The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-07-26
IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE.
Let.er don Elaer c. &. Rlee.

SEai 0aya ago. WISH TO Say tnAe Laws
given the question Of Impartial Suffrage
some thought. and shall advocate it and
vote for it, unless my mind undsrgoes
change between this and election day,
and there is but little danger of change
Hard words without arguments. and slang
phrases, have but very little effect on my
mind. have bat little time to write, and |
shall only notes a few objections to fs
male suffrage. The negro is in no dan
ger.
I. Some admit the right of women to
vote. but think it inexpsdient at present
l know that thirg may be lawful ard
iDexpedient at the same time, bat am
not willing 70 admit that lawful measure
is ioexpsdient because some one may sur
mise inexpediency.
2. 1t is said that it will degrade wo-
men. But it is all Conjecture. If
could believe that, 1 should oppose it.
Men who have corrupted politics by their
shystsring. are apt to conclude that wO
men are no better than themselves. be-
lieve otherwise. Several questions might
come in here. Does the right to vote aud
hold Office necessarily degrade men? If
so, would it not be we'll to take the right
away from them? If not. why should it
degrade and corrupt Women?
Query: Has politics corrupted men?
or, have men corrupted politics?
3. But some men are very much afraid
that women will get out CT their proper
places. These ''lords of creation" have
"ruled over" women 50 long that they are
10th to give up their servants. The
Southern people used to be afraid that
their niggers would get out of their pla-
ces. Only day or too sgo heard al
old lady say, " slsvs knows his place
but a nasty free niger don't know bizzspl''
A KaW Indian thinks a Woman's place is
} in the bean aud corn patch. But l am
inclined to think that women know their
places about as well as men. Where is
woman's place? Right beside the man.
She is neither above him nor below him.
She is ''hslp meet for man.
Some talk as if they were afraid that
the female suffrage question will defeai
negro suffrage. II l thought so Iwould
oppose it foF the present; but do not
think SC. How can it? They are seper-
: ate questions. A man can vote for one
or both, Just as be pieases.
5. Some think that it is contrary to the
Bible, and have heard them gravely
quote, or rather misquote, passages to
; show that women have no rightSo vote,
l am so fully persuaded that the Bible is
the word of God that am ready to OPP
pose anything it opposes with will. Let
the opponents of female suffrage show one
text Of Scripture that forbids women TO
vote, and will yield the point. But l
undertake to say that there is not syla-
BILE in the Bible on that subject. The
Bible has no more TO say about female
suffrage than it has about male suffrage.
l would just about as soon undertake TO
prove that women have a right to vote, as
to show that every man has the right al
the age of twenty-one.
Suffer me to glance at a few texts of
Scripture that are supposed to oppose
womsn's political rights. ''Untc he wo-
man he said, l will greatly multiply thy
sorrow and thy conception: in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; aud thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and be shall rule
over thee" Gems Is. This text needs
no comment. Let the reader ask and an
swer the following question, aud he will
have true Interpretation OF it. What is
Moses speaking of in the text? Does the
subject mater of the text aliude to politi-
cal rights? or any other rights? Certain
ly not. No one, then, has a right to sp-
ply the text to such matters.
LET your women keep silence IN the
churches, for it is not permitted unto
them to speak; but they are commanded
to be under obedience, as also saith the
law. And if they will learn anything; let
them ask their husbands at home: for it
is a shame for women to speak in the
church." Cor. ID: "a. 35. On this
text DR.. Clarke says; "AlI that the apos-
tie opposes here Is their questioning, fin
ding fall, &c, in the Christian Church,
as the Jewish men were permitted to do
10 their synagogues; = = for the apos-
tie has in view. especially, acts of disO6e
dssnce, arrogance. De-. The Italics are
his. But the DR.. very sensibly con-
eludes that women did "prophesy or
teach" and refers to Cor. IL: 5. to
proveit. 10 the text referred to, the apos-
tie speaks of women praying and proph
esying" or teaching. So his language 10
the first is not to be understood in the alb
sOlute sense of the word, to say the least
of it. In further proof that his lang uage
is not absolute, We find that women did
prOphssy, teach. Philip chad four
daughters, virgins, which did prophecy"
Acts 81: 8, 8. Apollos was can eloquent
man, and mighty in the ScriptuFes;'' but
Aquils and Priscilla ''expouDded unto
him the way of God more perfectly !"
Acts Is 24-16. They were Paui's
"helpers." Rom. I6: 8. Tryphenia
aud TrVphosa laborsd in the Lord >"
Rom. is: Is. Anna was a prophecies.
Luke 2: SO.
But none Of the above texts touch the
question in hand / will now introduce
you to chapter in the Old Testament
that does. land Deborah a prophetess,
the wife of Lapridotb, she Judged Israel
At that time; = and TIE children
Of Israel came up to her at that time for
judgnsnt.' Judges 4:S4. Read the
whole chapter and the one folloNing.
The Judges of Israel ruled over them in
those days. Note the following points In
this history: