The Portland daily press., 1870-03-22
Voting md Fighting.

When the opponents of woman's suffrage
are bard pressed by the cogent reasons in its
favor, they seek to close discussion by appeal
Ing to what they conceive to be their one
knock-down argument, and attempt by the
assumed liberality of the concession contained
in it to silence their adversaries entirely
"Let the women have the ballot" say these
generous individuals, eff they will at the same
time assume all the responsibilities sustained
by men and sit upon juries, serve in the mi
litia and 60 to war;" Let us see how this
show of liberality will stand examination. 1t
Is conceded that women may vote if they will
fight. Surprising that they ought to be al
lowed to vote should such a condition be i'm
posed upon themP There seems to be moth
ing unreasonable in requiring them to sit up
on juries, but is it just to require them 10
bear arms as the condition of being allowed
to vote? Are those who propose this condi-
ton prepared to carry out the principle in all
cases? Are they prepared to see every man
deprived of the right to vote who is not in
euery case responsible to the fullest extent
for the consequences of his vote? If they are.
let them declare in open day their belief that
every man who is unable from any cause
flor what the disability is, makes no differ
-ence) to bear arms, shout be deprived of the
right of voting not merely on questions relat-
ing to war, but on all questions; and that
every man who has not at least an average
amount of property, should be deprived of the
right of voting, not only when the expendi-
ture of money is involved but in ali other
cases. Until the opponents of woman suf
ffage are willing to practice consistently what
they preach, they need not wonder if their
preaching is in vain.
Not only this but they do not, except to
disguise their hostility to woman's suffrage,
even propose to have the citizens power at
the ballot-box only commensurate with his
responsibility. They do not complain that
the man who barely lives and has no proper
ty to be taxed, has just as much power in
voting even on questions relating to the ex-
penditure of money as his neighbor who has
property and must therefore bear the burden
of taxation. This state of things is not I'M
attended with practical mischief. The ability
of part of the citizens to vote money out of
other peoples pockets has produced higher
rate of municipal taxation in this than in any
other country in the world. In short, our po-
ntical system, as it at present exists, is based
upon an equality of rights and community,
not an absolute equality, of responsibilities.
Our theory is that every individual of intelli-
gence, moral character and Independent will
shall have an equal voice in controlling socie-
ty, and shall contribute according to his abili-
ty to its defense and support. As a matter OF
fact, the beggar and the millionaire, the saint
and the sinner, the fool and the sage are equal
at the ballot-box. And why should not the
woman and the man be equal? Women suf-
fer in war and contribute to its support, if not
In the way men do, yet in their own way
The majority of men contribute to the sup
port of war only individually, and the women
do this. The one unanswerable argument in
regard to woman's suffrage is the statement
Of the principle upon which free government
h founded, that the use of the ballot is to give
expression to the collective reason, moral
sense, and will Of society, and that none ought
to be excluded whose voice is needed to make
the expression complete, whether thcy can
fight or not.