Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-04-27

Mr. Becchcr's Characteristic remark tmt h"ih
New York they send to Congress all the men
that are forc-ordained to eternal domination,
may it not be in part at least owing to the TACT
that good men have been rccrcant to their trust
and remained quietly at homo too long, Ger
tainly women have some such notions as this ana
if the ballot should be given to the sex they feel
that there would be some sort Of obligation rest
ing on the best of them to countcract the influence
of those who neither from taste nor principle
would have any shrinking from the polls.
We know that we are largely the creatures OF
habit, and it may possibly be, as our critic says
that our objection TO this reform is rather mat
ter OF taste than Of principle but is the connec-
ton between taste and reason between even in
siuct and reason so remote that the strong feel
ing which the great majority Of our women have
naninst this movement, does not deserve even a
moments consideration? And is it altogether
fair or honorable to treat this feeling as the oblest
advocate of the cause does treat it, either as
blind prejudice or mere sycophancy to men,
But we must hasten on to our Bible argument,
for we would not have il thought that We put it
last because we hold it least; for ourselves IL is
enough to know that " it is written" And we
do not oller the Bible argument 10 any, nor do wo
pny the slightest heed on this point 10 any, who
do not take the Bible as the word Of God for of
course If any one thinks that Paul spoke as a
man merely, with him Paul's opinion ON the wo-
man question can have no more weight than Mr.
Mills Butto those who accept the Bible " not ms
the word of man but as il is in truth the word Of
a. 81. IL.
equality, we say, We accept and believe the whole
Of the passage from which we quoted, and every
other passage in the whole Bible, interpreting ac-
cordng 20 the light given unto us, every one
according to the spirit and not according 20 the
letter. But what theory of inspiration do you
adopt whereby you believe thu, the Divine Wis
DOM seeking to communicate itself to the mind Of
man, employed a vehicle 80 bunglng that the
letter should be the exact contradictory Of the
-prit3 Far be IL from Us to use the Bible to
"malign our adyersaries" but while we too find
in it the spirit of perfect liberty, we find there
also, as in the whole domain Of the natural and
the spiritual world, that the highest liberty is
! that which comes from previous subsection 10
/ law. And we are not maligning anybody when
we suy that the ordinary method OF answering
/ the Bible argument by cOntemptuous reference
10 slavery as having been proved from the same
| Book, is only the timsicst prctcxt for d0dging
| several weeks AGO nm article oppearcl In re
! Frec,aaH plociny side bv side the p,esn,es c,r
merlv nuoted I'm defence of nerr, slovcTy and
/ those now used IN opposition To woman suffrage .
we say nothing here Of the stmngcness Of the de-
dpctinns drawn from tho verses 9uotcd or M Ito
nneirnes. nl putting into The mouths nr scn.ii,lc
people who do believe that the Billie Is onposod
/ io the - ref,ru " any sueb words os tbo.,' R,t
we smniy sov tbnt n ,yonld be- inst A. s,,nd ron
soping tn nlacs $40 la, siJe tbc ,,oss,,,,s "a e.,
defend the doctrine of slavery and tb0se p.od tn
defend the doctrine of the resurrection md s,,
/ hecause tho f,rper bo. i.,f t,,,,.J a., ~ i,
ter must he also
| Either the Bible teaches s,petbin., o, ,l,i.
,n,Iorn woman, o,e. ti,, IA, IL 49,, 7i,., -
what isit2 n n does nat an ,cb,t rri,r;,i,, l.
| Il tbat its commands are 4, he rcg,ricj ~ ,i
dressed n, an =, eBetc s.;ot, % ,,ios ,L'. -,
an ,,bi,l tboso c,,,,,,,,Jg w. ~ s ,;d 'JN' XVI
o,,d3 And =. in', M. Nv. re,,o,i H., t,,ii. l',r
authoritative r,,lo ~ octi.,,, ,,biie ,,. -, ~ @
are honest differences M orinior i'm ro-,,l y, ~,
! te,ctir,, ,,,,t h sso,,,. e.. ~, I'LL g. ~ "a W
! l.or,,od orJ H. i,,,,,-,,,t ~ "' ~ ''i' W
arc able to l,iy il H. 4, r,.s,,, - H.. go, ~
Is in them to dismiss the matter ,,;,t .,,r
mo- thot tbere il d1pbt an tbe s,l;c., ''i'' s'9
! And now, all We Christian men and women
who in the Free0iqn and else,yhere lsy, n ,,,,,i
the cause OF woman suffrage, we believe YOU when
=
mote the true good Of woman. We are both la
boring for the same great end and we do not pre-
sumo 70 dictate 70 you the means which you shall
use but we cannot be true 10 our own cenyic-
! tons concerning the relation OF the means 70 the
END, ana stli be altogether silent You have
tod Us some truths and they have not been with
out their elect but there are still other truths
Old yet ever new, which might also have their
/ cnect u told along with yours. You Say that
woman wages are low, and IL is true vet while
you use every lawful means 10 make them higher.
| 80 long rs they are low, might it not do some
/ good 70 those Tor whom YOU labor, 10 tell them
tlNe "Vfk wen zone rs It's own reward, and no
amount OF wages will ever make up 10 the worker
ihe loss Tor WORK poorly done II You believe
that woman may lecture, then tell her so but
tell her that she may not stutliy herself or her
auuiehVe py bringing 70 them trash which man
Wouiu De scorned Tor bringing.
/ , Al you thlnk that woman was made for some
tl'Ils nsner tuAh h2useWork' We cannot ask you
| 20 repress your convictions but, since SO far az
| we can see the present generation of women must
| 40 no1seWork' would II not be well 10 tell them
ehat thefe Is spirit which can elevate even that
n.lI mere drulgery INTO the noblest service
sight IL NOT teha % soften the hardness Of their
'"' 10 near such WORDS as george Herbert left,
Who sweeps room a. for thy laws
""Nes tnA' ana the action hne.'
1t may lie that women were borp FREQ and ,,,,,
have made them slaves. INT tbcre i 1911
equally sublime and Wholesome trutb WIN Ia,
virtue Of that very freedom I'm who's pa,nc ,.,
speak. belongs 10 her as her birfbrigIt and ~
is that no power of man or devils l,7 e,
harm human soul without that s5ul's c,n sr'i
We believe, as well as YOU. that women were
made to be queens. but we think II mi,bt Il,
them good to hear Ruskin saw n tbcp =. 6,,eo,,s
you must always be; queens n yapr 49,.
queens to your husbands and sns @nesrs -
higher mystery to the world beyond Rnt al,s
you are too often idle and careless queens orasr.
ing at majesty in the least tbinos a'%H s,asl
dicate it in the greatest. Tell them tbot . there
is power behind the throne that 4 greater Than
the throne - that the essence Of power Is an in.
thorty, and that essence of mower hcl,n,,s ~
character, and is something which ma man can
give 10 them or ever take away from them ToiI
to her Of her responsibility not simply of her fI-
ture possible responsibility when tbe ballot NAV
be in her hands, but of her present actuni rcsnon.
sibilty without it. Do not accent comnlac,ir,,ig
the theory that women are purer than men an3
fhar, fs.y 80