The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-08-30
(FrOm the Western Home Journal
FEMALE SUFFRAGE.

VIC are eutuu-laStlc CLAIMANTS Tor unlVeT
sal manhood suffrage. we are not SO clear
as TO the propriety or wisdom of extend
ing 1t TO the emale sex And convinced
as We nov are, that longer silence on this
| question is only aiding to imperil an OBJ
ject which We regard OF urgent and IN
/ speskable importance, we think the time
hos come Tor men who have views TO Ut
ter them. Our own judgment is, alter
giving the subject careful tn ught as We
have been capable of. that Inc proposition
TO extend the elective franchise 10 women,
is one iull OF peril both to them aud the
country. We have read with care every
| thiug that has been SAID in favor of il
and heard with interest the speeches vi
some Of its advocates, and must confess
that all we have heard. read, pondered
over, has driven US to this convection
| Indeed, we have been amazed at the
! audacitv of many of the utterances upon
this subject. Our own paper has con
tanned sentiments written by correspond.
ents which we consider eubversiVe OF all
good order in society or the SJaIe. Only
last week our intelligent TREND at Qlo
daro undertook TO prove that there IS no
7
which it is necessary to lake in order TO
be a consistent advocate of woman suf-
frage But who believes the position.
and who cannot see the disastrous result,
IT such a position were generally defended?
Every parent having cuIldren of both sex
IS knows that they are different. Phy-i
ologically, mentally, morally, they deveI-
op the different characteristics of their
sex a. soon as they develop Intelligence
The fact is too plain. aud TOO generally
acknowledged, TO require extended argu
ment
But what are women to gain if such
ass-rtinDs gam credit? Do they know
" hat IL before them ? A:e they CERTAIN
that they are in The hands OF their friends.
aud that these projects. p'ofe-sIng 10 b.
in their interest. Will do tnem any GOO
Now we assert that. Whatever motives
may guide other, ours have no.nlHg to
do with Tie nlerIorIty of woman. with
any disposition or desire TO tyraenIze owe
her, or TO deprive her of a single rghr
which God and Nature intended she
should exercise We regard woman a.
fully the equal of man, though elecJed 10
a different sphere. We do not know bu
Ter intellect Is as slrong as his. We do
know, or at least believe that her moral
perceptions are keeoer. Iruer. and pu'er
than his. We believe in tie moral supe
riority of the lemaie sex. Every 'ried
man who is happily married. as most mar
ried men are, acknowledges and brw-
Human indeed; and possessed of many
human frailties, being none too good
tor human natures daily food. yet be-
ing nearer the angels than he is. We be
lIeve women know enough to vote, and
enough to vote wisely. We believe the
country would be safe in their hands. il
it were 10 their hands alone. Believing
those things, we oppose female suffrage,
and all the mopstrous propositions by
which it is supported, because we believe
that all tend directly to the detrIment OF
woman herself.
We implore thoughtful women to pom
der this thing. well. They may tax
about their rights until they create con
f1ict between the sexes, in which the weak
er would go to the we'll. and in which 1t
would speedily be determined which the
weaker is, prove that the sexes are equal
in the sense of being alike, and in prov
ing that, YOU have abolished all thai fine
American reverence and respect for the
female sex which attracts the notice and
excites the a7tonishment of all travellers
The English au' hor of New America"
speaking Of an incident which occurred
illustrative OF this idea, says I'VE look
at each other wouderingy, for in this par
adise Of women. petticoat is accustomed
to carry everything before it-tbe best
room at hotel, the highest place at the
table, the first seat in coach. in spite OF
your prior right" We all know tharthis
is so. And while these are small things
in hemselves-things which the ''strong
minded" would spurn as demearing com
pliments to the weakness Of the sex
sill they are only TIE outward indica-
ions OF the deep and honest inward re-
gard with which woman in this country
is universally cherished Is 1t Tor HER
interest that this regard be destroyed?
Let such an idea of equality OF rights'
as has recently been urged, be generally
adopted. and the gentle courlesies which
row sweeten and exhalt our manners TO
ward the other sex are at an end
Women are our saviors. They re
strain Us. they purity US hey exal' Us,
they make US better men. But il seems
to us that the very TACT Of their different
sphere and different pursuits IS What give
Them their it hurnce and power. Is,
seems to us that in proportion as they
lose their womanly ways aud habits and
approach to masculine methods and pur
suite, Just in that proportion do they lose
that peculiar. potent. though mysterious
influence which God has created aud IN
tended them to exercise of which they
are 50 admirably adapted 10 make the
world better, and lead it nearer heaven.
The simple assertion which we have
so often heard made by true. harmool
ous-proportioned woman, hat she does
not want any more rights dan she al
ready has. has more sound sense IN J.
than barrels Of such frothy defamation
about rights" and "wrongs" as this al
ready afflicted state is destined TO b.
cursed and scOurged with the mex: few
months.
We lay it down as law which cannot
be deRied, aud which no good or true wO
man at least viii want 10 deny. THAI the
natural. norma. destiny of every woman
is 10 be the wife of some mas There Is