The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-25
THUS FAR.
From the ". y. Tribune.

From the y. ]. Tribune.
During the last season and the present, if
women have not had the suffrage, they have
certainly had sufficient opportunities of de-
batting and voting in conventions. They have
stood in forum of their own, with all the
chance in the world Of developing parliamen-
tary ability and capacity for public affairs.
How has this opportunity, how have these
chances been improved? Making all Just al
lowance for ignorance of legislative routine
and of parliamentary law; duly weighing the
novelty of the situation and the exciting char
acter of the questions discussed, we have been
struck by the absence of decorum. but more
particularly by the illogical and inconsequen-
tial nature of the debates. There has been, if
we may use colloquial phrase, a constant
flying off from the handle. The consequences
have been of an exceedingly miscellaneous
kind. The refutationS have not always been
responsive to the arguments. There have been
collisions, and high words. and fierce disputes
and at times, chaotic disturbance which
threatened TO result in a speedy dissolution of
the conventions. Now, it is undoubtedly as
it is lamentably true, that all these things are
often to be observed in Congress: but the
reader will bear i'll mind the distinction that
III Congress men are divided avowedly into
! parties, whereas all these ladies are supposed
to think alike. The matter of suffrage for
women is very simple one. The only ques-
! tion is ''Shall it be granted" and all these
ladies think that it should Whv should not
I this unanimity of doctrine produce something
like harmony of deliberation: Why should
there be divisions and recriminations, and re-
| torts, and personal rencontreS, and loud talk
and fierce assaults, in these conventions of sis
ters? There can be only single answer to
such an intenogatory These delegates either
do not think alike or perhaps some of them
hardly think at all. They have emotions and
they have desires: they have passionate con
viction that the world wants making over:
! perhaps they have some of the inilrmitieS of
! personal ambition: but they seem to be totally
unaware of the immense Importance in dis
! cussing fundamental law. of keeping to one
thing at time. Variety may be the spice of
life, but it is quite ont of place in the specific
settlement of theories. There can he nothing
more single in its idea than this question OF
female suffrage. To vote or not to vote-that
is the question: and lady delegates, when they
meet to consider it, should make n main bust
ness of bringing men over to their side; he.
cause in the nature of things. until a maio-
rity Of men are 50 brought over, not one
woman in any State will be permitted to vote.
| We have the power; we cannot be t0rsed to
abandon it: we must therefore be peySuadeO
out of it. This is work enough for at least
one year, without raising the question of re-
! formed costume, or some other equally trivial
/ We uo hot WANT perlect pot-lDle Oh All sorls
of things at the same time. We weary OF
crude thought, purposeless speculation, wild
assertion, and incongruous resolutions
Whatever makes this movement ridiculous
should be nicely avoided; its only hope is in
the dignity and propriety of its advocacy
We wish 1t to he understood that we make
these observations in kindly spirit, and in
perfect good faith, whatever some of the
more ardent sisters may be pleased to say OF
the 1lf0RAe, Our own view of the whole
matter has often enough been set forth, and