The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-26 00:00:00

THE ADVANTAGES OF WOMEN
HAVING VOTES.

About 8,000 women and men of Massachusetts, the majority
of them women, have asked for woman suffrage their peti-
tion was referred to a joint Committee of both Houses of the
State Legislature, who thus reported upon the advantages to
be anticipated if the pm) er of the petitioners is granted :
Female labour will not long go unrewarded, or le
turned off with a mere pittance; but women will de-
mand and receive wages in the same proportion for
services rendered as the other sex. Office will also
follow the ballot. Not that every woman will leave
the kitchen and parlour and rush at once to the
caucus and halls of legislation. But just so far and
fast as she shows capacity and adaptation, and the
people desire her services, she will come to share with
men the honours and emoluments of office. And
who doubts the capacity and adaptation of women to
occupy places on school committees; to till the varioun
offices of parish, church, and public charities; to be
managers of savings, institutions, and trust funds; to
be administrators and guardians; to be clerks, book-
keepers, and saleswomen; to be teachers in all our
public and private schools, Sunday schools, seminaries,
colleges, and medical institutions? Indeed, she seems
peculiarly fitted for all these. Nor will she long, with
the ballot in her hand, be excluded from a
share in the positions in the civil service of our
National and State Governments. We believe she
is peculiarly fitted to fill many of the places
in the Post Office department; and we should
rejoice to see the poor, the unfortunate, the patriotic
women of the country fill these places. What a just
reward would it be to those who have lost husband and
sons and brothers in the war; who have toiled, and
suffered, and sacrificed, at home and in hospitals and
sanitary wort, for the success of the loyal cause.
And we are glad to see in our noble and patriotic
President a recognition of women's right to office;
and we hpe he will inaugurate a policy in this
direction far more extensive than be has yet done.
When women are elected to office no doubt sortie one
wiltbe elected who are unfit for it. The best women
may not always consent to be candidates, but we will
endeavour to put the right woman in the right place.
When we find a woman with the military capacity of
Jo in of Arc we shall make her our generaL When we
meet with ono with the executive ability of Zenobia or
Qui en Bess we shall elect her governor or prreident,
awl not before. Public speaking by women will also
follow the franchise as a more common thing—not that
they will desire it, but public opieion will encourage
and sustain it. In what consists a qualification to
vote? It its capacity to exercise a rational choice. A
voter should possess three requisites. With these
he is a safe depository if political power. These
requisites are—first, a desire for the public wel-
fare ; second, a capacity to judge of the cha-
racter and qualifications of persons elected to office,
and third, a capacity to judge of the effect of
public measures. Infants would be excluded as not
possessing the second and third qualifications. Fo-
reigners are kept awhile on probation, lest they should
not fulfil the first requisite ; while lunatics and cri-
minals are excluded as not possessing either qualtica-
thin. But how completely does woman possess all
these requisites. First: She desiresthe public welfare.
She loves peace and order. The family, the domestic
circle, a happy home, is the one great idea and aim
of her life. Second : Women are excellent judges
of character. In this they excel men. They
judge by instinct. They are quick, intuitive,
and would be less likely than men to mistake
or misjudge the qualifications of candidates for
office. Third : They can judge as well, if not
better than men, of the effect of public measures. The
right to vote, bringing with it a sense of responsibility
in the use of such a right, would create in women a
deeper interest in the great social problems which form
the gravest portion of what we call politics. They
would study with a keener interest when they saw the
use life would make of their studies. If there be any
truth in the usual complaint that so many of the sex
waste life in what is frivolous or of passing importance
only, the way to cure the evil is to summon them to a
fair responsibility on questions of importance. Educa-
tion, the best education, does not come from books ; it
is made out of experience. It is the outgrowth and
result of a deep interest in great questions, and a per.
sonal share in the world's affairs.
verdict I _

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