Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-03-09
A Woman's Opinion.

Week, and an appeal - mauc 70 tine WOMEN VI
Vermont for an answer. II is a fair question, an
important practical one at this time, and ought
to be answered. We have no desire to escape
from our share of responsibility in the matter,
and yet, in these days Of agitation" when the
pen, which has long been mightier than the
sword, il now also sharper, we plead guilty to a
womanish weakness tperbaps we ought to call it
mascuine) concerning the thrusts that are 80
freely bestowed by the regular combannts. Now
woman y age has long been regarded, in polite
circles, as her personal property, with which
strangers might not ntermeddle but notions of
property being somewhat confused just now, and
" clinging to precedent, the objectionable sin OF
society, we yield the point, and inform all whom
it may concern that we are neither ~ young AS
was the writer Of the Woman's Opinion ~ in
the Journal, nor 50 old as her friendly counsellor
in the Freeman And it our words should fail to
reach that golden mean Of womanly dignity,
where the ardor Of youth is tempered by the wis
dom Of maturer years, we beg that no one will
lay the blame on our uncertain age.
Bat 10 the question, Does woman wish 10
reconstruct society2' We are at loss for an
NIl W.T. % WI WY AN AiA' AilA iNANlN'f w NV
uupreparcd tor the next question that would
surely follow Upon what basis do you wish 10
reconstruct it2' We cannot answer simply
"no." lest we be understood rs implying that we
are perfectly satisfied with the present state Of
things The present condition of woman we re-
gnrd as very unsatisfactory, nor do we regard her,
alone, as responsible for it. Her training has
In, 9ftf,aresiu1 and la
some respects wrctcbcd She has been taught to
Seem rather than 10 be, to please men rather than
to help Them 10 keep up appearances instead
of to face the reality Of things She has been
dattcrcd where her vanity was already excessive,
too much depressed and disheartened where she
needed strength and encouragement. And the
natural result Of such trimming is only too pain
fully apparent We would gladly welcome what
ever change will make woman's character less
narrow and frivolous, whatever will give her a
more intelligent interest in great thoughts and
serious activities, II deeper sense of responsibility
to the age in which she lives. We earnestly de-
sire 70 see her intellectual culture laid on broader
and deeper foundations, and built up with all the
lulness that may be into perfect strength and
]
and thorough, her influence more potent, and
potent only for good. All woman's wrongs, both
subjective and objective, we long 70 have removed.
Politics, too, undoubtedly need purifying. We
would like to see sounder reasoning and better
spirit peryading all political debates 10 see all
yenality and corruption banished forever from our
Legislative assemblies We would heartily bless
G. a -. 10
integrity at least important qualifications as
soundness on the main question: in securing
offices Of public trust and honor, But is W oman
Suffrage the open Sesame which is to unlock all
the treasures Of wisdom and goodness Is it n
universal panacea for all our woes? Verify one
would think 50 from the statements OF its adyo-
Gates. But is it in fact even one Of the remedies
for our social and political evils? We supposed
that when the reiouners established conventions
in our State, they would endeavor to trace some
connection between the proposed cause and the
desired effect and we have searched carefully the
reports of conventions held thus far for something
satisfactory. We find abundant panegyrics upon
liberty Trades against oppression, platitudes
about abstract justice, and art-rendng pictures
Of Gagged birds huttering in wild despair against
their prison bars but for the rstray oflight the
real merits of the question we look in vain Now
we must confess that we women would like to be
treated in these discussions as women, and not as
birds or any other irrational animal nor yet as
angels sent with some dvinely appointed though
vaguely defined commission to bring salvation to
our government, nor yet again as u set of weak
bot
somehow through all the centuries, been terribly
abused by our stronger and uglier brothers
through no fault Of our own, through no fault of
Providence but simply and purely because Of
their strength and uglness
We fail to recognize ourselves in any Of these
classes, and would respectfully ask if the great
fact Of sex, which is so calmly set aside is to he
considered as a fact Of our physical nature alone
and quite beneath the notice of philosophers and
relormers.
] While We wait for light, which we trust will
come speedily, we will yet express our minds, in
response to the appeal, according to the light
thus far received We would say at the outset
though it may be m evidence Of that inertia
which the lady relormers denounce as the great
hindrnco to THEN work that we do not want to
vote, unless some good is to come of it, Does
woman need the ballot for protection? 1t is
claimed that women a. a class have special inter-
ests requiring protection, which cannot be secured
without the ballot. 1t is also urged, at least by
the more moderate and reasonable of the reform
ers, that this is not an anti-nan movement be-
cause it seeks the true good Of woman, and what
] oypy benefits her leuafta him al. tI,a a.
sentia principle on which any class needs the
ballot for protection is that its interests are, OF
are supposed to be, antagonistic to those of the
governing power, and 80 likely to suffer from the
tyranny of the latter. But if the interests Of
man and woman are 50 interviewer as 10 be iden-
teal (as it is admitted they are) then women do
not form separate class in any such sense as to
require the ballot for protection, since man may
be safely trusted to legslate from sef-interest in
matters pertaining to women, as in all Others.
That legislation in regard 10 woman is in some
places imperfect and unjust proves nothing to the
point unless it can be shown that all other legs-
laton is perfect and just. Moreover, ii is allowed
/ that the condition Of woman has been gradually
| improving ever since the introduction of Chris
/ NAAhiNl ihN' Nhi MNiih III fIppoIllOH Us
Christion civilization has advanced, her station
has advanced, the improvement being always in
intellectual, personal and social power, and not
at all in political privilege And is it not hir
and logical inference that her condition will con
tnue to improve just in proportion as that same
Christian civilization shall continue to gain more
and more power, her relative position to govern
ment remaining the same? To assume that Do
litical enlargement for woman is in itself good
is manifest begging the question and not fair
argument.
WIN the ballot help or hinder woman in hel
proper work? That work, hers by natural di
vision Of labor which no amount of voting car
ever change, work which no legislating cur
ever enable her to shin upon man, or shar,
equally with him,-is the early education o.
children, that is OF the whole human race. Il
may be well to consider for moment what In,
work of a mother is--a work growing more din