Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-02
Woman Suffrage.

Harriet Beecher Stowe contributes to
the last number of Hearth and Home
another common sense article on this sub.
jeot, from which we make the following
extracts.
After enumerating several strides OF
progress which the cause has made, she
says:
The State Of Vermont, ono of the ,nost
common sense and most truly Republican
States in the Union, has a standing coun.
Gil, whose duty it is, from time to time, to
call conventions. Of the people, for ths
purpose of making necessary amendments
in tho constitution. They have Just is
sued proposition to decide whether wo-
men shall not be admitted to the suffrage
on equal terms with men.
This 10 not BY any means to be the end
of the agitation. There will be oonven.
tions all over the country, and the whole
breadth of the land canvassed till there
will not be retired corner Of it that will
not have vibrsted to this discussion.
John 0ssszt Mil says all popular 70
forms have 70 go through three stages
Ridioule, Discussion, Acceptance.
The question of Wom.n's Rights il
just passing out Of the stage of ridicule
into that of fair, respectful discussion.
Superficial flings, taunts and jokes are
now less and less the weapons used, and
instead We see such treatises as those OF
John Stuart Mills and DR.. Bushnell,
which, whatever we may think OF their
arguments, are specimens of earnest think
ing. All the leading magazines of the
country have been opened to one or more
distinct, and oftentimes quite powerful
presentations of the question ON the
woman's side, and some of the leading
editors, such as George w. Curtis, have
declared themselves decidedly in its ia
vor.
But q question of this kind covers so
wide . ground, that it is peculiarly liable
to become confused and mixed with false
issues on both sides. The advocates of re.
form are apt to give undue prominence
to unessential things, and, in their inten.
sity, TO make over-claims which, in turn,
furnish mark for the attack on the other
side.
y n
The practical question now before the
American people is this:
Have women the same right to suffrage
that men have?
In discussing this question, the only
logical way is to determine what are the
qualifications that give men right to
exercise suffrage, and to show that women
have or have not those qualifications.
All arguments upon this subject based
ON the supposed i'll effects of political
power and liberty of women are nothing
to the purpose. They are something like
this. Suppose wsrshy, industrious far
ming family, living in a hard but honest
way, down on Cape Cod, are discovered,
by the researches of some lawyer, to be
the heirs Of property of seven million.
But they arc very simple people, unin-
formed of their rights-rsther incredulous
NOT particularly disposed to enter into
troublesome and expensive investigation.
Now, say something of the present owners,
Why disturb these good people They
ere living . plain healthy, industrious
lifs-they are perfectly happy as they are
they don't want it. If they should get
this sudden fortune, these boys, now GO
industrious and sober, would become dis
sipated and go to the devil, and these
worthy matrons would become shoddy fine
women. But,says the lawyer, that's neither
here nor there. The only question is, who
owns that property and by what titlef
Now, it has been generally said that
women are illogical reasoners, that they
mistake poetry for argument, and instinct
for reason.
To us, 90 far. It really does appear that,
in the consideration of this question, the
logic has all been talked on the womens
side, and the tropes and metapors and
poetry have been wholly on the side Of
our much revered and highly educated
brethren. Mem are % accustomed to
talking down to women that they really
have not as yet seemed to think II worth
While to meet the question raised by them
The only attempt DR.. Bushnell makes
ON this vital point, where all turns, IL to
say that nobody has any inherent right
TO vote" Supposing that yet can the
Doctor assign any reason why he or any
other man should vote that does not apply
equally to womenp If 90, what u 1t Z
It il nothing TO the purpose whether there
~ or are not ;inhsrsot political rights.
Il Il sufacient in this American govern
ment, that our fathers supPesed there
vre. and founded their government ON
this suppoition. They established, in
the DsolaraAion Of Independence, and IN
ths Stass bills of right, certain axions,
such - theoe m. srtiF
governments owe their Just power to
tie consent of the governed"
j ~Thxation without representation 70
tyxaany." u Is riye - .a1 -.
We DO not propose TO raise the question
vhsfanr they wscs right or yrong IN