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.”