The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-11-04

perncious III their effects upon tho victims,
but are likewise subversiyo of the rights of
man.
am glad to acknowledge tho existoncc of
sOme good features in our marriage laws;
and were 1t not for these, aud tho power to
repeal or amend tho bad ones would not
acknowledge tho authority of any statute
laws regulating the institution.
But woman is not only oppressed by IN
jus, marital laws, but denial to her of tho
rights Of suffrage, is an assumption Oh tho
part OF man totally uwarrantod.by anything
in nature or in human rights.
Our forofathers considered "taxation
without representation an unbcarablc .
grievance, and while thoy zealously fought
to secure to themselves their rights in this /
respect, they had TO scruplcs in denying
thatssuch rights belonged to their wives or
sisters.
In some sections of tho country, laudabic /.
efforts arc being made to secure to ncgrors
tho right of suffrage, but it won't DO 10 let
uhIie ,cOmca vote.
IL IL urged by tho lords Of creation" that
"ipoalsa are not qualified to votes" but in
pursuance of our laws, msH arc qualified
though they cannot read or write, aud when
their vote may DO bought for glass o: lager
boer.
According to tho census of 1850, thoro
wore in the State of Ohio 81 go white per-
sons above 20 years of ago who could not
read or writc, but u largo proportion OF
these woro qualified (:) voters.
In tho enlightened Stats of Now York.
there wore 0l,293, but thousands of them
were abundantly qualified to vote.
There arc IN New York City at prcscnt
about l23000 persons bctwccn five and
twenty one years of age. and about II 600 OF
whom have no education sayo What they
gather in the strects--l large proportion Of
these of course will bo "9udGfed rOterS -
But person who happens to wear crinOlnc,
though she bo as wise as Soon aud as pure
as an angel, must have no voice in making
the laws that govern her, because shu is not
"qaaiifed.
I rejoice that thero is an increasing public
sentiment against such relics of bsrbarism
and believe, il Providence spares our lives.
that the time is not far distant when any wife
can 60 to the polls with me, qualified
| voter"
But woman must not go to tho ballot. box
because her m3rdis lrouh be corrupIcd"
Ii is doomed just and right that sh" should
live in OGetience 10 the laws ; but to associate
with tho idw-mak,rs rs would bo exceedingly
pernicious to her morais.
Sho may go to balls. to the altar, and
from there to the grave, with her brother
man. but society Rays sha- n'nst .'"' e. -
the ballot-bOx with HIM.
She may engage with man in the yoluptu-
ons waltz; she may lounge with him at
! Saratoga or Newport, and sho may accom-
pany him to theatres and operas, but she
must not be so masculine" as 70 say what
sort Oflrgal oonds she will wear
If tho places Of election arc such dens Of
iniquity, il is quito necessary that woman
or some other moral power should purify
and renovate thom.
! Ii woman's presence at the polls, would
cause the removal of tho filthy cess-pools of
tobacco spttlo and dccantcrs of bad whiskey
usually found at such places, she would thus
do more to advance the morals of sociuiy
than legislators would otherwise do in the
| next ten years.
Tho bonefts accrung to society from
woman's exercise Of the elective franchise,
would bo manifold and numerous.
Ii would carry a moral power with it that
even our corrupt and quarrelsome Iegisa-
tors would not fail to realize. And promi
nent among thcs. benefits, would be effect
ual efforts at tho removal of the tho two
monster sins of tho nation-intenlperanc
and slavery.
Woman is the great sufferer from mans
intcmperance, and hence she would seek by
legislative enactments TO stop tho traffic in
the deadly poison.
Tho result would be that rumsullers would
be compelled by tho "strong arm of tho law
to abandon their work of destruction and
murder
Our states prison convicts might then
learn trades outside of pentcntiary walls
Womans exercise of the prerogatives u
+ frcemen" would direct some mighty and
effectual blows against that sum Of all vii
laines, American Slavery.
. Her warm sympa,hies, and tonder com
4 passion for tho oppressed, the destitute, anc
The afflicted, would make of her Rcpubli
/ can forever in principle and practice. liaC
!. woman boon allowed her place ut tho ballot
0 box, the young and gallant Fremont woul,
+. now occupy the scat which "J. B" inglori
ously tries to ill.
Those and many other blessings to society
o would iegitimately flow from woman's exer
o else of the elective franchise.
S But woman's oppression results not onl
}, from the force Of law. but likewise iron
customs ,usages aud fashion.
:; The road to distinction is hedged that sh
;, may not pass. Most of the institutions o
y learning ara closed against her. She mus
!. not study theology because ST. Paul close
% tho doors agninst her; she must not stud
law because she is q woman; her yoic
must not DO heard in legislative halls DO
. cause that would be too mdscutine and t
>. all this she has littlo opportunity 10 spea
y in self-defense. All of her laudablo effort
- = a. bclfsupport (if out of tho ordinary line
y u arc regarded with contempt by her brothe
70 man, with u few honorable exceptions. An
e the hardest feature Of all is, that sho is pal
a for her labor only about one half the amour
. paid to men for tho same work, And thor
% her sphorc of action is often monopolize
70 by her brother, who not unfrequontly treat
= = with contempt any effort she may make
le gain her own legitimate labor field. Thou
) sands of females are stitching out thci
- hearts blood in working upon mems satin
u and broadcoths, for which they receive bu
o a mere pittance.
~ The advent of tho sowing machine foun
~ &C, 900 females in N. Y. City who eOrnO
" their bread with their noodles; aud VIII
q, can tell the heart-aches that such an inver
ia ton caused ? But the sewing machine
woman's friend, and we're she allowed to OF
i cupy her owu labor field, she would SO re
70 gard it. Thousands of young mon al
hn