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THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

made of womanhood and of manhood. To be a man in the democratic sense of the term, means that he shall have intelligence enough to see the right and courage enough to do it at all times and under all conditions; and to be a woman in the nine­teenth-century sense of the term, is to have understanding enough to see the needs of a people struggling with the problem of self-regulation, and to have the heart to throw the whole force of her womanliness on the side of continual and ceaseless effort to reach the goal that the human soul sets for its own realization—self-government founded on law-abiding conduct and noble thinking.

This goal of self-government, which implies intelligence and right disposition, is not alone an American speculation. Not a state in Christendom but has felt a heart- throb in response to “ be a man! ” It is the one thought of the century—this thought of a united brotherhood, living and working together in sympathy and love without the imposition of priestcraft or kingcraft. This kingdom of man will not, however, be at hand, until men and women more fully appreciate the fullness and richness of such a brotherhood. But since the American democracy is leading the way in the solution of some of the most momentous problems now to be conceived from the human point of view.it is all important that our wrong should be made right, that our right be maintained. It is imperative that, first of all, men and women get into the thought movement, get into the way of right and true thinking about our needs, and about the meaning of our speculation, for the ills of democratic life are directly or indirectly traceable to undeveloped heart or brain. Educate the boys and girls till they appreciate the meaning of this complex life of ours; until they realize that they are personally responsible for the success or failure of this idea, that to be manly, to be womanly, is of first importance, and that all else will be added unto them; educate them till the/understand that as modern conditions grow in complexity and gravity that there must be a rise in manhood and womanhood to meet the demand; educate them till they feel in their deepest selfhood that the highest freedom is identical with the law of the spirit of man; educate them to this extent and prosperity will rejoice in blessings ten-fold better than we now enjoy. There is, however, no way to salvation other than that it be wrought by individual effort. The rectitude of the individual life is the salvation of the world. Then, until all men and women share alike in rational, self-regulated life all possessing common power of self-direction, all claiming common rights, all recognizing common obligations—not until then is an institution that we have erected safe. When the new generation of thinking women—the dearest chil­dren of the public school speculation—silently concludes that: “ Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers ” should be written “ Be not unequally yoked with the unedu­cated, for what communion hath light with darkness,” the basal unit of the race— the home as an institution—will fo'r the first time become a spiritual boon to humanity, which will, by virtue of its own essence, make for righteousness.