Women's Rights.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6892, 13 June 1892, Page 2

Women's Rights.

Sir, — In reply to " A Man" I wish to say a few words. About married women's duty a great deal has been said, but about her rights, how little ! God created man, he gave woman as a help-mate, with equal rights and equal duties ; and man has taken upon himself to make unequal laws for hia own flesh and blood, causing a keen struggle for existence ; and has dragged woman out of her proper sphere of life to toil and bear equal burdens with man under unequal laws. And yet man- will point out to women that their duty is to submit, ss if we were slaves. Man is avarice, while woman is crying out for justice to the human race. We ask for our rights, and claim them from man that took them. This is the petition of womanhood — that the franchise be extended to all women, that she may be able to stretch out her hand and drive poverty from the face of the earth. Mothers be in earnest. I am, &c , A Mother. Sir, — I, too, should be content to leave this question "in the hands of the thinking public." The unthinking public, however, will forgive me if I call their attention to several points. 1. That the " something " I endeavored to frove was simply that certain words of St. aul addressed to Orientals nearly two thousand years ago might not be literally applicable to the circumstances of the men and women of New Zealand to-day. Besides, St. Paul said also— and this seems the spirit of all his teaching* — " There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " A greater than Paul preached the sermon on the Mount. Is " A Man" prepared to order his conduct j by the letter or by the spirit of — say the 40th and following verses of Matthew V. ? 2. That Mr Mill's quoted (or, as far as I know, unquoted) words contain no "reproof" of St. Paul. 3. That I made no " profession " of Christianity. I do not carry either my creed or my cross on my sleeve for dawi to peck at. 4. And lastly. That in my humble opinion "A Man" has failed either to, understand Mr Mill or to demolish me. — I am, etc., Another Mother. Sir,— St. Paul, if Ido him no wrong, said that he would uot allow a woman 1 to teach — preach— in the Church. No more no less : then why this fuss 1 The Church has been before the world for some centuries now ; and one asks in vain for the name of one great woman preacher throughout all the past ages. If the Booth ladies break the silences of the past and emerge to the light of our day, then no one dare object : I mean if the Salvationists solve the riddle, jK°°d » but so far mum's the word. John Stuart Mill settles nothing ; he left the problem where he found it. Well he knew with the old (ireek misogamist that "There is no living with a woman, and there is no living without hecJ' Now there is th»> whole thiog in a nutshell. Woniau has a perfect right to vote, to make her voice to be heard, when men are silent, stupid, assininc ; but not under any other circumstances. The action of woman under the closing years of the Roman Kmpire and her conduct in preparing for the advent of the great French Revolution should not be overlooked by woman herself. — I am, etc.,