Life and writings of Amelia BloomerBloomer, D. C. (Dexter C.)
History
Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer
Bloomer, D. C. (Dexter C.)
Bloomer, Amelia Jenks, 1818-1894; Women's rights -- United States
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:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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