Litchfield enquirer., 1869-12-30
THE WOMAN QUESTION.

~ and Responsibilities, By l.. F. Brock ett M. D. Published by l.. Stebbins. Hartford, 1869. '@'- Is in effect Bushnell's book, diluted and adorned with sensational outs. We have dreadful visions of women soldiers, law yers, physicians and politicians, and the final atrocity of 6 procession "Girls in Blue" It strikes us that the illustration dodge" is 6 judicious one for the oppo- nsnts of Womau's Suffrage. 1t appeals to the prejudices which form the staple of our rent objections. much more forcibly than mere words can do. When we consider what sham the whole foreign mission 1 bushes really is. how much more forci- bly the following closing sentence of the chapter of objections would appear. trans lated into a wood-cut: Noi We ahall hope to bs spared the sight ol that day when woman, however gifted, shall be our ambassador at the court of the Tuieres, or at that of st. James. As in the case Of Dr. Bushnell, Dr. Brokett's chief objection to Woman's Suf- frage resolves itself into an argument against suffrage in any form:
 The method of electing all officers of govern ment by competition, adopted in China, would seem to be, under proper regulations. decidedly preferable to that by suffrage.
 And what becomes of our system of Rep resentation? If the official could pass the board of examiners what would he care about the popular will? We doubt wheth- CT. after all, of book worms government would be very great improvement on . strong-man's or rich-man's s government. With our present system of suffrage, Dr. Crockett, like most opponents os woman s suffrage, is:entirely dissatisfied. If it can- not be replaced with the Chinese competi. tive system, he desires. at least, to restrict it to heads of families. Here he encoun- ters the difficulty of families with women at their head. but he reckons these so few in number e not to deserve notice. Un- married men he would let vote at twenty one, az "prospectivs" heads of families i; and why any more prospective" heads of families. we would enquire, at twenty one. than at ten He proposes. to give votes to property. also: and why cannot the young fellow of twenty-one vote on his prospective" property, too? If Dr. Crockett really wishes to raise the political influence of the Family, he must see that the saiy practical way Of ssssss;.s that rs- suit is by enfranchising women. As sons usually vote with their fathers, so will wives and daughters. Then the bachelor will no longer have an equal political influence with the married man the father who raises daughters instead of sons will not be punished by the state with loss of political influence. All we object to is domestic tyranny. The husband has no more right to interfere with his wife's political than with her religious creed. If with twenty. one years chance of conversion he cannot influence his soas' and daughters political views, he should not be allowed to assume the representation" of those he does not represent. ~ -'i '"i'4 --3-ss ~a2" FIs The evil results which Dr. Brocket, Dr. Bushnell. and the rest, anticipate from the adoption of woman's suffrage come under two heads @-+ h' g" b'a-. ~-tA --'
 1st. Woman is naturally incapable of in dependence. Therefore, any attempt to clothe her with the franchise, beinga Ere. form against nature. will produce no prac. tical result whatever, but leave her as it inds her in . condition of absolute depen. dence. i-ss a-.F1- .>'...'~7- a 7-e.
 2d. If admitted to the franchise, woman will throw of all dependence on man. will plunge into the muddy pool" of politics. and beruined forever.
 It is pretty evident that both of these prophecies cannot come true. The former assumes that woman will remain depend. ant in, spite of the suffrage; the latter, tha, she will at once declare her independence and make bad use of the same. Let us examine the first supposition. Even if lit. tle good comes of woman B suffrage on tha, theory. where is there any evil ? Practi oally. it would give the young husband two votes to the young bachelors one-and serve the latter rights if it is the Js,nsil, that deserves representation. Politics would then exact of every wife about hall aday's absence from home, twice . year whereas Religion now exacts ffty.twc whole days. and expects moro. As long .. Patriotism only asks day. and Piety ask, fifty, the latter certainly has no right te oomplain. ,F Tbe.f..-s T. fr.(r -.-.- | The second objection. that woman will | become unduly independent and turn in. to an active pd ician, is founded on { mistaken notion derived from our past ex Ipezience of the results of class enfranchiss. ments. If woman formed . distinct % Icial class, like Irishmen, Germans. or Ne Igroes, ws should expect that immediately lon entranchisemept they would begin t form political combinations. and vote ward 7lpoliticians, carpst-baggers, or themselves into offices for which they were in no way