Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-10-10

originating, counselling deciding. Is
there anything essentially different in
such duties and the powers necessary to
perform them from the functions of leg
islation? I'm New Jersey the Constitu-
ton of 1776 admitted to vote oil inhabi-
tants of a certain age, residence and
property. In 1T07, in an act to regulate
elections, the ninth section provides;-
"Every voter shall openly and in full
view deliver his or her ballot, which
shall be single written ticket, contain
ing the names of the persons for whom
he or she votes" An old citizen of New
Jersey says that "the right was recog-
nized and very little said or thought
about il in any way" But in 1907 the
suffrage was restricted to white male
adult citizens of certain age, residence
and property, and in 1S44 the property
qualification was abolished. AT the hear
ing before the Committee, the other even
ing, gentleman asked whether the
change of the qualification excluding
women did not show that their voting
was found to be inconvenient or undesir-
able. Not at all. 1t merely showed
that the male property-holders outvoted
the female. Ii certainly showed moth
ing rs to the right or eXpediency OF t1le
voting of women. Mr.. Douglas, as ! said,
had theory that the white male adult
squatters in territory might decide
whether the colored people in the terri
tory should be enslaved. They might,
indeed, so decide, and with adequate
power they might enforce their decision.
Bot it proved very little as to the right,
the cxpediency, or the constitutionality
of slavery in a territory. The. truth is
that men deal with the practical qucs-
tion of female suffrage to suit their own
purposes. About twenty-five years ago
the canadian government by statute
vigorously and in terms forbade women
to vote. But in 1850, to subserve secta-
rian purpose, they Were permitted to vote
| for school trustees. | am ashamed to
argue point so plain. What public af-
! fairs need in this State is conscience"
and woman is the conscience of the race.
! If we i'm this Convention shall make a
wise Constitution, if the Legislnt tures
that follow u9 in this chamber shall pu-
/ rify the laws and see that they are hon
( orably executed, il will be just in the de-
gree that we shall have accustomed our
selves to the refined, moral and mental
atmosphere in which women habitually
| converse.
But would you, seriously, I am asked,
| would YOU drag women down into the
mire of politics? No, sir, would have
them lift us out of it. The duty of this
Convention is to devise means for the
Improvement of the government OF this
State. Now the science of government
IS not an ignoble science, and the practice
of politics is not necessarily mean anC
degrading. If the making aud admin
istering of law has become 10 corrupt as
to Justify calling politics filthy, and 1
thing with which no clean hands cal
meddle without danger, may we no
wisely remenber, as we begin our worl
of publication, that politics have bCeI
wholly managed by mon? How can WI
purify them? Is there no radical meth
od, no force yet untried, power not onl.
of slliIftll checks which do not under
value, but of controlling character? Mr.
Chairman, if we sat in this chamber witt
closed windowsuntil the air hicl
and fctid, should we not be fools II W.
. brought i'm deodoriZer5 if we sprinklet
chloride of lime and burned assafmtida
, while we dsdaincd the great purifier ?
five would cleanse the foul chamber, lie
us throw the windows wide open, ant
} the sweet summer air would sweep al
inpurity away and fill our lungs will
. fresher life. If we would purge polite
let us turn upon them the great strean
of the purest human influence we know
But | hear some one say, II they Vot
they must TO military duty. Undoubted
ly when nation goes to war II ma.
rightfully claim the service OF all its cit
izcns. men and womcn. But the ques
ton of fighting is not the blow merely
but its quality and persistence. The I'm
portant point il, to make the blow eliec
: tive. Did any brave EngllShmnn VIII
rode in the jaws of death ut Balaklav
serve England on the field more tr!ll
than Florence Nightingale? That whicI
, sustains and serves and repairs the phys
, ical force is just as essential as the fore
, itself. Thus the law In view of the MOI
nj service they are supposed to render, e%
cuses clergyman from the field, and !
, the field IL details ten per cent. OF tn
, army to serve the rest, and they do no
carry muskets nor fight Women, 4
; citizens, have always done, and alway
1 will do that work in the public defenc
: for which their sex peculiarly fits then
. and men do no more. The care of tn
I young warriors, the nameless and innl
o merablc duties of the hospital and hom'
f are lust as essential to the national sai'
g ty as fighting in the field. a nation {
Q men alone could not carry on contc'
y any longer than a nation of womcn.-
q Each would he Obliged to divide its force
: and delegate half to the dutiesof the otl
o eS sex. ,...,,., aon,,,oa. 90 -,
II Kre equally divided between the seXe
! the moral forces are stronger with W,
d men. 1t was the women of the Soutl
l. we are constantly and doubtless vel
"A truly told, who sustained the rebellion
n and certainly without the women of I'll
# North the government had not bee
q saved From the first moment to I'll
n last, in all the roaring cities, in the r
Y mote valleys, in the deep woods, on Il
!. country hili-sidcs, on the open prairi
N wherever there were wives, mother
# sisters, lovers, there were the busy I'll
l. gers which, 10y day and by night, #
p four long years, like the great forces
}. Spring-time and harvest, never failed
q The mother paused only to bless IN
l. sons, eager for the battle; the wife
z, kiss her children's father, as he wen
If the sister smiled upon her brother, al
n prayed for the lover who marched AVA
n out of how many hundreds of Thousand
If of homes and hearts they went who ne
In or returned. But those homes were bot
l. the inspiration and the consolation
r the field. They Eerved the arm tn
N struck for them. When the son ar
the husband fell In the wild storm
n battle, the brave women-heart broke
!, silence, but the busy fingers did not 4
y ter. When the comely brother and 10
. or were tortured into idiocy and despaI
a that woman-heart of love Kept the man
y I 3. 80 hnr al f1iI a