The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-03-22
s.net them Speak for Themselves"

..Het them Speak for Themselves"
A CALM VIEW OF THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT
ny \ VERMONT WOMAN.
VERGEyNEs, March 9th, 1870.
Have patience, my dear Free Press.
If the women are really to "speak for
themselves" on this new suffrage move
ment, pray let each one have voice in
the matter; only so that the newspaper
men do not stand aghast or fall down
faint before the prospect.
| should like to know who are the
"menaced victims" that Mrs. Nicholson
refers to? (See last Saturdays Free
Press, an article copied from the Herald.)
should like to know how one woman,
or one class of women. can call them
selves the majority" before vote has
been taken, and counted.
should really like to know what sex
hood has to do with suffragc2 DR.. Bush
nell, indeed, tells us that when We vote
we shall grow homely, shrill voiced, hun
cry eyed, and every way disagreeable. I
don't see how the argument can be an
swered, dear Zone of the majority" but
by contrary assertion, aud the matter
decided by actual experiment.
Meantime | wish this question, fairly
before the people of Vermont, might be
fairly discussed by the women of Vcr-
mont.
What can we as women do with the
suffrage : What ought We to do in the
way Of procuring it, or in the way Of us
ing it after it has been procured for us ?
1t certainly is not much of an honor to
vote in this country, where the vilest and
most miserable beggar has count equal
to the noblcst mans on election day nor
much Of a trouble, since the busiest men
20 to the polls.
Something OF responsibility certainly.
And We have responsibilities enough
already.
Possibly too many, and not always of
the right sort.
But if in the course of human events
it should become necessary for us rome,l
to 90 to the polls think We could man.
age the responsibility. What if We should
be obliged to leave off one or two of the
frightful furbelows We tediously fix on
our dresses L? What if the wives Of oul
woll.to-do farmers should not attempt tc
do the whole indoor work of their large
farms-one woman manufacturing butter
and cheese, washing. baking, making and
mending for a numerous household, be-
sides giving birth to, and rearing her lit
tie ones quite as an incidental matter
but as n matter of course?
What if they, and all of us should stol
to think whether we are really, in oul
busy, crowded lives. doing the hest work
there is for us to do?
Are there certainly no public interests
that need our voice? Are there none il
which some of us might do good work
And are there not some Of us who neet
woodwork Of different kind than tina
which is offered them under the old cod
of proprieties?
THE laws of this nation are absurd,
and almost unjustly in favor Of women.
II is true that American men are yer,
: gallant towards us American women, il
mauy cases of legislation going far be
yond justice to do us favors. | hope "
do appreciate their kindness and courte
; sy;" but ! would rather these law
should not be absurdly and unjustly i
l our favor. like the spirit of Mrs
Browning better
When the day out and labor done. let ha'
the 9uages.
Ii tho days work is scant, why call it -cant.
In that we've striyen at least We would be dea
with nobly, women though we be,
hnd honored with the fc,ah, though not wit
praise.
r Let our "knightly champions" call u
: beautiful Names place us little abor
the angels but let us receive such con
o pliments merely, and let us not ourselv,
| repeat them as axioms in candid cor
sideration of our duties.
n Let US deal trutAtuHy with ourselve
4 at least.
We know that to be Il women meal
something more than "beautiful depenC
" ence," fdih, love, purity and blessing
n it means sometimes, hard work and sma
: pay, it means also helpless ignorance an
helpless idleness, it means sometim,
y lives wasted in frivolty-oftener in We
e mont it means lives broken down by ov,
y exertion.
!. If the friends OF the woman sufral
# movement can tell us how these troubl,
,, are to be helped by the ballot and and i
e accomplishments, we shall listen gladly
n and with the more faith when We consid,
e what debt we owe them already. Sa
II what we will, these 'womcn's right" ag
e tators. by their persistent agitation" {
% nn unpleasant theme, have done us inca
j. culable good they have opened to ,
8 new fields Of labor, aud new avenues
If education they have walked US up to
s. higher life. and we are ten times MOI
- women than before Lucy Stone and Al
IN toinette Brown began their mission. IL
d us be careful of calling them names.
Thus much, dear FREE Pass, have
said to bespeak candid consideration
IN this subject among the people Of Vernon
re | have not been able to attend the col
le ventions, but il seems TO me the new
p paper discussions are often unfair an
II irrelevant.