The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-11-16

clerks to attend 10, such matters
while they in many cases resort to
some favorite place of amusement
often the card table or whiskey den,
to squander public money confided
their TO keeping. fyou cannot have
this much charity towards them we
hope you will at least allow them the
privileges you enjoy yourself, il they
become voters, to reject The offers oil
official dignity aud remain free and
independent creatures ruled over on
~ by persons of their choice.
We do not believe 10 system ol
taxation without representation.
We think she has q right to say who
it ID that she would frust to handle
her money, and for what purposes
she is willing to donate that money ;
farther than this we believe that II
she is subject to (Which none dare
dispute) the pains and penalty Of the
law, she should have some voice in
the making of laws II the enforce
ment Of those laws affects her veal
or woe, she should have something
to say who should be the proper
ones TO execute them. In fine, if
she possesses q soul, intelligence and
refinement that 60 to make her a
creature of our own flesh and blood,
calculated to smart under wrong and
oppression, we believe Gin this en-
lightened age) man ought surely to
blush whom he compels her to cub.
nit to forfeiture Of those rights
which he himself would march to the
cannsns mouth, . sacrifice to the
Moloch OF war, rather than surren.
der.
One says, who is it that wants this
question raised2 The women Of the
land are contented and happy as they
remain, then why agi.ato this ques.
tion ? If we admit they are, would
that Justify us in Withholding that
which properly belongs to themS-
If a man should by any means come
in possession of another's lawful in.
heritance, although the proper owner
had never known that such property
justly belonged to him, and perhaps
would never know it, would that JUS
tify the possessor in appropriating
such property to his own use after he
discovered the rightful owner? The
plea would indeed by tyrants plea,
if we dare screen ourselves behind it,
and even if we should admit such
traditions of man for all times past.
II there is but one woman in the
limits of the fair State of Iowa, that
claims the right which is properly
her own, is it right in us who know
nothing of the weight Of the wrongs
Of which she complains to SO far
trample upon justice and all the finer
feelings Of humanity as to crush her
down to silence again /; not only this,
but point at her in derision and
scorn, make her the subject Of sar-
casm, burlesque and ridicule; also
level our malice at the few who
would dare plead her case, load them
with all the abusive epithets and
insinuating diatribes that mind can
invent is this right2 How does it
harmonic with justice? Voters re-
feet.
You that do not believe that intel.
ligent women, in somo instances, do
not desire the right OF suffrage, take
up the COURIER of Nov. I'd and read
for your own information acommu-
nication signed A Woman. Pay no
attention to the ridicule your neigh
Dor may offer, but reflect for your
self. With love of liberty unsur.
passed by many patriots of the past
ages, she dares to face the jeers and
abuse of her enemies in the assertion
ofa right she feels belongs TO her
sex, in common with our own favor.
ed selves. Has she no feelings that
have been panied by oppression
Ask yourselves in truth and candor
what caused her to pen such noble
expressions of virtuous indignation,
at those whose progressive spirit
have already reached Its highest
limits. She must believe that nature
has endowed her with the same
inalienable rights, which man holds
SO dear to himself.
If she is allowed to vote, ita0kbnot
compel other women to vote, that
conscientiousIy believe they should
not, neither does it increase their bur-
dens therefore il imposes no hard
ships upon anyone, and all the minor
objections such as poll taxes, &c, are
matters that can easily be settled
without interfering with domestic
relations or happiness.
ARIsTIDEs.