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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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