The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-11-24

" Arguments ard ballots are all I
know of, excepting prayer and sup
plications."
Well, don't every body vote that
has a right to-"
"Yes, or nearly everybody that is
legally entitled to under the present
arrangement, but II I were stiIf in the
South under slave code, should be
entitled t. seven votes. AS it is, l
have no more voice than drunken
Jim, who is under arrest for stealinga
Z log chain, Or"
"HOw could you have seven votes
il you were in the South 81
why one for myself and one for
every three negroes. l have now ten
| negroes working for me, the only diff
! ference is they are not slaves. claim
with my wife to stand at the head of
a respectable household. Sixteen hui
I man interests are centered here, and
not less than two hundred thousand
J dollars worth of property, yet a sim
/ gle vote must represent the whole,
/ persons, property, education, all, and
I that vote overwhelmed by drunken
/ Jim's and Lieut.. st. Clair's, both of
whom are of the opposition party. l
wish my wife could vote, l have not
/ half the education she has"
"SuppOsing she could, your vote
/ would Just IeutraliZe Jim's, and hers
/ would Offset Mr.. st. Clair's, and then
/ we would be just where We should if
you all stayed at home and didn't
( vote at ALL"
"Then if you and Fannie could
vote, we should be two votes ahead"
&C WALL fhoEo -hasrid h1 1Fha-
I opposition votes some where else to
cOunteract ours"
Rather yours would cOunteract
theirs; and that is the way in which
I hope to see the work accomplished.
II we can but counteract the evil,
there is hope that some day there will
be a prepOnderance in favor Of the
right"
But am only sixteen you must
remember; perhaps by the time I am
old enough to vote, shall be allowed
the privilege. Then doubtless the ex-
isting social evils will suddenly disap-
pear" retorted Mary, jestingly."
always have to be reminded Of
your age, or l never can remember II,
you seem so much older. But serious
ly, when you and your sex are allow
ed the ballot, shall have no further
concern for the cause of temperance"
The conversation is here interrupt |
ed, and a visitor announced. AS it is
only Mr.. st. Clair, land he calls quite |
frequently,) he is invited into the Ia |
brary TO take part in the discussion.
There is a very interesting ques- |
ton before the house, perhaps you |
will be able to decide its merits" in |
terpOsed Mary.
"If all that are here present have |
been unable to do so, should dislike |
to undertake it, replied Mr.. st. Clair, |
modestIy.
"Mr. Gazelle says the great want of
the nation is purer ballot; and the /
question Is, would the ballot be made |
purer or better If women were allow /
ed to vote ?"
"Well, 1 can answer that question 1
without the slightest hesitation, that /
it would not, but that it would imme-
diately become worse. Why all the |
illiterate, uncOuth, uncultured, and
intemperate women in the country
would rush to the polls en- mass, and I
all the refined and cultivated would
stay at home; and all respectable
men would at once fOrsake the place
of voting. Why l would never go
near the polls again if women were
allowed to go there ~
"Then in just five years you will
be disfranchised, for as soon as l am
old enough to be entitled to vote, ]
shall go to the polls, and though
may be ostracised, shall neverthe-
less stay there and watch the move
ments and study the characters of my
political superiors and legal sOver-
eigns, and shall thereby poll as
many votes as my presence keeps, of
such men as yourself and Others like
you, away from the place Of voting,
for Of course we should always vote
tickets"
What grounds have you for sup
posing the class of women, to which I
you refer, would be the only class to .
vote, and that all respectable men /,
would absent themselves from the
polls?' inquired Mr.. Lazelle. ''Only
give my wife and Mary the oppOrtun-
ity Of exercising their inherent right
as American citizens, and think sir,
you would find that they would not
shrink from the Heaven-imposed !
duty that they owe to humanity,
their country and their God. And
think, too, that should rather meet
such women at the booths, than the
weak-kneed, and ,
weaker-brained men l usually find J
there, and if large proportion Of that !
class of men should prefer staying ,
away, 1 believe that their presence
could be dispensed with, with no very
serious loss to the nation" 4,
Well, supposing all should vote
wives would vote with their hus-
baLds, young ladies with their suitors, !
or those they hoped would some day !
become such, and the vote would sim :
ply be increased, though not materi-
ally changed"
nHow would it be with the gentle
men who met ladies there they hoped ,
to make wives some day @
"That is q different feature Of the !
question altogether. Usually men :
choose their wives, and obtain them !
too, without much difficulty. hardly
think many Of them would have to :
sacrifice their votes in the cause" !
and he looked admiringly at the brass ,
buttons and shoulder straps he still !
wore as an evidence that he was a J
man of rank.
81 think 1 could mention Instances :
where wives would nOtvote with their !
husbands. Jim's wife for example; !
md where young ladies votes would !
not be very easily swayed. I'll give !
he young man a farm that could I
,ause Mary to change hers. or course !
ny wife and myself would vote alike
lut ali families are not so fortunate as !
o be agreed on the great question of I
the day." :
Excuse me, but there are so many =
exciting topics before the public mind :
It the present time, that am unable :
o determine the particular theme you +
nay have in view" .
sI refer, sir, to the subject of tenn
1erance. This must be the next great
national issne.n
''Mr. Lazelle, you astOnish me by :
this as a national issue :
Temperance is a question of mere in :
iividual interest, and the nation has ;
no business whatever with it. I be- ;
ieve in temperance as much as any |;
nan, but when you come to mix it :
up with politics, I can't agree with \
you."
''How would you have the question :
handled ." !
GAS purely moral one, and not 4
with the immoral associ- .
.tions of politics." 4
HAnd to whose care would you COM :
nit it, taking it entirely out of the \
lands of politicians? To the preach =
rs suppose" 4
rNot by any means; for il there is =
nything I hate, 1t is the mixing of :
,oiltics with religion
HOr religion with politics" thought
Ir. Iazelle, but he only said: al p
hought you die not consider temper =
nee a political question: a
"True, I do not, but there are some 4
well there Mr.. st. Clair run his fin !
ers through his whiskers several =
lines quite hurriedly), there are a q
ew persons who are trying 10 give y
he question that shape, and well l /;
Ike 70 see the ministers avoid the :.
,ery appearance Of evil, you know y
"Well, then, yoa would commit it r
o the care Of the press, l suppose; and =
llow the newspaper kingdom to n
york out the worlds great enigma ?r q,
HIf there is another thing 1 hate, il n
) 8 Temperance newspaper. do not a,
Ike to see the press trammeled."
i'How do you like thelecture plan?" II
"If there is anything that 1 ahom- r
note IL is the temDeFanee lapfurer 90 =