Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-05-27
THE GAZETTE
aEqual Rights



Mr.. LOOMS: In your communica-
ton last week you misstated the
question.
That which you proposed for this
discussion, and on which welcomed is
sue, is, i'm your own language,-"Has
woman an 3Ruienub9e right to the
baRof?" In your last article you dis
cussed the question of representation,
which question has not yet come up
In this. controversy. Please do not
evade the direct point. You say,
This &. G. representation of all peo-
ple) monarchists and the Cedar Falls
GAZETTE deny" We have denied
no such thing. When the question
Of representation comes up, on its
own basis, we shall he ready to take
our position, and will try to defend
IL, but tins far we have taken but
this one abstract position, viz
Woman has not an inalienable right
to the ballot.
We the more strongly insist upon
It because this is the question forced
upon the American people. The
platform of woman suffrage meetings
insists, not on woman's representa-
ton, bar on her having the ballot
1t rings all the possible changes on
this issue. Tie pseudo reformers on
this subject only discuss the question
Of representation so far as to ignore
distinctions that are most obvious
to the thoughtful mind, and cover
their want Of argument on the main
issue. The repetition of their veriest
platitudes may do in woman's
rights meeting, for those who gather
at these assemblageS are not given to
the most careful discrimination in
argument, but this will not do an q
controrer&y. We must have some
thing more than the declaration Of
these unmcuning commonplace
Remember you are in n controversy
and glttering and unmeaning gen.
eralities that will sometimes 10 in
haranguing n crowd will not do here.
We are forcibly reminded of n story
of an English nobleman and his Ir,
ish steward, which your course thus
far has very fNrtibly illustrated. "A
certain English noblemau,n &c, &c.
(See Cedar Falls GAZETTE of Nav Is
I'm the corresr0ndcnce Of J. l.. Loom
ia. Is r0ur grandfather q monkey p
Do Won answer that in American
parlance the word ballot is only used
To denote "ranrescntation, and hat
Won have So used IL? Do YOU take
that position ? Will Won then saw
that If II can be shown that woman
has lust REPRESENTATION now, YOU will
abandon the whole question of wo-
man suffrage? We would like to get
,t vour posjtion definitely. We
have NOT timo nor patience to- fight
n man or straw and II DOES strain ZIG
awfnllv IN kick Mt nothing Now
~. have ontor,a y, tI,is CONTROVERSY
:, ,ood faith md mat ne soon as ve
nm end va, in nos;.io, Won will
honestly trv to defend we are ready
FIR tha issue
put n. ouost;o, foroad uror the
nublic ottnntion nv the innovators
I,his tar, naad not ha understood i'm
a had aenen) il the direct ooestion Won
nronnsed ot tbe outset viz. uronup
suT,ooe NOT representation. (There
are v.rious forms of enrrsrntation
besides sntTrora This il the issue
bet weeu us Ven have directly and
positively asserted that woman has
nm iunliepobye ri1ht to the b0ylot, y
We denv. Beinr in the NEGATIVE.
ga in dutv bnnnd we wait tho nroof
Tn ortIor In ossist Won u l;ttla i'm the
argument, allow ms meeklv TO sug-
vest that if woman has q RIGHT TO the
hollot II would be competent TO
show whence this right is derived
If she has an iauiiendble right 1t
must he hased on and inseparahle
from her nature. Remember we are
talking about the ballot, not repre-
sentation..