The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1867-05-15
For tine REPUBLICAN,.
THE QUESTION or SUFFRAGE.

THEQUE'TTON or SUFFRAGE
Nix EDITOR Permit me through
yonr columns to say word regarding
suffrage It's a voice given in con-
troverted point. We have before us
Universal M'uhood Suffrage and what
may he called Universal Suffrage again,
including females. The advocates
OF the former contend that 1t is not only
just bu, absolutely polite, tina, the rever-
sionary power Of the Government should
be shared without distinction Of color.
with all lts male citizens twenty one
years old or mJre-a matter which IA
likely to become a political issue. Fe,
nale suffrage, or "rhe Shadow of the
Scep er" is also urged by those who have
never learned to distinguish between an
acquisition to political liberty and an
acquisition to political slrifa. Politically
liberty Is the right we enjoy Of saying
how and by whom our Government
shall be adminls' cred. The questions
propose to coI,iier are what is the Ii niL
OF repre-, eotative power or. who are the
persons nnl how many IN number, into
wnose bands the power of the Govern.
ncni sauuIJ revert ! 10 whom should il
again be distributed ~ occasion. the
death ct officers, etc. demands It il
nerdlr's to say that the immediate inter,
ference OF every individual in the Gov>
errmtn' is inconsistent with all ideas of
order. unity or snbordination; but had
each individual distinct and co.o,d,.
nate interest in lands or whatever claims
the protection offered by the (iovern>
meut. and were each pos. e.sed of suffi-
cient Judgment to elect the security un~
der which he could trust his interests, it
Is reasonable to suppose that each would
be entitled to the exercise of the SANE
political pswr But from The very
ronsruc ion'f things the world consists
If .lIlIle social compacs whose interests
are SO blended and interviewer that 70
consider them separate won d be ami.
i,lh,ion.
We are, therefore. obliged by tie
mnnicipal law. by the 'aw of Nature and
the law of God. TO consider man aid
wife AMI lh'it issue, in most cases. until
'~enly'"ne years o. aga unity, in.
sela'able ~ 'iglt and heat. II then.
IN the very abstract. man aud woman il
bnt man inseparahe ~ form and matter.
he who woul contend that it would be
an acquisition to poli,i al liberty, or pos
litical pcwer,to extend the elective fran.
chise to the woman would present the
monstrou1 absurdity of ignoring the laws
OF Nature ana economy by putting two
heads on one pair of shoulders or of n
stoid king h ldiug sceptre in each
hand. But il is said there arc a rrea,
many single women some who ,u,nl
marry; some who desire matrimonial
union hut are unsuccessful in securing
husbands; and whlows--a majority ot
them paying taxes. Shall these be- de-
prived OF political liberty on the rash
presumption that mankin would pass
through the world IL pair,i Thi. Is Al
view too contracted to b. seriously ed.
mlt'ed. Nature wonld stand aphas, a,
beholling fragment Of creation alone,
di'corsolate--inc 'mplete within itself
without the power OF pro.creation and
hled Nth the seeds OF dlssolu,icn.--
These are mt even exceptions TO the
principle that men and wo.
man are correlatlve, that the foundation
stone Of every Government that ever
existed or will exist, is the presumption
that they are and must evor remain n
ur& Tho power Of any Govsruu,ent ia