Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-03-31
FEMALE SUFFRAGE.
CoLUMBgs, March 15,

CoLUABBsj MaFch 4U
To the editor Of the tiR 5azsttsi
see by your paper Of yesterday
that your Columbus correspondent
has lighted upon something which
he evidently considers good
thing, in the shape of a "hieii5rial
signed by 141 citizens Of Lotain
county, which tSas read Id the
House to day, and was listened to
with profound attention by every
member present" 1t was a rsmon-
STRANGE against the mOTetheht to
confer suffrage upon women.
Your correspondent gives a few
OF the names signed to the memo4
rial, to wit: Mrs Professor Bas-
comb, Mrs. President Finney, Mrs.
Prof Morgan, Mrs. Prof. Ellis, Mrs.
Prof Shurtleff, and Mrs. Prof.
Smith, of Oberlin; and Mrs. Judge
Ely, Mrs. Col. Gates, Mrs. Gen!
Boynton and others, Of Elyria.-
Your correspondent is assured by
the member who presented tie me-
mortal that "all the ladies are of
similar character and respectability
to those named" &c.
So then, if that is truej none Of
them belong to the class of poor
widows, with large families, who
have gone to Oberlin to educate
their children, and are starving
themselves at the wash-tub, or per-
chance are earning a pittance in
keeping boardersi to Sustain them
selves and their children; none be-
long to the class of sewing women,
who work many hours a day, and
every day, to sustain a cheerless.
and precarious existence; none of
them arc of the large class of wo-
men who have no parentsi broth
ers, or husbands to ststaln tlied
by the numerous occupations open
to the men, for "they are all Of
like character and respectabilityI"
OF the wives Of the Presidents, and
Professors, and Judges, and Colon
els, and Generals; which are enu'
merated.
Here let me say, Mr. Editor, that
the eminent ladies who have EN-.
barked in the cause of vCfnati suf-
Frage uaTe not preenilhehtly in view
the wives of the Professors. and
Judges, and Generals of the land
but rather of the less fortunate wo4
men who are the great majority id
every community dependent upon
their own unaided cxeftiohs; and
let me say, further, thatin my opini
ion a petition signed by dozen
women who are thus dependent and
needy is entitled to more weight IN
connection with this subject than
the remonstrance Of q dczeh scores
of those "well-to do" women, the
wives of the Professors, Judges;
and other notabilities, who never
knew want, and are not able to ap-,
prcciale the hunger and sorrow OF
the poor and needy.
Say these fair remonstFants
against women suffrage: "lt is
our fathers, brothers, husbands and
sons who represent us at the ballot
box" DC. But how about the thou.
sand-and- one women in every COM
nnunity who have no fathers, broth
ers, husbands and sons to fepre;
sent them at the ballot-box, or aid
them at all in the battle of life?
In our great contest with oppres-,
sion in the days of slavery and OF
"chivalry," we occasionally met
with g black man whose good f6f
tune had raised him above the con-
dition of his fellows, who had NO
sympathy with his brethren in
bonds, and no word of cheer for
those who labored for the emanci-
patton of the slave. We always
considered such a one very mean
man.
The women who signed the re-
monstrance in question are ill
doubtless excellent women in their
conditions; some of them know
to be such. But they altogether
mistake the case in supposing that
they, or their class, are the objects
of the great movement in behalf of
woman suffrage.
Editorially, you seem gratificd,
Mr.. Editor, that "ths society re-
Gently established in Washington
by Mrs. Dahlgren, is fihding allies
in Ohio" Undoubtedly; the move
ment Of Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren, at
Washing ton; will have the sympa-
thy of all the wives ofall the Admi-
rails, and Major Generals, and other
Hunorables at the seat Of Governs
ment. But how about the thous-.
ands and hundreds of thousands OF
women all over the land, whose,
husbands and sons were swept off
bv the war, and left them depend
ent on the cold charity Of the
world? And the other hundreds
and the other thousands who have
no husbands and brothers and sons
to comfort them?