White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1867-03-28
Women and dRelitic..

Mrs. Swisshelm writes the following
letter to the editor Of the Pittsturg Coss-
mereial. in reply to . recent article in his
paper; s
SIH: In justics to cause, much bst-
ter used to ridicule than reason. give me
space for some reply to your late no
marks under the hesd Of .Pitcb Of Poli-
tics." In it you state that Antoinssts
Brown. in memorializing the Legislature
Of Kentucky to grant the right ofsudrass
to women. urges. as . motive, that their
votes would ueutrsliss those OF the negro.
You think this wicked, and strangely
conclude that. therefore, the influence Of
woman. through the ballot-box, wocld
not be good.
Can you refer to the time and place at
which Mrs. Brown Blackwell was cho.
sen by the women of this country as their
representative? "Thst little band who
wore bloomers and defed the ridicule Of
bad boys" are perhaps the last that could
be set up as representing any one. II
would be difficult to persuade one man
or woman in Thousand that any person
of average common sense would render
him or herself liable to street mobbing
for the sake of any dress; and up to this
present time no one of the women Of that
band has originated an idea, or put an
old thought into an improved dress.
They are simply the foam thrown up BY
the heaving Of that ocean of discomfort
which has its ebb and ilow in the heart
of every wom,n who thinks. and must,
therefore. feel the injustice of the laws
under which she lives.
There is not one woman who is agreed
that call she can squire, by her labor,
service. or act, during coverturs. shall
belong to her husband mot one who il
agreed to the law OF coverture itself-no,
one who is agreed to the law which de.
prives her OF the power to secure to hel
children, at her death, any portion of thu
estate her industry and economy may
have contributed to accumulate; not one
who is agreed to the law which leave.
that estate to her successor, with the
probability Of her children being turned
out. No woman is agreed to the law
which authorizes . man to "arrest and
take into custody, without legal process
his slave. his apprentice, and his WIFE,"
There are several other things on oul
statute books. placed there by those res
pectable old Anglo Saxon ancestors o.
ours. who ate with wild bosrs. and wor,
brass collars. in the days when Alfred
the Great was King, to which womer
are not agreed. and one of these il th.
law which attaches q still further pen atty
to marriage by depriving a married wo
man of her natural right to the custody
of her child. This universal discomfort
or rather the laws which cause it, are thu
reason for the necessity. of the elective
franchise for woman. Her right to i,
does not depend ON the good conduct o,
any one woman. or band of women
The influence Of woman on our general
politics. or for what party women will
vote, is not the question. | know that
the old. Miltonie idea. that she is "Heav
ems last, best gift 10 man." is SO ingram.
ell into all our model Of thought, that
few would ask any change for her, with.
out trying to prove that such change
would benefit him. 1t is universally as.
sumsd that men are so supremely selfish,
that any claim of Justice must be unheard
unless backed by an appeal to that sci
fshness; and SO, the plea that female suf.
frage will rebound to the welfare Of man,
has been prominently thrust forw ard. /,
msy be correct, and it may not; yet. wo-
man has q natural right to a voice in
making the laws she is taxed to support
and compelled to obey; and on which
must always depend. her life and every.
thing which makes life dear.
JANE G.. SwIssHELM.