of self-government, and all women everywhere -must on that account be disfranchised and kept in subjection!</p> - -<p>Such reasoning might have answered once, but the -intelligence of the present day rejects it, and women will -not long be compelled to submit to its insults.</p> - -<p>But, again, one says votes would be unnecessarily -multiplied, that women would vote just as the men do, -therefore the man’s vote will answer for both. Sound -logic, truly! But let us apply this rule to men. Votes -are unnecessarily multiplied now by so many men voting; -a few could do it all, as well as to take the mass -of men from their business and their families to vote. -My husband votes the republican ticket, and many other -men vote just as he does; then why not let my husband’s -vote suffice for all who think as he does, and -send the rest about their business? What need of so -many men voting when all vote just alike?</p> - -<p>Again, another says: ‘It has always been as now; -women never have had equal rights, and that is proof -that they should not have.’ Sound logic again! Worthy -emanation from man’s superior brain! But whence -did man derive his right of franchise, and how long has -he enjoyed it?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</span></p> - -<p>It is true that women never have had equal rights, -because men have ever acted on the principle of oppressors -that might makes right and have kept them -in subjection, just as weaker nations are kept in -subjection to the stronger.</p> - -<p>But must we ever continue to act on such principles? -Must we continue to cling to old laws and customs -because they are old? Why then did not our -people remain subject to kings? How did they dare to -do what was not thought of in the days of Moses and -Abraham? How dared they set aside the commands -of the Bible and the customs of all past ages and set -up a government of their own?</p> - -<p>It is the boast of Americans that they know and -do many things which their fathers neither knew nor -did. Progress is the law of our nation and progress -is written upon all its works. And while all else is -progressing to perfection, while the lowest may attain -to the position of the highest and noblest in the -land, shall woman alone remain stationary? Shall she -be kept in a state of vassalage because such was the -condition of her sex six thousand years ago? Clearly, -my friends, when the prejudice of custom is on the side -of wrong and injustice in any matter we are not to be -governed by it.</p> - -<p>But again it is objected that if women should be -enfranchised it would lead to discord and strife in -families. In other words, to come down to the simple -meaning of this objection, if women would not vote -just as their husbands wanted them to the husbands -would quarrel with them about it! And who are the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</span> -men who would do this? Surely, not those who consider -and treat their wives as equals. Not those who -recognize the individuality of the wife and accord -to her the right to her own opinions, the right to think -for herself, and to act as her own sense and judgment -may dictate. With such there would be no cause for -quarrels, nothing to contend about. In such families -all is harmony.</p> - -<p>It would be only those who desire to rule in their -families, only those who regard and treat their wives -as inferiors and subjects who would get up contentions -and discord; and it is only these who bring forward -this objection. No man who honors woman as he -should do would ever offer so flimsy a pretext for depriving -her of rights and enslaving her thoughts. I believe -the enfranchisement of woman will bring with it -more happiness in the marriage relation, and greater -respect from the husband for his wife, because men -are always more respectful to their equals than to those -they deem their inferiors and subjects.</p> - -<p>Another objection of which we hear much in these -days, and to which men invariably resort when answered -on every other point, is that women do not -want to vote. They say when <em>all</em> the women ask for -the right it will be granted them. Did these objectors -take the same ground in regard to the negro? -Did the colored men very generally petition for the -right of franchise? No such petition was ever heard -of and yet men forced the ballot unasked into their -hands. Why then must woman sue and petition for -her God-given right of self-government? If one human<span class="pagenum" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</span> -being only claims that rights are unjustly withheld, -such claim should receive the careful attention and -consideration of this government and people. Yet tens -of thousands of women, subjects of their government, -have made such claims and set forth their grievances -from time to time during the last thirty years. They -have come as suppliants before the people asking for -rights withheld, and they have been met with sneers and -ridicule, and told that they must wait till all the women -of the nation humbly sue for the same thing! Would -such excuse ever be offered for withholding rights from -men?</p> - -<p>Again, it is said that no considerable number of -women would exercise the right if granted. This, if -true, and men do not know it to be so, has nothing to -do with the question. Give them the right and let -them exercise it or not as they choose. If they do not -want to vote, and will not vote, then surely there is no -need of restrictions to prevent their voting, and no -harm can come from removing the obstacles that now -obstruct their way.</p> - -<p>Men are not required to give pledges that they will -vote. There is no compulsion in their case. They -are left free to do as they please, or as circumstances -permit. The right is accorded and there the matter -rests.</p> - -<p>There is no justice in requiring more from women. -That thousands of women would vote is pretty certain. -If <em>all</em> do not avail themselves of such privileges, it will -be of their own choice and right, and not because of -its denial. The ballot is the symbol of freedom, of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</span> -equality; and because the right to use it would lift -woman from a state of inferiority, subjection and powerlessness -to one of equality and freedom and power we -demand it for her. If properly educated, she will use -it for the best interests of herself and of humanity.</p> - -<p>Another objection that carries great weight in the -minds of many is that if women vote they must fight. -Even some of our friends are puzzled how to settle this -question. But a few days ago a lady friend asked me -how we could get around it. I reply that all men have -not earned their right to the ballot by firing the bullet -in their country’s defense, and if only those who fight -should vote there are many sick men, many weak little -men, many deformed men, and many strong and able-bodied -but cowardly men who should be disfranchised.</p> - -<p>These all vote but they do not fight, and fighting -is not made a condition precedent to their right to the -ballot. The law requires that only those of physical -strength and endurance shall bear arms for their country, -and I think not many women could be found to -fill the law’s requirements. So they would have to be -excused with the weak little men who are physically -disqualified. If there are any great, strong women -able to endure the marching and the fighting who want -to go to the front in time of battle, I think they have -a right to do so, and men should not dismiss them and -send them home. But as there are other duties to be -discharged, other interests to be cared for in time of -war besides fighting, women will find it enough to look -after these in the absence of their fighting men. They -may enter the hospitals or the battlefields as nurses, or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</span> -they may care for the crops and the young soldiers at -home. They may also do the voting, and look after -the affairs of government, the same as do all the weak -men who vote but do not fight.</p> - -<p>And further, as men do not think it right for woman -to bear arms and fear it will be forced upon her with -the ballot, they can easily make a law to excuse her; -and doubtless, with her help, they will do so. There -is great injustice, so long as the ballot is given to all -<em>men</em> without conditions, the weak as well as the strong, -in denying to woman a voice in matters deeply affecting -her happiness and welfare, and through her the -happiness and welfare of mankind, because perchance -there may come a time again in the history of our -country when we shall be plunged into war and she -not be qualified to shoulder a musket.</p> - -<p>This objection, like many others we hear, is too -absurd to emanate from the brains of intelligent men, -and I cannot think they seriously entertain the views -they express. But give us a voice in the matter, gentlemen, -and we will not only save ourselves from being -sent to the battlefield, but will if possible keep you at -home with us by averting the difficulties and dangers, -and so compromising matters with foreign powers that -peace shall be maintained and bloodshed avoided.</p> - -<p>In justification of the exclusion of woman from a -voice in the government we are told that she is already -represented by her fathers, husbands and sons. To -this I might answer, so were our fathers represented in -the parliament of King George. But were they satisfied -with such representation? And why not? Because<span class="pagenum" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</span> -their interests were not well cared for; because -justice was not done them. They found they could not -safely entrust their interests to the keeping of those -who could not or would not understand them, and who -legislated principally to promote their own selfish purposes. -I wholly deny the position of these objectors. -It is not possible for one human being to fully represent -the wants and wishes of another, and much less can one -class fully understand the desires and meet the requirements -of a different class in society. And, especially, -is this true as between man and woman. In the former, -certain mental faculties as a general thing are said to -predominate; while in the latter, the moral attain to a -greater degree of perfection. Taken together, they -make up what we understand by the generic term <em>man</em>. -If we allow to the former, only, a full degree of development -of their common nature one-half only enjoys -the freedom of action designed for both. We then -have the man, or male element, fully brought out; -while the woman, or female element, is excluded and -crushed.</p> - -<p>It should be remembered too that all rights have -their origin in the moral nature of mankind, and that -when woman is denied any guarantee which secures -these rights to her, violence is done to a great moral -law of our being. In assuming to vote and legislate -for her, man commits a positive violation of the moral -law and does that which he would not that others -should do unto him. And, besides all these considerations, -it is hard to understand the workings of this -system of proxy-voting and proxy-representation. How<span class="pagenum" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</span> -is it to work when our self-constituted representative -happens to hold different opinions from us? There -are various questions, such as intemperance, licentiousness, -slavery, and war, the allowing men to control our -property, our person, our earnings, our children, on -which at times we might differ; and yet this representative -of ours can cast but one vote for us both, however -different our opinions may be. Whether that vote -would be cast for his own interests, or for ours, all past -legislation will show. Under this system, diversities -of interest must of necessity arise; and the only way -to remove all difficulty and secure full and exact justice -to woman is to permit her to represent herself.</p> - -<p>One more point and I have done. Men say -women cannot vote without neglecting their families -and their duties as housekeepers. This, to our opponents, -is a very serious objection. Who would urge -a similar one to man’s voting and legislating, or holding -office—that he would neglect his family or his -business? And yet the objection would be about as -reasonable in one case as in the other. In settling a -question of natural and inherent <em>right</em>, we must not -stop to consider conveniencies or inconveniencies. -The right must be accorded, the field left clear, and -the consequences will take care of themselves. Men -argue as though if women were granted an equal voice -in the government all our nurseries would be abandoned, -the little ones left to take care of themselves, and -the country become depopulated. They have frightened -themselves with the belief that kitchens would be -deserted and dinners left uncooked, and that men would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</span> -have to turn housekeepers and nurses. When the -truth is, mothers have as much regard for the home and -the welfare of the children as have the fathers; and -they understand what their duties are as well as men -do; and they are generally as careful for the interests -of the one, and as faithful in the discharge of the other, -as are these watchful guardians of theirs who tremble -lest they should get out of their sphere. God and -nature have implanted in woman’s heart a love of her -offspring, and an instinctive knowledge of what is -proper and what improper for her to do, and it needs -no laws of man’s making to compel the one or teach the -other. Give her freedom and her own good sense will -direct her how to use it.</p> - -<p>Were the prohibition removed to-morrow, not more -than one mother in a thousand would be required -to leave her family to serve the state, and not one without -her own consent. Even though all the offices in -the country should be filled by women, which would -never be likely to happen, it would take but a very -small proportion of the whole away from their families; -not more than now leave home each year for a stay of -months at watering places, in the mountains, visiting -friends, or crowding the galleries of legislative halls -dispensing smiles on the members below. There would, -then, be little danger of the terrible consequences so -feelingly depicted by those who fear that the babies and -their own stomachs would suffer.</p> - -<p>But I have no desire, nor does any advocate of the -enfranchisement of woman desire, that mothers should -neglect their duties to their families. Indeed, no greater<span class="pagenum" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</span> -sticklers for the faithful discharge of such duties can be -found than among the prominent advocates of this -cause; and no more exemplary mothers can be found -than those who have taken the lead as earnest pleaders -for woman’s emancipation. Undoubtedly, the highest -and holiest duty of both father and mother is to their -children; and neither the one nor the other, from any -false ideas of patriotism, any love of display or ambition, -any desire for fame or distinction, should leave a -young family to engage in governmental affairs. A -mother who has young children has her work at home, -and she should stay at home with it, and care well for -their education and physical wants. But having discharged -this duty, having reared a well-developed and -wisely-governed family, then let the state profit by her -experience, and let the father and the mother sit down -together in the councils of the nation.</p> - -<p>But all women are not mothers; all women have -not home duties; so we shall never lack for enough to -look after our interests at the ballot-box and in legislative -halls. There are thousands of unmarried women, -childless wives and widows, and it would always be -easy to find enough to represent us without taking one -mother with a baby in her arms. All women may vote -without neglecting any duty, for the mere act of voting -would take but little time; not more than shopping -or making calls. Instead of woman being excluded -from the elective franchise because she is a mother, -that is the strongest reason that can be urged in favor -of granting her that right. If she is responsible to -society and to God for the moral and physical welfare<span class="pagenum" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</span> -of her son; if she is to bring him up as the future wise -legislator, lawyer and jurist; if she is to keep him pure -and prepare him to appear before the bar of the Most -High,—then she should have unlimited control over his -actions and the circumstances that surround him. She -should have every facility for guarding his interests and -for suppressing and removing all temptations and -dangers that beset his path. If God has committed to -her so sacred a charge He has, along with it, given the -power and the right of protecting it from evil and for -accomplishing the work He has given her to do; and -no false modesty, no dread of ridicule, no fear of contamination -will excuse her for shrinking from its discharge.</p> - -<p>Woman needs the elective franchise to destroy the -prevalent idea of female inferiority. She needs it to -make her the equal of her own sons, that they may not -in a few years assume the power to rule over her, and -make laws for her observance without her consent. -The fact that she is the mother of mankind—‘the -living providence under God who gives to every human -being its mental, moral and physical organization, who -stamps upon every human heart her seal for good or -for evil’—is reason why she should occupy no inferior -position in the world. In the words of Mrs. -Stanton, ‘That woman who has no higher object of -thought than the cooking a good dinner, compounding -a good pudding, mending old clothes, or hemming dish-towels—or, -to be a little more refined, whose thoughts -centre on nothing more important than an elegant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</span> -dress, beautiful embroidery, parties, dances, and genteel -gossip concerning the domestic affairs of the -Smiths and Browns—can never give to the world -a Bacon or a Newton, a Milton or a Howard, a Buonaparte -or a Washington.’ If we would have great men, -we must first have great women. If we would have -great statesmen and great philanthropists, we must -have mothers whose thoughts soar above the trifling -objects which now engage the attention of the mass of -women, and who are capable of impressing those -thoughts upon the minds of their offspring.</p> - -<p>In conclusion the enfranchisement of woman will be -attended with the happiest results, not for her only, -but the whole race. It will place society upon a higher -moral and social elevation than it has ever yet attained. -Hitherto, the variously devised agencies for the amelioration -of the race have been designed mainly for -the benefit of man. For him colleges have been established -and universities endowed. For his advancement -in science and the arts professorships have been -founded and lecture rooms opened. And, above all, for -securing to him the widest field for the fullest display of -his abilities republican institutions have been proclaimed -and sustained at a great sacrifice of toil, of bloodshed -and of civil commotions. Although the doctrine of the -innate equality of the race has been proclaimed yet, so -far as relates to women, it has been a standing falsehood, -We now ask that this principle may be applied -practically in her case, also; we ask that the colleges and -universities, the professorships and lecture rooms shall -be opened to her, also; and, finally, we ask for the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</span> -admission to the ballot-box as the crowning right to -which she is justly entitled.</p> - -<p>And when woman shall be thus recognized as an -equal partner with man in the universe of God—equal -in rights and duties—then will she for the first -time, in truth, become what her Creator designed her -to be, a helpmeet for man. With her mind and body -fully developed, imbued with a full sense of her responsibilities, -and living in the conscientious discharge -of each and all of them, she will be fitted to share with -her brother in all the duties of life; to aid and counsel -him in his hours of trial; and to rejoice with him in -the triumph of every good word and work.</p> -</div> - - -<h3>A REPLY.</h3> - -<p>A lecture entitled, “Woman’s Sphere, Woman’s -Work and Woman Suffrage Discussed,” -was delivered at the Central Presbyterian -church, Des Moines, on the evening of December -25th, 1870, by the Rev. T. O. Rice. -The address was published in the Des Moines -<cite>Register</cite> of January 1st, 1871, and Mrs. Bloomer -replied to it through the columns of the same -paper January 21st, 1871, as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p><span class="smcap">Editor of the Register</span>: A friend has placed in -my hand a copy of <cite>The Register</cite> of January 1, containing -a sermon by the Rev. T. O. Rice on ‘Woman’s -sphere, woman’s work, woman suffrage,’ etc.</p> - -<p>After carefully reading this sermon, I find nothing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</span> -new or original in it. It is but a rehash of what has before -been served up to us by the Reverends Todd, Bushnell, -Fulton and others, who are alarmed lest woman -should get the start of the Creator and overleap the -bounds He has set to her sphere. It throws no new -light on the vexed question of woman suffrage, brings -to view no passages of Scripture hitherto hidden from -our sight, and gives no arguments which have not already -been met and refuted again and again. In much -that he says the advocates of woman suffrage fully agree -with him. A mother’s first duty is at home with her -children, and nothing can excuse her for neglect of -those entrusted to her care. Home is the happiest spot -on earth when it is a <em>true home</em>—a home where love -and harmony abide, where each regards the rights, -the feelings, the interest, the happiness of the other, -where ruling and obeying are unknown, where two -heads are acknowledged better than one, and true confidence -and esteem bind together the wedded pair. -And I know of no happier homes, no better trained and -better cared for children, than among the prominent advocates -of woman suffrage. Whatever may be thought -to the contrary, Elizabeth Cady Stanton is a model -housekeeper, wife and mother; and nowhere can -greater sticklers be found for the full discharge of all -wifely duties than those who are pleading for woman’s -enfranchisement. So far, then, as relates to home and -children your divine has given us nothing but what we -can subscribe to, and what we have preached for a -score of years, at least, before he awakened to the necessity -of giving the women of his congregation a sermon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</span> -on their domestic duties. If they were ignorant on -those matters, his words have not come to them an -hour too soon.</p> - -<p>After quoting familiar passages from both the Old -and New Testament referring to woman, your divine -opens by saying: ‘The general drift of these passages -is obvious. Woman was designed to be a helpmeet -for man.’ To this we have nothing to object. We, -too, say that God made woman a helpmeet for man, -finding it not good for him to be alone. But God said -nothing of her being inferior, or subordinate, when he -brought her to Adam—nothing of her being intended -to fill an inferior position or discharge particular or inferior -duties. She was made a helpmeet for man, not his -subject and servant, but his assistant, companion and -counselor. Not a helper in any particular sphere or -duty, but in all the varied relations of life. Not to be -always the frail, clinging, dependent vine, which falls -helpless with the oak when it is riven by the thunderbolt, -but to take the place, <em>if need be</em>, of the sturdy oak -at her side when so riven, and bear upon her shoulders -all the burdens which as true helpmeet and companion -fall to her lot. Not to be an idle drone in the hive, -but a sharer with him in all his head and his hands -find to do. Not a helpmeet in the domestic relation -merely, but also in the government of the earth and in -the councils of the nation. It was not to <em>him</em> but to -<em>them</em> that God gave power and dominion over the -whole earth.</p> - -<p>He next goes on to show why woman was to occupy -a subordinate position, and of all the arguments<span class="pagenum" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</span> -brought forward by our opponents I never read a more -weak and flimsy one than this. Because Adam was -first formed and then Eve, she was therefore to be subordinate. -But where is the proof of this? Do we find -in all nature that the things last formed were inferior -and subordinate to those first created? Again, that -‘Adam was not deceived, but the woman being -deceived was in the transgression.’ Now, will the -reverend gentleman tell us which he deems the greater -sin, to commit a wrong after being misled and deceived -by promises of great good to follow, or to commit the -same wrong without such promises or deception, and -with the eyes wide open to the wrong? In any court -of the present day, the extenuating circumstances -would be considered and the former held the less guilty -of the two.</p> - -<p>How any unprejudiced and unbiased mind can -read the original account of the creation and fall, and -gather therefrom that the woman committed the greater -sin, I cannot understand. When Eve was first asked -to eat of the forbidden fruit she refused, and it was -only after her scruples were overcome by promises of -great knowledge that she gave way to sin. But how -was it with Adam, who was with her? He took and -ate what she had offered him without any scruples of -conscience, or promises on her part of great things to -follow—certainly showing no superiority of goodness, -or intellect, or strength of character fitting him for the -headship. The command not to eat of the Tree of Life -was given to him before her creation, and he was -doubly bound to keep it; yet he not only permitted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</span> -her to partake of the fruit without remonstrating -against it, and warning her of the wrong, but ate of it -himself without objection or hesitation. And then, -when inquired of by God concerning what he had done, -instead of standing up like an honorable man and -confessing the wrong he weakly tried to shield himself -by throwing the blame on the woman. As the -account stands, he showed the greater ‘feebleness -of resistance, and evinced a pliancy of character, and -a readiness to yield to temptation,’ that cannot justly -be charged to the woman. As the account stands, -man has more to blush for than to boast of.</p> - -<p>While we are willing to accept this original account -of the creation and fall, we are not willing that -men should add tenfold to woman’s share of sin, and -put a construction upon the whole matter that we -believe was never intended by the Creator. Eve had -no more to do with bringing sin into the world than -had Adam, nor does the Creator charge any more -upon her. The punishment inflicted upon them for -their transgression was as heavy upon him as upon her. -Her sorrows were to be multiplied, but so too was he to -eat his bread in sorrow, and to earn it in the sweat of -his face amid thorns and thistles. To her no injunction -to labor was given, upon her no toil imposed, no -ground cursed for her sake.</p> - -<p>But now we come to the consideration of a passage -which seems to bear more heavily upon woman, and -which men have used as a warrant to humble and -crush her through all the ages that have passed since -our first parents were driven from the Garden of Eden:<span class="pagenum" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</span> -‘<em>Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall -rule over thee.</em>’</p> - -<p>This Mr. Rice regards as a command binding -upon every woman for all time. Because Eve sinned, -every woman must be ruled over by some man as long -as the world stands. It is a little strange that the -Creator did not tell us this. When talking to the -serpent, He put enmity between his seed and the -seed of the woman; but to the woman He said not a -word of this law of subordination following her seed; -and to Adam he gave no command, or even license, -to rule over his wife.</p> - -<p>Will the Rev. Rice please explain to us the meaning -of a like passage in the chapter following? ‘<em>The -Lord said unto Cain, the desire of thy brother shall -be unto thee, and thou shalt rule over him.</em>’ Was -this, too, a command for all time? Did God command -Cain to rule over Abel? And if so, to whom does it now -apply? The language is the same in both instances, -except that in the latter case it was addressed directly -to the party who was to rule, and in the former to the -one who was to be ruled.</p> - -<p>Clearly, the passage quoted should be regarded in -the light of prophecy or prediction, and not of command. -Substitute <em>wilt</em> for <em>shalt</em>, which I am told the -original fully permits, and then all is clear. The -prophecy has been fulfilled to the very letter. There -are other passages that I think clearly show that the -word <em>shall</em> has been wrongly translated. For instance, -Cain says, ‘Whosoever findeth me <em>shall</em> slay me,’ -taking the form of command rather than prediction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</span></p> - -<p>Having done with the Old Testament, our reverend -lecturer proceeds to give us what, in his opinion, was -the idea and full meaning of the Apostle Paul in his -rules and injunctions to the women of the churches he -was addressing, and he wonders how there can be any -opinion but his own on the subject. He makes the -apostle go a long way beyond the Creator or the -Saviour in his condemnation and subordination of -women, and then thinks it strange that all do not take -his version of the whole matter. Yet there are vast -numbers of good, Christian men and women who cannot -read with his eyes and who have presumed to differ -from him. He quotes from some of the early Fathers -on the subject, and proves that they entertained the -same opinions and had the same fear of women getting -into authority the Todds, Rices and Fultons of the present -day suffer from. And the opinion of one party goes -for as much as that of the other. The women of those -early days, as all know, were ignorant and degraded -and regarded as absolutely inferior to men. Custom -had assigned them an inferior place and, instead of -being treated as companions and equals, they were -little better than servants and slaves. None but dissolute -women, or women of loose character, sought -for knowledge, and education was wholly denied to -those who were virtuous. They were expected to remain -at home in ignorant subjection to their masters. -What wonder then if any, moved by the spirit, dared -raise their voice in the presence of men they were instantly -silenced, and told that it was not permitted them -to speak? The early Fathers, like St. Paul, but conformed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</span> -to the customs and shared the prejudices of the -day in which they lived, and under the circumstances -no doubt their injunctions were entirely proper and -right.</p> - -<p>We have no account on record of these ancient -clergy disgracing themselves over a woman speaking -as did the Rev. John Chambers, and other reverends -of his stamp—and as we suppose the Rev. Rice would -have done had he been there—a few years ago at the -World’s Temperance Convention, in New York, when -by their violent stamping, shouting, scolding and other -uproarious conduct they succeeded in drowning the -voice and driving from the stand a lovely, refined and -highly educated Christian woman whom the president -had invited to the platform. They carried their ends at -that time; but that did not awe all women back into -silence, or do themselves or the church any good. So -all the warnings, and quotations from St. Paul, by all -the reverends since his day, have not succeeded in -keeping women in that state of ignorance and subjection -they occupied two thousand years ago. The world -moves, and it is God’s will that women move with it. -He is no respecter of persons, but regards His people -as all one in Christ Jesus.</p> - -<p>But what have we next? After putting women -down as low as possible our divine throws them a sop -by telling them, if they will not usurp authority over -men in the pulpit they may speak, and pray, and teach -in Sunday schools, and in conference and covenant -meeting. And where, pray, does he get his authority -for this? Not in the Bible, surely. Paul says, ‘I suffer<span class="pagenum" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</span> -not a woman to teach.’ Teach what? The scriptures—the -gospel, to be sure. This is direct and explicit. -How can she teach the gospel in the Sunday school and -elsewhere, without violation of St. Paul’s law? ‘Let -women keep silence in the church,’ says the apostle. -Then how can they talk, and pray, and teach in the -conference meeting, the covenant meeting and other -kindred places? St. Paul gives them no such liberty. -Plainly your divine is willing the women of his church -should do almost anything, so they do not interfere -with his place, or usurp authority over him.</p> - -<p>Poor <em>me</em> next comes in for a severe castigation from -your reverend lawgiver because I dared say that, while -I supposed St. Paul’s injunctions to women were right -and proper at the time and under the circumstances of -their utterance, I did not believe they were the rule for -the educated Christian women of this enlightened day -and age, the circumstances surrounding them having -greatly changed since the introduction of Christianity. -That I believed women were no more bound by the laws -and customs of that time than men were bound to observe -all the laws and customs of the same period; and -further, that the church, <em>by its practice</em>, teaches the -same thing, to a great extent. And, still further, that -the words of St. Paul had nothing to do with woman’s -political rights. The reverend gentleman puts words -in my mouth I never uttered, thoughts in my head that -I never conceived, places me in a position I never occupied -and then, having attributed all manner of bad -things to me, wipes me out with a sweep of his pen. -Well, I do not feel a bit bad over all this. I have the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</span> -consolation of knowing that I am in good company, and -cannot be so easily annihilated as he supposed. There -are scores of divines as able, as learned, as eloquent and -as orthodox as T. O. Rice, of Des Moines, who take -the same view of the matter as I do, and any number -of good Christian people who subscribe to the same -doctrine. I ‘have no painful solicitude as to which side -will ultimately triumph.’ I am no more ‘squarely and -openly at variance with God’s Word’ than is our reverend -lecturer, who has set himself up as God’s oracle, -and hopes to intimidate all women, and strengthen the -rule of all men to whom the sound of his voice may -come.</p> - -<p>I do not question his right to think as he pleases, -and lecture women on proprieties and improprieties; -but I must say, I consider women quite as capable of -judging for themselves what is proper and what is improper -for them to do as any man can be; and I think -if our reverends would turn their attention to their own -sex, search out passages and rules of conduct applicable -to them, and lecture them on their duty to their families -and society, they would be much better employed than -in trying to subordinate women.</p> - -<p>God has implanted in woman’s nature an instinctive -knowledge of what is proper and what improper for her -to do, and it needs no laws of man to teach the one or -compel the other.</p> - -<p>Our lecturer assumes that ‘God did not design that -woman’s sphere and woman’s work should be identical -with that of man, but distinct and subordinate.’ That -‘woman is happiest in subordination, as well as more<span class="pagenum" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</span> -attractive,’ etc. This is, of course, only a picture of his -imagination—only an expression of his own feelings and -wishes. He can find no warrant for it in the Bible; for, -as we have shown, God did not assign her to any particular -sphere or work, but made her an helpmeet to stand -side by side and walk hand in hand with man through -the journey of life.</p> - -<p>‘When aspiring, insubordinate, overtopping and turbulent -woman loses all the attraction and fascination of -her sex.’ Very true! and so do men of the same character -lose all that commands our love and respect, and -there are many more of the latter than of the former -class! I know no such woman, but if there are any, -every advocate of woman’s enfranchisement will do all -they can to prevent her ever becoming so ‘restless, -troubled, muddy, and bereft of beauty.’ So far as she -has been admitted to the society of men they have not -yet made her that terrible being they fear and dread. -She has not proved herself coarse, vulgar, turbulent -and corrupting in any society to which she has been -admitted; and we would bid the reverend calm his excited -mind, and remember that God made her woman, -and under no change that has come to her has she proved -untrue to the nature He implanted within her. So let -him trust that the good God who is leading her forward -into broader fields of usefulness will take care that she -goes not beyond, in any respect, the limit He has fixed -to her sphere.</p> - -<p>Having settled the question that the sexes are to -move in spheres distinct from each other to his own satisfaction, -and having dismissed the apostle from the witness<span class="pagenum" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</span> -stand, we are told what, in the judgment of the -speaker, is the proper and appropriate sphere of woman. -In much of what follows we agree with him; but not -altogether. ‘By analyzing any persons,’ men or women, -‘physically, mentally and morally, we can ascertain -what station they are fitted to fill—what work they are -fitted to do.’ And whatever either man or woman has -capacity for doing, that is right and proper in and of itself; -that thing it is right and proper for both, or either -of them, to do. If God has given them a talent, He has -along with it given them a right to its use, whether it be -in the direction of the home, the workshop, the public -assembly, or the Legislative Hall.</p> - -<p>And if woman has hitherto neglected to improve all -her God-given talents, it is because men have only permitted -her to get glimpses of the world ‘from the little -elevation in her own garden,’ where they have fenced -her in. But let them invite her to the ‘loftier eminence’ -where they stand, with the world for her sphere, as it -was at the beginning, and then they can better judge of -the qualities of her mind, and her capacity to fill any -station.</p> - -<p>In talking of man’s strength of body and mind fitting -him for certain places, and woman’s weakness consigning -her to other places, he forgets that intellectually, -at least, a great many women are stronger than a -great many men, and therefore better fitted for places -where brains, instead of muscle, are needed. It is no -more true that every woman was made to be a cook and -a washer of dishes and clothes, than that every man was -made to be a wood sawyer and a ditch digger. While<span class="pagenum" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</span> -some are content, in either case, to fill those stations, -others are not content, and never will be, and will aspire -to something better and higher. To what place the -weak little men are to be consigned our speaker fails to -tell us.</p> - -<p>The home picture in the sermon is all very beautiful. -Would that all homes were a realization of the -picture! Woman is told great things of her duties, -her influence, her glories and her responsibilities, but -not a word have we of man’s duty to the home, the wife, -the children. Woman is told that it is hers to make -her children great and good, as though they were like -a blank sheet of white paper and would take any impress -she chose to give; when, in fact, they are stamped -before they see the light of the world with the gross -and vicious natures of their tobacco-chewing and wine-bibbing -fathers, as well as with the weaknesses of the -mothers, and it is often impossible for the best of -mothers to so train their children that they may safely -pass the pitfalls that men have everywhere placed to -lead them into temptation and destruction. We protest -against the mothers being held alone responsible -for the children, so long as fathers wholly neglect their -duties and set such examples and such temptations before -their children as to corrupt their young lives and -destroy the good influence the mother might otherwise -exert. Not till mothers have a voice in saying what -influences and temptations shall surround their children -when they go beyond the nursery walls, can they justly -be held accountable to society or to God for their conduct. -The woman who only takes a narrow view of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</span> -life from the little eminence in her garden can never -give to the world very good or very great children. -She must be permitted to take in a wider range from a -loftier eminence, before she can form those great characters -and inscribe upon the immortal mind the great -things that are expected and demanded of her. If we -would have great men, we must first have great women. -If we would have noble men, we must first have noble -mothers. A woman whose whole thought is occupied -in cooking a good dinner and mending old clothes—or -(a little more refined) whose thoughts center on a -beautiful dress, elegant embroidery, the fashionable -party, the latest novel or the latest fashion—can never -give to the world a Bacon or a Newton, a Howard or a -Wesley, a Buonaparte or a Washington. Our preacher -lays a heavy responsibility on woman, but all his talk -about her influence, her duty and her subordination is -not going to give her that wisdom, strength and moral -material out of which to properly construct the fabric -of the Church and the Commonwealth.</p> - -<p>We would by no means undervalue the home, or -the mother’s duty and influence; but we would ennoble -and purify the one, and enlarge the duties and extend -the influence and power of the other. Our divine -thinks that, because woman is mother, daughter, sister -and wife, it is enough for her and she should desire -nothing more. Man is father, husband, son and -brother, and why is he not therefore content? What -can he desire or ask for more? Let men realize that -they, too, have duties to the home beyond merely supplying -the money to satisfy the physical wants of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</span> -family; let them throw down the wall they have built -up around the woman’s garden and invite her to survey -with them the wider range from the loftier eminence, -and many homes would be made glad that are now -anything but Gardens of Eden, and many women would -be strengthened for the full and faithful discharge of -all their duties.</p> - -<p>‘Woman is not a mechanic.’ Yes, she is. All men -are not mechanics. I know women who have more -mechanical genius than their husbands; and I believe -there are few of the mechanical arts that women could -not master and perform successfully, if custom permitted -and necessity required. They are naturally ingenious, -and fashion many things as difficult to learn -as to saw a board or drive a nail, to make a watch or -a shoe, a saddle or a harness. My next-door neighbor -is a natural mechanic, and has manufactured various -articles in wood, from a foot to two feet in size, such -as tables, chairs, bedsteads, wardrobes, frames, brackets, -etc., with only a penknife and a bit of sandpaper for -tools, which are perfect specimens of workmanship, -and are so acknowledged by first-class cabinetmakers. -She has taken premiums on these articles for the best -woodcutting and carving at our agricultural fairs. -This work has only been done for pastime, and the lady -is equally ingenious with the needle, as well as a good -housekeeper, wife and mother. There are many women -engaged in various kinds of mechanism.</p> - -<p>There are many inventions by women; but how -many have been patented, can only be known by inquiry -at the Patent Office. And even then it would be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</span> -difficult to ascertain facts, since the patent is generally -obtained in the name of the husband. I have a lady -friend who invented patterns for parlor stoves. Her -husband had them patented in his own name, and -entered upon the manufacture and sale of them.</p> - -<p>The ‘natural difference in the turn of mind in the -sexes’ is not so great as is supposed. The seeming -difference is more owing to education and custom, than -to nature. It is a very common thing to hear a young -girl wish she was a boy, or a man, that she might be -free to do what she lists in this world of work—to -make use of the powers which she feels burning within -her. The girl envies the boy his freedom and his -privileges. In ‘earliest childhood,’ if let alone, there is -little difference between the boy and the girl. The -girl likes to ride the horse and blow the trumpet, as -well as the boy; and the boy loves a doll and a needle -and thread, as well as the girl. It is not the child that -selects, but the parent that selects for him. From -the very first (the whip, the horse, the trumpet) the boy -is taught that it is not right or manly for him to play -with dolls, or girls; and the girl, that little girls must -not play with boys, or with boys’ playthings, because -it is not ladylike, and will make a tom-boy of her. And -so education does what nature has not done, and was -never intended to do.</p> - -<p>‘Those who would curse our race have ever attempted, -in imitation of the great progenitor, to poison -all our fountains and wither and blast all our budding -hopes by directing their artful attacks and deadly -shafts against the breast of woman.’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</span></p> - -<p>Alas! this is but too true. Ever since Satan, who -was a man, struck the first blow at her happiness, men -have directed their deadly shafts against her, by first -subjugating her to their will, and then using their power -to ‘poison the fountain of her happiness and wither -and blast her budding hopes.’ She has been made their -sport and their victim, with no power to avert the evil, -or protect herself, or those entrusted to her care, from -their artful and brutal attacks.</p> - -<p>But what have we here? After telling women that -home is their sphere, and that God placed them in it, -and they should not go beyond it, the reverend lecturer -turns right about and supposes a case where a woman -is called upon to devote her time, or her energies, to -home duties and family cares, or of one who voluntarily -chooses to do something else; and, strange as it may -seem after all that has gone before, he says ‘she may -follow a trade, teach, lecture, practise law and medicine, -and fill a clerkship.’ This is good woman’s-rights doctrine! -The bars are let down that separated the -spheres, and woman is permitted to leave the ‘distinct -and subordinate’ one allotted to her, and enter upon a -sphere and work ‘<em>identical with that of man</em>.’ Here -we can join hands with our divine, and be thankful -that light has so far dawned upon him. And he farther -‘demands that all the sources of learning, all the -avenues of business which they are competent to fill -shall be thrown open to the whole sex, and that they -shall be fairly and fully rewarded for all they do’! -These good words go far to atone for all he has said -before, and we will not ask why this change, or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</span> -concession. Enough that he comes thus far upon our -platform. But can he stop here? After giving her so -wide a sphere, and educating her mind to the fullest -extent, can he again put up the bar and say ‘thus far and -no farther shalt thou go’? Indeed, no! God himself -has in these latter days broken down the bounds that -men had set to woman’s sphere, and they cannot, by -opposition or Bible argument, remand her back into -the state of silent subjection whence she came. The -ministers of the church for years set themselves up -against the anti-slavery cause, and proved conclusively, -to themselves, from the Bible, that slavery was right and -God-ordained; that the Africans were, and were to be, -a subjugated race, and that to teach differently was in -plain violation of the teachings of the Bible. They -held themselves aloof from that cause, in the days of -its weakness, at least, and cried out against those who -were pleading for the emancipation of the slave. But -God proved their mistake by setting that people free, -and endowing them with all the rights of citizenship. -So, too, the Bible is brought forward to prove the -subordination of woman, and to show that because St. -Paul told the ignorant women of his time that they -must keep silent in the church the educated, intelligent -women of these times must not only occupy the same -position in the church and the family but must not -aspire to the rights of citizenship. But the same -Power that brought the slave out of bondage will, in -His own good time and way, bring about the emancipation -of woman, and make her the equal in power -and dominion that she was at the beginning.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</span></p> - -<p>The divine uses the column and a half that remains -of the space allotted to him to show why, in his -opinion, women should not vote—after telling us there -is nothing against their voting in the Bible, and omitting -to tell us what the passages quoted at the head of -his discourse have to do with politics or political rights. -One of these reasons is that women will want to hold -office; and in proof of this he tells us that the office of -deaconess, which existed in the church till the middle of -the fifth century, was abolished because the women ‘became -troublesome aspirants after the prerogatives of -office.’ It is ever thus. Men are willing women should be -subordinate—do the <em>drudgery</em> in the church and elsewhere; -but let them aspire to something higher and -then, if there is no other way to silence them, abolish -the office. <em>Men</em> want all the offices, and it is a crying -shame for a woman to think of taking one from them, -thus setting them all aquake with fear!</p> - -<p>Men argue as though, if women had the right to -vote, they would all abandon their homes and their -babies, and stand at the polls from year’s end to year’s -end and do nothing but vote. When the fact is men -do not vote but twice a year; are detained from their -business but a few minutes to deposit their ballots; and -then go their way, none the worse for the vote. I regret -that Rev. Rice thinks so badly of the advocates of -woman’s cause. So far as I know them, his charges -are unfair and sometimes untrue. A better personal -acquaintance would disarm him of much of his prejudice. -The women are all good sisters, wives and -mothers, living in love and harmony with their husbands,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</span> -to whom they are true helpmeets, and whom -they have no thought of deserting. Not half of them -ever expect to hold office—certainly not, unless the -offices are greatly multiplied—nor to have any part in -turning the world upside down. On the contrary they -will continue to care for the babies, cook the dinners, -and sew on the buttons the same as ever.</p> - -<p>Another reason why woman should not vote is that -he thinks ‘God has not fitted her for government, that -He never made her to manage the affairs of state, that -very few women would make good stateswomen,’ etc. -And yet God did at the Creation give her an equal -share in the government of the earth, and our divine -imposes upon her all the government of the family! -God called Deborah to manage the affairs of state, -and approved of her management, never once telling -her she was out of her sphere, or neglecting her domestic -duties. And the queens of the Bible are nowhere -reproved for being in authority and ruling over men. -Many women have shown a fitness for government in -all ages of the world. There are few able statesmen -among men, and the world is suffering sadly for want -of woman’s help and woman’s counsel in the affairs of -state.</p> - -<p>But I cannot ask you to allow me space to follow -the reverend gentleman through all that follows on the -question of woman suffrage. His arguments are very -stale, and many of them absurd. I doubt not he is -honest in his convictions; but all do not see with his -eyes, or judge with his judgment. As able minds as -his own among men take a different view of the matter,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</span> -and believe that at the polls, as elsewhere, woman will -have a refining moral influence upon men, and that -she will herself be benefited and ennobled by the enlarged -sphere of action.</p> - -<p>I cannot better close than with the words of Bronson -Alcott, at a recent ‘conversation’ in Chicago: ‘There -is no friend of woman who does not believe that, if the -ballot were extended to her, not one would ever vote -for an impure man. To give woman the ballot would -purify legislation, plant liberty and purity in our families, -our churches, our institutions, our State.’</p> - -<p class="right fs90"> -<span class="smcap">Amelia Bloomer.</span></p> -<p>Council Bluffs, Iowa.<br> -</p> -</div> -<hr class="r5"> - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<h3>MRS. STANTON ON MRS. BLOOMER.</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“In the fall of 1850 I met Mrs. Bloomer for the first -time, in Seneca Falls, N. Y. I was happy to find her -awake to the wrongs of women. Mrs. Bloomer was -publishing a paper at that time called the <em>Lily</em>; a -rather inappropriate name for so aggressive a paper, -advocating as it did all phases of the woman’s-rights -question. In 1849 her husband was appointed postmaster, -and she became his deputy, was duly sworn in, -and during the administration of Taylor and Fillmore -served in that capacity. When she assumed her duties, -the improvement in the appearance and conduct of the -office was generally acknowledged. A neat little room -adjoining became a kind of ladies’ exchange, where -those coming from different parts of the town would -meet to talk over the contents of the last <em>Lily</em> and the -progress of the woman’s-suffrage movement in general.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</span> -Those who enjoyed the brief interregnum of a woman -in the post office can readily testify to the loss to the -ladies of the village, and to the void felt by all, when -Mrs. Bloomer and the <em>Lily</em> left for the West, and men -again reigned supreme.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“E. C. S.”<br> -</p> -</div> - -<hr class="r5"> -<h3>MEMORIAL SERMON.</h3> - -<p>Preached by the Rev. Eugene J. Babcock, in -St. Paul’s Church, Council Bluffs, January 13, -1895:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="fs90"><span class="smcap">Eccl.</span>, vii. 1.—“<em>A good name is better than precious ointment, -and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.</em>”</p> - -<p>Wisdom is surveying life, and giving its best retrospect. -The thought which has entered this judgment -is the righteous, just, temperate, and loving care -of God.</p> - -<p>A life spent in satisfying the pleasures of sense -alone leaves nothing of value to the ‘pilgrims of night,’ -for it passes away like a shadow and is gone. The -greatest heritage that can come to the children of men—an -inheritance that they should administer jealously—is -a good name. As to other things we can carry -nothing out of this world, but good character, like the -ancient embalming, forever preserves a good name.</p> - -<p>The ‘name’ which wisdom here mentions is that -which has acquirement of reputation. This is suggested -by the second member of the text. The old -application would have limited it to one who had won -fame. Evidently, reputation is to be the outcome of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</span> -character just as the perfume is associated with the -nard. The things in comparison are the good name -which all delight to honor, and the fragrant odor of the -good, i. e. precious, ointment which all enjoy.</p> - -<p>But more than this. Names of the great and good -have a diffusive power, subtly and incisively invading -our spirits as their golden deeds are told off and become -signs to the world that earth has souls of heroic -mould. Then we are athrill with emotion as our -souls thus catch better insight of humanity. The -correspondence is in opening the box of delicate, pure -and costly ointment, the odor thereof filling the house.</p> - -<p>How comes it that the day of death is better than -the day of birth? Solomon may have meant that life’s -vexations, toils, temptations and trials were thus at an -end. This is the justifying consolation that we give -when our fellows depart hence and are no more seen. -The passing hence is undoubtedly merciful relief in -many instances. But life’s issues are varied and -diverse, and to most of us life, in its purely temporal -aspect, is the sweetest and closest companion of -thought. There are but few to receive Solomon’s -words. Possibly, they are designed for the few. At -an earlier stage of his life he would not have written -them. They came out of his experience. He may -have been touched by a gloom of apprehension which -sprung from ignorance, an ignorance that was done -away in Christ our Lord. That life does not cease absolutely -is knowledge which Christ’s religion has fixed -in human minds. It is true that there is as yet no test -of experience, save that I point you to Jesus Christ the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</span> -Great Exemplar and those recorded cases who were -subjects of his power. In the spirit’s return to God, -the ancients did not know that to die is gain.</p> - -<p>In view of acquirements attained from a well -ordered and well spent life, may there not be a sense -in which the day of death is better? As the three -score and ten years come on, our minds contrast origin -and decline, infancy and age. What prodigious issues -are involved! The advances of time disclose two -pathways, well worn and leading up to these issues. -In moral aspect they bear the names of good and evil. -Yet they are not so absolutely distinct as to be two -separate paths. Rather, to the eye of discernment, the -individual walks in two planes, the subject of two -kingdoms. God, in His goodness and mercy, furnished -a guideboard for the journey of life, and prophetic of -the parting of the ways: Reject the evil; choose the -good. Behold the key to the good name that is better -than precious ointment!</p> - -<p>Such was the high animating principle that guided -Amelia Jenks Bloomer through her womanhood. Born -in Homer, New York, May 27, 1818, she removed from -her native place at an early age, and after a residence -in two other villages in the same state, during which -her life passed through girlhood to young womanhood, -she finally came to Seneca County. She was little -aware of the destiny that awaited her, and of the probability -that the precincts of her new dwelling place -were to become the theatre of events in which she -would play the part of leading character.</p> - -<p>On her mother’s side she inherited a trend toward<span class="pagenum" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</span> -an earnest and positive religious bent. This was supplemented -by the mother-love instilling into the child -those principles of belief in things supreme which -become a part of moral fibre and the basis for action. -The one avenue of woman’s employment from time immemorial, -the public school, she seems to have eschewed. -This may have been owing to possession of -talents for larger and higher educational function; -talents which found successful trial in a happy and -peculiar relation of governess in a family with three -children.</p> - -<p>This relation was terminated for another and more -sacred bond, she being joined in marriage the twenty-second -year of her age. Her married life began at -Seneca Falls, New York, where was Mr. Bloomer’s -home.</p> - -<p>In the beginning of the decade of years which are -known as the ‘forties,’ there were gathering forces of a -distinctively moral movement which had for its object -the regeneration of society. Re-proclamation of an -old truth in new form took aggressive phase of agitation -against the evils of intemperance with a view to -lessen them. The instrument employed was the ever -truthful and laudable agency of moral suasion. In due -time there came into the purview of such as were -enlisted heart and soul in this noble effort, the additional -agency of suppression by means of legal -enactment. This first and new demonstration gathered -momentum until 1856, when it seems to have -spent its force in electing Myron A. Clark, of Canandaigua, -to the governorship of New York.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</span></p> - -<p>A glance at the early endeavors which led to the upheaval -of society and had a widespread effect for good, -enables us to see the sway of the agitation in that part -of the state where dwelt the honorable subject of this -memorial. The movement had taken form in the concrete -by virtue of an organization named the Washingtonian -Society. To the influences of this society we -are indebted, indirectly at least, for the new firmament -which spread above this land in woman’s emancipation, -and for its bright peculiar star, Amelia Bloomer.</p> - -<p>This came about in a simple and matter-of-fact way. -Local societies, of which there was one in Seneca Falls, -were doing their specific work. Mr. Bloomer was -already in the newspaper field as editor of the village -press. To his editorial duties he joined the duties of -maintaining a paper called the <cite>Water Bucket</cite>, as the -organ of the local society. Another element came in the -shape of a religious awakening, following the Washingtonian -movement, and growing out of it. While the air -was ringing with eloquent words of precept, there was -forced upon the mind that which was equally eloquent, -viz., personal example. Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer were -baptized and confirmed by Bishop Delancey in the parish -church of Seneca Falls in the year 1842. Henceforth, -to the <em>rationale</em> of the movement was added the religious -motive.</p> - -<p>In response to her husband’s earnest and persuasive -appeals to ‘lend a hand,’ she modestly and even reluctantly -contributed articles to the paper. With repeated -protestations, she complied with other demands. She -did not desire to reveal her identity as her contributions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</span> -became subject to favorable comment and wide -quotation. She hid herself under a round of names, -now masculine, now feminine, in order to avoid publicity. -But behind them there was a personality that -could not be hidden long. A keen and powerful mind, -and brimming sentiments of a woman’s heart, intense -and moving, came to the surface. The flashing of a -bright pen, tempered and pointed as a Damascus blade, -was probing its way to the forefront of discussion, and -into the vitals of opposing argument, and lo! a woman -stepped forth into the arena, a champion of woman’s -side in the conflicting controversy!</p> - -<p>With her lifeboat thus pushed out into the current -of this mental activity, and thrown upon her own resources, -latent powers came to her support. These -were reabsorbed, again developed, and carried on to -renewed struggles. It is surprising to note how resolutely -and with what eminent capability she met the -varied demands of true sentiment, sound judgment and -business tact.</p> - -<p>She had great regard for the principles she advocated; -for her self-respect as an advocate; and for her -pledged or promised word. Thinking that woman was -capable of originating an enterprise, that she had capacity -for conducting it, her ruling passion was to show to -the world that woman could do as woman, be accountable -to self, and had the right potential to do what she -could. That she esteemed woman a responsible creature -is indicated in the manner in which her paper <cite>The -Lily</cite> was launched upon society. A woman’s temperance -club had planned the paper, the president of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</span> -society had named it; another was appointed editress, -Mrs. Bloomer to be associate; the first issue to appear -January 1, 1849. A woman’s convention which had assembled -in 1848 in the village, and the first on record, -may have stimulated the project. But as the time approached -to undertake the issue faintheartedness dashed -the scheme. Not even prospectuses and money received -could stay the retreat. Mrs. Bloomer was left alone. -Her own words are: ‘My position was a most embarrassing -one. * * * * I could not so lightly throw -off responsibility. There was no alternative but to follow -the example of the others and let the enterprise prove -a miserable failure as had been predicted it would, or to -throw myself into the work, bare my head to the storm -of censure and criticism that would follow, and thereby -make good our promises to the public and save the -reputation of the society. It was a sad, a trying hour, -for one all inexperienced in such work, and at a time -when public action in woman was almost unknown. -So unprepared was I for the position I found myself in, -so lacking in confidence and fearful of censure, that I -withdrew my name from the paper and left standing -the headline: “Published by a Committee of Ladies.”’ -With such splendid courage, integrity and determination, -we can almost predicate in advance the eminent -success which attended this effort during a period of six -years.</p> - -<p>The study of woman’s condition incident to aggressive -measures against intemperance and the direct appeal -to woman’s sympathies, without doubt, widened the -scope of vision. That woman often stood in need of independence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</span> -was enforced cogently. Having succeeded -in a limited temperance work and become useful agents -in lifting the burdens of sisters, the idea of relief in other -directions followed hard apace. Some of these burdens -were of woman’s own placing, some were forced upon -her by the inequalities of law, and others were in deference -to a wrong public opinion.</p> - -<p>The power of the Press did not suffice for the complete -extension of the aims which the woman’s association -had in view. The human voice, than which there -is nothing more potential in moving us, was now raised -to make the battlecry of reform more effective. The -last wonder of the world had come—for woman appeared -as her own advocate. Amelia Bloomer had -gathered strength and reliance for a new phase of her -work. She more deeply realized that she had to cope -with other evils than the horrors of intemperance. The -rising questions were still more difficult, from their inherent -nature and there being no public sentiment to -support them. As the issue confronted her the same distrust -of self, yet the same unfaltering courage and devotion -to a cause, prepared her for the rostrum as armed -her for the editress’ chair. She had faith in the justice -of men, and believed that God was on her side. She -overstepped mere conventionality, not that she spurned -good, but to show that conventionalism is sometimes a -tyrant, and harmful. She could brave the strictures of -public opinion, knowing that it is not always right. -But that she could do this does not indicate that there -was no cost to herself, or that the cruel arrows of ridicule -when proceeding from unkindness did not reach tender<span class="pagenum" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</span> -sensibilities. Had she but her own glory to seek, or -were it but a vain notoriety in order to puff up the -mind, she could not have ‘bared her head to the storm’ -which a canvass of woman’s rights and woman’s wrongs -brought upon her.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>It is for us to learn the lesson of her life: that, -conspicuously, she was unselfish. A conviction had -come to her—may it not have been true inspiration?—that -what was wrong in practice might be righted by -promulgation of true principles. She had the courage -of her convictions, if ever any one had. Like a true -reformer, she had to furnish the principles and disclose -the facts upon which they were based, in order that -correction might obtain. That which sent her to the -principal cities of her native and adopted states and to -cities far beyond, to legislative halls, to the use of her -trenchant and vigorous pen, was love for her own sex. -To win for one was gain for all. It was a doing for -others all along. What though abstract justice, statue-like, -could point the index at inequalities? There was -no voice to awaken and plead!</p> - -<p>In this part of her career she was as eminent a success -as in the other. She was mistress of argumentative -persuasion, and could turn the shafts of opponents -with consummate skill. The extravagance of rhetoric -into which excited feelings are prone to lead a controversialist, -she met with good-natured repartee. It may -be said that she was advance-courier of ‘temperance -literature,’ her sprightly contributions being original -matter, and in turn becoming texts for other writers and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</span> -publishers. She had other helpers in creating a literature -of woman’s rights, notably Mrs. Stanton, who was -one of others who accompanied her on a tour of lectures. -Her contention as to woman’s place was that -she is created man’s intellectual, moral and spiritual -equal.</p> - -<p>It certainly would have been derogatory to the -Almighty Creator to have bestowed on man an inferior -partner for life. Genesis discloses to us that the word -for man and woman is the same, save that a feminine -termination is added to the latter. The true rise of -woman is centred in the Incarnation of our Blessed -Lord. From that time the dawn of woman’s elevation -has been breaking into a cloudless sky. Mrs. Bloomer -rightly caught the gleaming light in attributing to that -august event a possibility for the broader and higher -sphere of woman’s action. With this she was wont to -silence Old-Testament quotations of opponents, and for -that matter the handlers of New-Testament writings -which referred to a condition closely approximating the -old order of ignorance; the enlightenment of Christianity -not then having bathed the nations. She never -countenanced levity respecting the married state, or -suffered the intrusion of degrading theories respecting -the domicile of home. Her interpretation of a ‘help’ -meet for man ranged along the high lines of being a -help in all that man does for the good of the world, self, -and actions that bear fruit of moral freedom.</p> - -<p>Whenever she was asked to teach about woman’s -sphere she complied, as being a call to duty. Not -long ago she related to a me thrilling adventure which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</span> -I am now able to see in a more characteristic light. A -certain and constant solidarity of character becomes -apparent at every turn. Duteous devotion, regard for -promise, and personal bravery enter into the exploit. -She was to lecture on ‘Woman’s Education’ before, -and for the benefit of, the Library Association of Omaha. -I find the story transcribed in her ‘Early Recollections.’<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> -</div> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The reference to home yearnings is a side light -which illumines the whole background of her public -career. Ardently devoted to her mission and responsive -to its imperious calls, yet she was not a Mrs. Jellyby of -Bleak House. She cared for others, near to her as well -as remote. Adopted children have taken the Bloomer -name, and other young have found a home beneath the -hospitable roof.</p> - -<p>A woman engaged in the active enterprises of life -was a new thing under the sun. Beneath the royal -occupation of queen-regent, or that of gifted authorship, -or being a ‘Sister of Charity,’ the lines of woman’s -work were few and greatly limited in the world outside -of home. Amelia Bloomer was a pioneer in woman’s -emancipation and, as falls to the lot of the pioneer, she -had work to do which succeeding generations reckon -not, and of which successors in the field have never felt -the sting of the deep intensity of the striving. The first -faint, far-off echo has swelled to thunder tone as to-day<span class="pagenum" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</span> -there goes over the land a call for the Second Triennial -Meeting of the National Council of Women, which was -founded on the fortieth anniversary of ‘the first organized -demand for equal education, industrial, professional, -and political rights for women, made at a meeting -in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.’</p> - -<p>It is given to but few to realize the effectiveness of -consecration to a work like that Mrs. Bloomer undertook. -Rarely does one see the rich results of a contention -so manifoldly difficult. As iron sharpeneth -iron, so has been the clash of minds. Imaginary barriers -have gone, and a rigid conservatism, strong principally -by reason of inherited tendency, is supplanted -by a <em>rationale</em> of woman’s sphere which has made occupation -for thousands. She who was both prominent -and eminent in bringing this result ought to be an object -of their everlasting gratitude!”<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> - - -<p class="center">THE END.</p> - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> Here, with slight omissions, is quoted in Mrs. Bloomer’s -own words the narration of the incident of the “Dangers met -in crossing the Missouri,” previously given on pp. <a href="#Page_214">214-216.</a></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> The remainder of the sermon has already been given. It -will be found on pp. <a href="#Page_327">327-331.</a></p> - -</div> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> - -<h2>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> - -<ul> -<li>pg 5 swapped Amelia’s and Dexter’s photo location</li> -<li>pg 33 Removed hyphen between Seneca and Falls</li> -<li>pg 40 Removed duplicate word from: women did not not know what</li> -<li>pg 120 Added hyphen between State and Temperance</li> -<li>pg 158 Removed extra quote after: so-called ‘Woman’s Rights’</li> -<li>pg 168 Removed hyphen after: having passed the New</li> -<li>pg 181 Removed hyphen from: AT THE NEW-YORK</li> -<li>pg 183 Removed hyphen from: Of this New-York Convention</li> -<li>pg 197 Removed hyphen from: We came from our New-York home</li> -<li>pg 200 Removed repeated word the from: and again the the cry</li> -<li>pg 206 Removed hyphen between Council and Bluffs</li> -<li>pg 296 Removed hyphen between bushel and basket</li> -<li>pg 322-323 Removed hyphen between Council and Bluffs</li> -<li>pg 337 Removed repeated word is from: but that is is her duty</li> -<li>Many hyphenated and non-hyphenated word combinations left as written.</li> -</ul> -</div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA BLOOMER ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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