The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-05-15
The Bsfaia Of FREEDOM.
Saturday Morning. May 10. 1853.
Froa. a.s " r 7fsses.
Lucy Stone on he Right Of Women 10 the Elective
franchise

CT lectures IN aid OF the "ShIrt-sewers and
Seamstresses' Union" Her audience was
very large, and frequently expressed its
appreciation Of her remarks.
The world had been slow, she said, to
learn that woman's rights and human
rights are the same thing, and that all that
has been meant by it is that woman, az a
human being, ought to take rank with
other human beings, and that in the range
of human duties, from the highest to the
lowest, whatever was fit to be done by
anybody, might be done by woman, fshe
could, worthily and well, and should never
be out OF her sphere. The sphere of wo-
man, it should be remembered, was "a
thing arbitrary and fictitious, made now
BY this thing and now by that, and differ
ing In different countries and ages. Good
men and good women had been wont to
believe that the things which were right
and proper if they were done by men, were
not right and proper if they were done by
women, just as though the sex and not the
motive that lies behind the act gave a
moral character to ii. But the true sphere
OF woman, if we let her have fair play.
would be found to be just the highest, and
the noblest, and the best thin She could
work out, and her sphere SO filed would
not make her less womanly, less worthy
to wear the high vocation God gave her
Is woman, and mother, and wife.
But some might say the sphere of wo-
man was made by nature, and not custom.
Let them interrogate all time and see.
Here woman is admitted to worship with
men. Among other nations we found
that men shut her out from their places of
worship, saying that neither women, nor
dogs, nor any other unclean animal should
be allowed therein. There she is out of
her sphere. In India she dare not eat in
the presence of her husband. There, also,
Is she out of her sphere. Here she is out
OF her sphere in being denied the elective
franchise. In the hour of the sufferings
OF our fathers, when the war of the Revo-
luton began, the fact was universally pro-
Claimed that the power to rule is in the
people, and that governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned. For this principle our fathers
pledged fortune, life and honor. Then,
having achieved SO much for themselves.
speaking better words than they knew how
to act, they turned round to make slaves
outof black people, and to deny to women
the right Of suffrage. When women have
asked for the elective franchise again and
again the "lords of creation'' have told
them, "why doyou want it we will pro-
tect you" with the most patronizing air.
Doubtless multitudes of them meant
kindly when they said so. But it would
be necessary 70 turn to the record to see
what was the protection given them, and
whether women should not ask self-pro-
lection for themselves. In the history of
the past it had never been fact that one
class of persons had ever legislated wisely
and well for another class. It had been
just so of women. Men who called them
mothers, sisters, Wives-men who are law
makers from Maine to Minnesota. had
covered the statute books of every State
with such laws, that if they were written
against men, men with the spirit of man
and the right to make war, would be found
lighting against them as the Free State
people OF Kansas are now struggling
against those who would deny them the
hight OF suffrage. Now, when the cues
tons OF freedom were being agitated more
tnan ever, it was well to ask where is
cnnstlan Democracy, and what's the rea-
son that the right of suffrage is not granted
to women? The man who argued aoainst
1t because his dislike to have his mother
wife or daughter mingle with rowdies at
the polls. must forget that the rowdy is
the man left to make the laws to which
that mother, wife or sister is to be SUBJ
Jscfed. The self-made and self-sufficient
man would tell US that women are not
competent to exercise the right of suffrage
that they didn't know enough. We'll
perhaps he does know something of the
ncket he holds in his hand-and. per-
maps, he don't. And yet, whilst thers.is
denied to MS daughters, who have been
educated In all the accomplishments that
money can purchase, the intelligence
necessary to cast vote, go down among
the Irish foreigners everywhere, who don't
know the difference between a, B and G.
and could not read the word ayote.n if
they tried, and these are all competent
Tney know all about it Then there was
large class of people who had not the
power OF thinking, who said that it would
unsex Woman; that she would be Woman
no longer; that her household and her
children would be neglected. Ridicnle
and sneers were thus resorted IN WHEN No
argument could be employed. But if the
poiis were such bad places that Woman
could not go there, then let them have
place where they could vote by them
selves. and If there were decent men to
vote; let them vote where the women did.
cut let the rowdies vote by themselves
as long as any white human biped of 2I
years of age had the right of suffrage it
was NOS falr to say that women were nos
competent for it. 1t came i'll from a man
VINO mad been laid in the arms of a mother
whoss love neither time nor absence could
ever ALLEVIATE, to say she should not have
"a equal right to the exercise of the suf.
rage. The man dishonored his mother
VINO said that women, in order to vote
would forget her household duties and
neglect her children. Mrs. Stone now
came to consider some of the results of
sno tact that woman has not granted tn
hsf the right of suffrage. If woman
ssksd hsr husband by what right he de-
nled her legal equality, he could onlv saw
navs > stronger muscle; we have made
the laws and you are to obey them. In
me INST place. If You have any property
We snau tax that property, although We
oeiieve that taxation and representation
sre inseparable, except in the case of wo-
man" Then the poor woman. who has
oesn taught to keep silence. butts startled
pJ tbs position taken acainat h. -.
wy N her case representation should NOT
follow taxation as well as in his. TO this
ne states further that the idea that taxa-
non and representation are inseparab,e.
when it concerns half the human family
. nev-fangled notion which he has
nesrd her brosch, but Is only put forward
sy lew factious women who are seeking
for noknriafY and srhn ..e-:.L:si -