The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-11-01
EIMFOfIA, KANSAS. Y 1867

adV'catss at their own word, it involves
nothing less than divorce between th,
Law making and the Law executing power
Assuming that women are powerless 81
Tar az the execution of tie law is con
cerned, let US consider where this meas
ure would. in all probability, place j.
IL is often asserted that women are a sep
araie class; that their feelings. interests
and opin ons cannot be represented BY
mer; 'hat they would vote as did the hus
bands and brothers. The suffrage is
claimed for them on the express ground
that a class they would take different
views of many que lions from what men
/ DO, and thus. we are told. many abuses
would be removed Ia fact, most every
thing is to be changed by it. aud as the
present condition of things is the result
of male rule, We must infer that the ne "
result promised will be The repell Of fe
male rule Intemperance, 81 particular,
Is to be put down. and by the female vote
Now if the women are going to vote in a
bndy, in the manner so often ell .imed,
then We will see important measures de
creed by those who possess less physical
Il l. evident thai under such circumsian-
ces 'hose who fel, aggrieved would sub
init no longer than rhey de-ired to DO SO
Said De Tncqueville: Those who think
that men will be dtbarred from seeking
the qualification of their passions By legal
6GtiUns, know but little of human ma
lure Measures of the kind Indicated
will all be legal ictiOns, for they will b.
without the sanction of force; they may
be obeyed or disregarded, just as people
please. No political community has ever
yet been 20 infatuated as to think of rest
ing it's authority upon recommendations.
We have examples of leagues between in
dependent S ates, where the thing has
been done. but they all serve to show the
.ataily OF the proceeding. 1t seems to
me plain that any attempt to divorce the
law making and the Jaw executing pow
Fl, 10 the manner proposed, could not bur
result in disturbance. On the other
hand, If it be asserted that women would
divide on public questions, about as the
other sex, why then we say that the
movement has no political significance
WhaIeNe and the bulk of the arguments
AddUced in it's defense tall to the ground.
Instead of having q new order of things,
the political world will remain unchanged
The advocates of this measure are reduc
ed TO this dilemma: Either they are go
ing ~ make laws Witht Ut sanction, or all
that is said about the change to be
wrong hit IN the political condition of the
country, Is without foundation. They
may choose their Own position.
We ave nowhere sny example Of a
class exercising legislative power who
were destitute of the ability to give efec:
aud vitality to the laws; such q thing
would be an anomaly in government.
Tue idea is dIecty at variance with the
idea OF government. Ii all political du
ties were embraced ia voting, It would |
make DO difference who exercised the
right; out defending the State from enc
mics, toreign aud domestic, is also po
Ilical duty that every one Is liable TO be |
called upon to perform. aud justice re-
quHes Lnat rights and Ob!ig atIoas should |
be reciprocal. The most obvious dictates
Ut Justice are violated when any Que ha ;
the power to lay upon others obligations
from which they themselves are exempt.
Paying taxes is political duty. but the
taxpayer is compensated by receiving
protection in person and property, and u
the tax payer Is one who cannot give pro
lection. but only receive it, no principle
of equIIy Is violated.
Rights aud responsibilities should goI
nand IN hand Ii the iGir sex are pre-
prepared 10 share equally in the work OF
, xecuting the laws, tue cl; i'm of outrage
for them " i'll be more plausible. N. G.