Smyrna times., 1869-06-23
ms Tia IL e o us.
IFor the Smyrna " Times"l
SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN.
No. 2.

Mr. Editor In former article presented
the condition Of the female sex, and the evils
the despotlsm OF centuries have fastened upon
them In my concluding article | shall pre-
sent some of the views, showing wherein there
should not De a divided responsibility in the
government of society. Families, governed
by fathers alone, or mothers alone are less
likely to be well governed than those where
their joint authority controls. Boys need the
mental and moral influence of mothers, and
girls of fathers, that their respective natures
may be developed to full and harmonious
completeness. just so a community needs |
governing power which shall represent the |
thought and feeling of both men and women;
and the same lntellcltieS must attend q nation |
al government, administered by one sex alone |
that would attend such family government |
Is 1t no; after the SlO0 but sure fashion of the
family, that God as training the acorid to a
right understanding of true national glory and
happiness?
10 women, more than men, does the respon-
sibility fall of training the boy in his various
steps to manhOOd--for the duties of citizen
ship. 1t begins in the sacred influences of
the Nursery, where, for the first time, he is
reverently taught to look up to a Being higher
than mother, when she teaches his infantile
lips first to lisp Orr Father, who art in
Heaven" it watches over his steps when
emerging into restless boyhood life, lest his
feet be beguiled into the too frequent paths
OF reckless perverseneSs; it breathes in his ear
the true and beautiful sentiments that fill the
character Of the man of candor and power, and
points him to the pleasures, duties and pre-.
negatives of a noble citizenship as he enters
life active duties, and, then the curtain falls
the mother is rudely pushed back, and the
object OF her solicitude is hidden to enter
where her feet are considered unworthy to
tread. Does 1t not seem paradOxical that the
woman should have most all to do with mould
ing the mind and character for the duties of
citizenship, and then be considered unfit to as
sume any of its responsibilities? AS if the
student were greater than Professor, the crea-
ture than the Creator who made it
If society were the same now, as ten centu-
u rles ago, should not claim such prerogatves
e for the gentler SEX it might then be attended
as some affirm, by only a swelling of the popu-
"r lar vote-the parties remaining the same Nor
do think that when suffrage is granted to
IN woman that the Millennium will Immediately
set IN. look with anxiety to the near results
Of OF such an xperlment-which, like all new
machinery, may not work smoOthly-and have
lg only hope In the long future. My hope is based
upon moral grounds purely, viz: the immuta-
IN BILE doctrine that personal responsibility is the
IN best educatory scheme that God himself has
been able to devise for erring man.
d. AS women feel their responsibility, they will
prepare themselves, and thus be far more capa-
the higher sentiments of nObler, truer, purer
~ citizenship The benefit will thus be both posi-
>. tive and reflex. All parties, when made of ac-
10 tive men and women on this basis, will repre-
h. sent higher grade of thought, feeling and
IS action, than they now do. 1t may be asserted
that women already have an influence without
being actual voters. | affirm, that no human
being ever goes thoughtfully and earnestly into
an investigation out of which there is not tC
come pleasure or a duty. The men will no
- vote precisely as they would have done, haC
there not been an intellectual discussion of the
principles of political and moral economy in
the family and, thereby, we make the grea
gain of which L speak. Let the woman under
stand that when election day comes she has 90
to drop ballot for this cause or that and sh,
will at least ask (for she will then learn if sh
has never learned it before, that it is as import
ant to have brains in her head as mic
Ter nests in her hair) some question of father hus
band or brother, which he may find it Difficult
to answer; and so they may both be put upol
the search for the truth. Out of this ma
!" come purlhcation of the foul mire of politics
~. ,c of which we hear so much, and which is driv
nd ing from the field of action so many of ou
best men.
,ed AS l said before, the great benefit to be look
= ed for is through the moral forces. The ba
,ck lot, in the hands of women, would be so use
as to add strength to all our moral enterprise
. eradicate intemperance and vice, especially
the cities. On these Subjects and on question
affecting the rights of women to engage in an
~ honorable calling to gain livelihood, the ba
~ lot, in her hands, would be power in uproo
ing many of the prejudices and evils that ru
7 society.
Politics is too often associated with the di
graceful scramble for office, of which we Al
all so familiar A Politician " is defined
the dictionaries as one who is versed in Il
science of government and the art of Cover
q ing" Who has had more to do with the fir
, principles Of government than the mother, al
sIy who would be likely to have more interest
the framing of the laws that go to the basis
good society? Let us see if there is not som
thing, yea, many things, that as an intellige
woman, claims her attention and participate
as well as men, viz our charitable institutio
shall they be kept up by private or pub
funds, aud how governed? Our Comm