Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-04-20
For the Freeman.
The Woman Question.

I
present moment. Learned Doctors of Di-
vinity have come down from their thcologi |
cal prosings, and given their pOnderous
opinions with tremendous dignity. Small
fiippant editors, with an eye to the direction
the political cat jumps, have shown them
selves maryels of patience and discretion till
it did. Then great editorial guns blazed
away from newspaper columns>carrying in
slant death and destruction to the opposing
party, that somehow always happens to be
in the minority. Men of great capacity and
no capacity have undertaken to set matters
right. Writers. inspired, and especially
uninspired, have been lugged into tire con-
troversy with the utmost zeal and tsSsister-
cy. me Track OF the strong mindes
- >nons crowd. Not always judis50fs7 =.
80. she has often unwittingly led an -
of followers to the destination approf.sSs-aS
called nowhere, instead of leading them into
the highway of equal rights, as she proposed
If she has sometimes stepped aside in the
newness of her power, and the vagueness of
her position, she has been continually re-
minded of the deviation, by the old vociier-
Gus barking that always haunts the footsteps
of Reform.
Il Women, true to their instincts, feminine
in all other respects save having opinion
Of their own, despite the bufetIngs of pub
lie sentiment have dared not 10 arrogate,
but to modestly deserve what are eontemptu-
ously called the &" rights of women" But
it mattered not how unobtrusively they
claimed these rights, they were seized upon
by public opinion and placed in the dreadful
catalogue of the strong minded "A classified
ton that will cling TO them odiOusly so long
! as proper recognition of their womanhood
is withheld.
There is no doubt whatever that the mas
culne world may have had serious objections
to being handled roughly by female agitatOrs,
to being yanked into the lines against
all precedent, and made to bring up the rear
with flourish of trumpets.
Yet it may be they needed aggressive
spirits, to awaken them from the sweet
: apathy occasoned by the silent influences
so pathethically attributed to woman. They
had SO long regarded her, in one sense, as an
} ailing member of their own body, very help
less but still dear TO them as part of them
, selves that the fact of her claiming indlyidu-
ality was an outrage upon the fixed laws OF
her being. With doubtful magnanImity, and
l an inconsistency that proved itself mascu-
! line as well as feminine quality, they shut
their eyes to the possibility of progression,
!. and directed their strong man judgment to
making fun of strong-minded women.
r Every little personal popularity was laid
to the charge of strong -mindedness. If she
bore nGTetAA uIdAGAN we'll NAtF AIAI
their breath, expecting her mOmentarily &c
u become rabid. If she was in reality ranter
thew magnifed her a hundred-fold, and held
f up the monstrosity to the world as a con
yincing proof that all women should hence
forth keep the I" sphere of silence"
: But notwithstanding the seathings of rid
S icdle whieh.a wom1I would almost give hei
!. ~, si;ss = :; n y ! a. IlI 6s
herself path gkFough opposition, a patti
s. narrow and difficult at first but one that ha
m unconseiously become wider and wider, till il
has almost become one with man's-a roya
path to equal honOr-One with man s TO tn
lie gate of suffrage. There hers stops, Will,
?, his stretches on into the broad, fair fields
ID beyond. Woman may satisfy herself b,
$. peeping over the gate if she chooses, bu
she must in no wise expect TO enter in
III There are many women who do not desir
~ tO-many even who not governed b.
popularity, nor wanting in positive opinion
. But they have only too thoroughly learne
= their old domestic lesson, namely, tina
Ot women, like preserves, must be kept air. igh
&c TO retain their natural flavor-man's taste, c
o. course, presiding over both dainties. So sh
. secludes herself from the world, till the dc
> nestle circle, little by little, devours hel
re She is proud and satisfied to give herself 70
I'd those she loves. but it may be there is just
a. particle of injustice in the sacrifice.
- There is deplorably large number G
> women. who have no opinion at all-of thei
re own,-whose range of thought and capacit
has been chalked out by their husbands an
be who would no more think of stepping out
- side of that line, than they would think
calling in question their husbands inialli
ne bility. They are hardly to be blamed for thei
)" want of opinion 1t would be strange if, frOI
es being their husbands echo all their Marie
no life, they should suddenly assume voices
their own. So we hear them insIpidly airin
a. the stale arguments that have dropped frol
o immaculate masculine lips, always windiu
to up with the altogether fresh and origins
statement that " Ii is mt woman's place
vote"
There is another class of women WI
have no desire to vote, because they have
ca little understanding of political affair
They fortify themselves with this idea,
nc though by that means they had formed q
zee impossible barrier to the progress of woma
ril sufrage,-as though they were barred al
% banned from political knowledge, with
hope of ever gaining access to it for all {
en- ture time The fact that an UNDERESTIMATE
mt of politics is any part Of a wOnan's du
wv they steadfastly ignore. They must ha'
II nothing to do with the crude materials
!, government these must be nodded al
fashioned and carefully LABELED BY men an
to tips of their fingers. TheTdear dain
EN- creatures
Then there are women who somehow ha
nv the idea that if a woman votes, she mu
on make that the business of her life,-she
to to forsake husband, children and friends, al
tn cleave only to suffrage. They behold thel
:, selves providing round court houses, inste
al of making husbands comfortable in {
rec matter of buttons. They themselv
is rushing after Congressional honors, ms ea
Az of safely carrying helpless family throu
"a whooping-cough and the measles. Such
"u state of affairs is not 10 be dreamed OF,
led they look from their own extreme standpolT
he and desire to be thankful they have no To-
IA ish inclination to vote.
:. While we say, all honor to those won
), who bless and sanctify their homes, let them
sure they see clearly and well the duties tn
be may possibly lie a little outside the {
lev boundary. Let them be able to hold wi
YER no weak grasp all possible good the yes
may bring. Let them guard political tru
'se as tenderly as they do their own dOmes
all loves. Let them be as stauneh in detendil
,rv right and purity in the body polite as tn
ast are strong and wise in maintaining both
=. their own households. Ii they can bet
iee accomplish this by the ballot, they will
:ed too womanly to shrink from it.
- Let those women who have habitua
nd looked at life through their husbands ey
open their own for a moment and take
'no keen, strong Look ahead. What grand pc
is sibilities may they not see, beyond the me
a ger circle Of their old-time sphere. Let the
Nh women who plead ignorance of public afa
as an excuse for Indifference, know that q
spirit that disdains unftness and lack
aid thoroughness in duty, is the very spirit th
ess in ruling will make unfaithfulness impossib
40 There is no reason why they may not gra
uo the principles Of politics understanding