Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-06-24
Equal Rights.
1NDEPENDESCE. Iowa, |
June 9l, 1870, (

My DEAR SNypER:-There In a
broad distinction between society
and government, the former preced-
ing the latter Our natural impulses
and necessities impel us to associate i'm
the several capacities and relations
of society. Marriage and diversities
of occupation are not the Sc 1uences
of government, but of society. Gov.
ernment is necessitated 10y wicked
ness. In other words, were all men
and women just to each other, there
would be no necessity for govern.
ment. But when individuals i'm So
ciety, whether men or women, or
bodies of men and women, attempt
to corrupt society through licentions.
ness or to infringe on the rights OF
others, some means 10y which they
may be restrained and punished aud
society protected, becomes desirable.
Hence the necessity for some kind oi
organization to insure safety. This
Organization we call government. 1t
concerns all alike, men and women,
that protection should he efficient
and entirely impartial. Men and
women are equally entitled to it,
There are naturally various ideas as
to the manner i'm which the objects oi
this Organizatisn can he best attained.
We term these idens questions Of pol.
itics. You certainly cannot deny
that woman has equal interests at
stake and is entitled to mn opinion
equally with man. III she Is equally
entitled To the opinion, you will moi
deny her right to AL equal expression
of that opinion. In Iowa the medi'
um for this expression happens to b,
the ballot. Has she not then u righ
to the ballot here Ia Iowa, growing
out of, and natural sequence to hel
right to all opinion.
Now let US suppose n case. Innu.
merable rum-sellers ply their hellisl
traffic hight In the midst of house.
holds which might he happy but fol
the poisoned streams flowing Out
from the dens of corruption. A wo,
man has husband who IL being
dragged down to the depths of per
dition by the artful criminals vii,
take fearful advantage Of his weak
ness for rum. The question arises
shall society protect itself through
government by driving out aud pun
ishing the rum sellers. The poor
wife has her opinion in the mattel
and would thank Heaven for IN.
opportunity to express IL I'm behalf o.
her husband and herself through
the ballot. The husband has hi
opinion, and regardless of his obliga
tions io his wife, expresses 1t through
the ballot for the rum. seller, agains
her interests as well as his own. Hel
opinion and wishes thus count fol
nothing practically. while his are ar'
cepted and count one for the rum
seller. Perhaps majority of tn.
men vote the same way, while nine
tenths of The women would tlo other
wise had they tiIeopportunity. Were
the women counted on making ul
the verdict, majority of all would
declare agairst the rum seller an,
society be benefited accordingly
Now In this supposed case do yot
dare deny that these women had /;
right To voice I'm deciding the mat,
ter? DoyOu dare assert that the pool
wife who should vote to remove tn,
fearful temptation beyond the reacl
of her drunken husband would b,
performing an unwomanly act In 8.
doing-wouid be making herself AN,
tile less true woman? No maj
with a spark of honor or with th,
least possible sense of justice c,ul,
dream Of making such an assertion
And yet this supposed case only illus
trates the whole principle involved
Ii would he precisely as unw"manI,
In this supposed case for a woman, I,
vote as in any other. The principl
II the same. But the veriest cYavel
would not assert dishonor or impro
pne;y In this connection. Whatshal
we say. then, of the babhlers who ar,
continually prating about The inn
modesty OF a womaE's wishing /,
vote-of her having ideas about th,
best way In which society may b,
efficiently projected aud expressin,
those ideas through the ballot?
| Keeping In view the distinction
between society and government, no
forgetting that physical difference,
are matters which concern the reIa
tor of society and not OF govern
ment. aud remembering that gov
ernment Is properly an organization
of mind and not of matter, how ut
teriy contemplate appears that soph
istry which asserts that women mus
4 become men If they vote! 1t wa
precisely the same sophistry, Oh,
same ignorance of the true dislinc
tion between society and ndgovernment
that furnished the Democracy will
their staple argument against negr,
suffrage, viz: " IVou.d you mant youI
daughter TO marry q niggers"