The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-11-26


itaire. pronounce these sacred truths
'generalities of Revolutionary Pronun-
| cismento,' have no controversy.
| Fer such women as honestly entertain
sentiments on this question, adverse to
the writer's. I can have much respect
but for those of the gentler sex, who
seem to luNurate in their folly-who
pride themselves in Ginning in with the
opponents Of enfranchising woman-who
appear never more delighted than when
exercising their literary talents in ridi-
culing the measure-who please them-
selves in the enjoyment OF their depends
ent condition, and who with 'sy mmet
iical elegance and easy grace felcitate
themselves in their fancied possession Of
discernment, superior to those who are
laboring to free them from abject and de
pendent servility, enjoy the luxury
of pity and supreme contempt as well,
nor do desire hurriedly to awaken su CHI
from their dreams of harmless stupidity
The experiment of entrusting to man
the exclusive guardianship of woman
protection-of confiding in his magnan>
imity-in his sense ofjustice-to accord
her full measure of recognizing her
power and susceptibilities-aftcr pain
full trial Of several thousand years. has
proved o magnificent failure, and has
shown her to be an unwilling, though
dependent victim of misplaced confidence.
Why is it that avenues of employ.
ment, to which she is peculiarly fitted.
are closed to her by her generous -
protector Why is it that very many
vacations which she is well qualified to
follow, arc interdicted to her p? Why is
it, that unlike man, she is not left at lib>
erty, either by force of law, or by the
tyrant, ignorant and debased tradition, to
respond to calls of duty and to labor in
such fields of science, art, or the profess
sions as she may consider herself quail.
fed for, and finally, why is it, that
es- for equal services, equally we'll per-
formed-for equal labor. as efficiently
exscuted--snd fer equal achievements.
as unselfishly and as ably surmounted,
she is denied equal remuneration.
Give woman-for the Withholding
which IRON man, he would take up arms,
and to secure which, he would die in the
last ditch-the ballot-tkat has a power
y,.l hot
our legislators to be but too willing to
remove disabilities and to restore rights.
To assume that the rights and preroga-
lives OF one half Of the people Of the U.
S. are safe in the hands of the physically
Stronger half is, in this period OF the 10Th
century, the sophistry-the cowardiee
and the insulting effrontry of monarchy,
aristoefacy-without their manly boId>
ness.
It is paradoxical-oneo Of those appa~
rent anomalies in human governments,
which seem unaccountable-tba among
q people accepting the self evident truths,
the foundation OF our system of govern.
ment, portion Of its subjects should ar
Togate to themselves executive jurisdic>
ton and supreme power over an equally
large number, equally entitled to recog>
milton in their needs and their wants,
and that the excluded class should have
no effective voice-no controlling agency
lin selecting the pers ons to enact laws
by which all are to be governed. It
would be idle to offer arguments to prove
that those people will show themselves
the mos. enlightened, the most advanc-
ed in physical and mental Development,
will exhibit the greatest progress in all
that civilizes, refneS and elevates the
race, who enjoy the most nearly perfect
freedom in cultivating their Individual
ties. who are Invested of all lets-all
hindrances - all restraints - resulting
from partial legislation, and among whom
all, equally, without regard to any mere
accidental differences of sex, color, ma
tionality or previous condition of servi-
tude, are left perfectly free to pursue
such calling-that mode of life, engage
choice are suited to them.
Let all the avenues of industry,
all the numberless varieties of em-
ployment be free of access TO every
one, without the restraint Of law,
custom, Or unenlightened public
opinion, and limited only by his Or
her fitness, ability and qualifica-
ton. There are, indeed, very few
Of the clerical positions in the ex-
ecutire departments at Washing
ton, which females could not fill
with equal ability with the sterner
sex. and to the execution of the
duties Of which they are peculiarly
fitted. Why do they not succeed
in securing those places ? There
is, there can be but one answer.
Women have no political power
no halIot-and even in cases in
which they do get appointments,
they receive little more than so
per cent. IS much as the males
for equal services !! / am not Of
those--if such sanguine ones there
be-who indulge the hope of the
millennium's speedy approach on
the enfranchisement of woman.
would not look upon it MS RENE
dy for tue cure of all the ills, po-
iitical Or social, that humanity is
heir 10. / advocate it because it
is just, and because there is no.
sufficient sensible reason for with
holding right, forcibly and un-
justly denied her--I do avow my
belief, however
THAT mans inhumanity to man,
Which makes countless thousands MOURN
would thereby be much amended,
and that as lucrative remuneration
and increased avenues of employ
m ont are OiUnn To w0man 90 thar