National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-02-25

That we may gain hearing at
this tribunal, let us premise that we
are in favor of the rights of woman
and ask through your columns to
make "A plea for them. And one of
the rights which we claim is, not to
have the right of suffrage thrust
upon us till the majority of women
ask, or will accept it. You may let
us. if YOU choose. vote for once, on
that question, and you viii see that
we Will vote ourselves into our pro
! per posiliou-!nlo ''bodage ""oOscu-
rity.r and the right to live and die
women as God has made us.
! You may say that women do not
vet know their own minds on this
| subject. Some OF them do, most de.
cidedly, while others VIII have to
wait to see the drift of the current,
to find ont. whether or not, the Hon.
Mrs. A., or Mrs. Judge B.
favors suffrage, and then they Will
know their own minds, and this will
be Independent of thought. .
Another objection, ''Some men do
not care to vote, why should they Z
We answer, because it is their bust
ness, not ours, aud that settles the
difficulty to our satisfaction, at least.
"But if some women wish the right
of suffrage, why not give 1t them Y
We reply, Yankee fashion, Ivy ask
ing. why, if the majority oppose
suffrage. it needs he forced upon
them, Shall the minority rule.
The right to vote will, to many.
be only another name for duty. If
We accept the suffrage, aud all the
evils and disparagcment likely to
follow, we do SO against our innate
sense of propiiety and fitness OF
things. against our better feelings
and principles /; SO what shall we do!
Sacrifice our inclination, common
sense. and our best judgment; or
shall we crush these sentiments, lg-
mere our true womanhood or shall
v. leave the vote 10 those who will
'adily assume its rights or be drawn
into its privileges ~ But the vote
: is merely the expression of an idea.
To some it will be, others will vote
as their fathers, husbands, or broth
L crs do; while the foreign masses, III
= one solid phalanX, will vote accor
ding 10 the instruction OF Their re
lipious teachers, and the votes OF
o. djshonolable women as well as men
will be sold to the highest bidder
For these reasons it is evident that
intelligent. cultivated and trne wo
men will feel it their duty to vote
as much as they may shrink from
assuming their rights.
That we may legitimatcly have
the right of suffrage, Us far rs right
= per sc, is right, we do not question
SO ight We claim our rights II
many other things not exactly prop
er or expcdient for women. lknoy
= no lust reason why ladies shoul,
not have the privilege of payini
their addresses TO gentlemen, ut an
or all timcs-on!y there are som
old fashioned notions Yet extan
=, "a about the propriety of our so doing
But that word is fast becoming OF
|, solete as applied to wOman's tru
y, position.
1t is not merely casting our vot
u that is so particularly o6jectionabl
" as the consequences which, it rs eas
Y, to foresec, will likely follow. "
o. do not like to think of women 81
=, gaging in party and political stril'
a while that would only be the begli
ming Of the end. AMI, gentlemen
if YOU give us rights tLat we do nt
ask, we may take rights that 80
- would not give. IfJoa force MS II
to notoricty we will condemn 80
to obscurity. We will vote ourselvo
into fat offices, and eclipse you b
ne our eloquence, power, and state
:" manship. And oh, We men of Gotl
am! who oblige us to gropc oil
WAYS in darkness, over your ic
W pavenents, tchen re rote, we will o
" der every lamp post and dark cor
" er of our streets TO be lighted, ti'
" YOUR evil deeds may be brought
II light for we, unlike yourselves 10,
light rather than darkness. II OF
logic fails T. convince you, with +
spect to our rights; if our entrea
" les will not move you, may not OF
" thrcatenings prevail'
" NO taxation without represent
ton y another wedge put in IN
. ,or Of female suffrage. Very vel