The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-01-18
Female Suffrage.

Remarks of Mr.. Langdon, of New
Haven, in the House of Representatives
Nov. H. ,, on the bill allowing female tax
payers the right to vote in district school
meetings.
The question Of Womans Rights, in-
cluding the demand for suffrage, is one OF
morals more than of politics. What was
the moral condition Of man as described
of Adam in his creation? 1t was said it
was not good for man to be alone There
/ fore Eve was created to be q help-matc
for Adam. Does not this show that the
perfect ideal man is composed of both
male and female joined together in the
marriage relations, according to the pat
tern given in that Of Adam and Eve :
Wedlock may therefore be called the
moral condition of man. The Woman's
suffrage rights, as demanded by some
goes to show men and women i'll the world
as so many isolated units; each claiming
separate cognzance and protection. Thi.
would ignore the marriage relation, prac-
tically, and put asunder what God hath
joined together. Is not this unnatural
uncriptural, and injurious to the best in
terests of society? I conjecture that
many females, as well US males, would
not forego willingly the marriage rcla-
ton. am quite sure that large por.
ton of the population that have arrived
at maturity of age, would agree with the
clergyman who was holding forth his idea
on the relation Of the sexes, aud he thank
ed God for the difference. The very
fact that man and woman arc complement.
ary halves of our perfect whole, neccssi-
tates difference in formation. Each sex
has their peculiar features and fitness tc
perform their part of social and active life
Men arc distinguished from women by
greater physical strength, hardihood, sell:
reliance, ambition. Women are distinguish
ed from men by greater delicacy of physi
cal and mental organizations, deeper sym
pathies. keeper scnsibilities, need say
quicker moral perceptions; shall | ado
gentleness and affection? Certain voca
tions and responsibilities by right belong
to man; others as truly belong TO wo
men.
am compelled to believe that maj
and woman were made to walk side by
side, hand in hand, through the world
Publicity is the evident design of mascu
line character; retirement of the femin
inc. Men are better fitted for the rough
handling Of outer life, of business, of gov
ernment, of war. Woman might be call
ed queen when she wears the crown o
her womanliness. What but monster
uncrowned of this There are sphere,
for each to walk in, not as clashing, har
monious spheres, hemispheres, if 20,
please, requiring both to make up tn,
globe of outward life. Woman in hel
yelled life or hemisphere of quiet and re
tirement may exercise her influence a
well as man in his public life Womal
moves the world more by her silent at
fractions, man by noisy propulsion. II
woman rests reserved force for the grea
movements of the world--acts more il
the line Of morals, and the instincts o
right; man more in the line of expedient>
policies and convcntionalism. How shal
woman dispose of herself. her time, hel
energies, in this confused world? Tn,
demand is upon us from some quarter
that every avenue competes with man ii
TIE severer and exhaustive industries
let it be deplored as a hard necessity
rather than hailed as boon. How is i
in Continental Europe-say in Switzer
land, where men and women labor in til,
field and in the shops indiscriminatcly
The service of men and women are inter
changeable. The laboring classes are il
the hands Of the capitalists. These la
borers arc so plenty that their wages ar,
low and they must take just what is offer
ed, and can get no more 1t is the cheap
ening of their labor by women in tn,
shops and fields, that has made them tn,
drudges and slaves of physical toll Thu
they arc made the helpless, hopeless tool
of their employers. As man fares s.
fares woman theirlot is indiyisible Tn
same might be said two years ago of
portion Of our free America, 50 called
then under the blight of slavery. Labo
was degraded, it was performed by tn
sexes mixed together. These laborcr
T generally were Of African descent.
Here in the Northern States, ,somc has
their dislike to the African race, more OF
the scent, than on the descent of the race
Such as choose to use such labor land tb
choice is from its cheapness) living in
free country, they claim the right o
choosing their own perfume. Woma,
Suffrage-The advocates of woman sufi
rage claim that the injustice inflicted b,
law upon woman, is the inevitable con
sequence of class legislation, that as tn
rich cannot be trusted to make laws io
the poor, nor the white for the black, :,
man cannot safely be trusted to make law
for the women. Please read this again
is this sound philosophy? | had suppose,
that men could be trusted to care for an,
protect their own wives and mothers an,
sisters and daughters | believe it is al
most an instinct of mans nature TO deftn,
woman in the rights of her womanhood
, had supposed that as Il rule men IL
treat women as well as women treat eacl
! other, they are courteous and as just Il
, them as they are to each other. Am
mistaken? The Scripture doctrine g
the family, is connection of individual
gathered by the married relation, eacl
, spiritually one but all socially one. TL
, family is one in all social relations an
interests The family is the social in
teger 1t is the family that claims r.
: presentation in government The hu+
| band and father is the recognized hea'
, of the family unit In him is vested til
right of property he holds It for the Us
and benefit of all. The wife may contrac
| debts, aud he must pay them. so of til
: minor children. Every man represents
| family, either actually or alphabetically
Every woman is represented in som
H.. T.. I \ Al Il