Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-05-19
Wrongs Of Womans Rights


Wrongs Of Womans Rights"
$50. D.
Having copied III O. previous article the
views of Prof John n. P5merov. IL. D.,
the able Professor Of Law in Columbia Col
. Ierc. on the legal status of women, We prs-
coed to give his answer 90 thedemand nov
. Loudly made Tor the enjoyment by women q.
..all political rights. CAPACITIES and privileges
in common with men. and tor an cmaneiIa-
uou from certain social restraints; and in
particular from those connected with mar
. rage and with ta- family
7Hr FlIsE NOTION Tu4r SUFFRAGE is a UNI
vERs1L MANHOOD RIGHT
For those VINO maintain that suffrage u q
+ universal manhood right, there can be no l0glca.
denial Of the same right TO women u mas been
f the fashion with large school ot paiIuciaus 10
America 20 sEserr thar the electoral cspaclr7 ID
F heres 10 each inii7idusl by virtue ~ his beng
man tha- il is TO be ralEei IN the same ciafs
with the rich1s Of lie liberty sud the pursuit o-
na1riuess and t1ar government winch refuses
irs enjoyment 90 any portion Of lie citizens is s.
far forth s. tyranny These vieFc have been
earnestly uronaratsl. and are too generally ae-
. eeurei a7 true tv ire unttInEl- l- does u1-
need mucL logic o. see that This doctrine mus
. lead t7 woman suffrage Is is tnls laAcn-L E
which has given the cause C- woman b rl-iis o.
f It's strength suoa- large masses IS people vic.
. having czreless.v admitted the premises winch j
have stated. ini e impossible 90 escape nom
res-lt fralust which al their llellc-a protest
Bu- the doctrine itself is false Is without me
support Of any political or soci2. fact The So
solutc sovereignty I'D al independent stale or
nation. with consequent power 90 ietlrl--l. i.7
government an institutions 1i inst rail2l- does
not ue.oug % the separate individuals VINO con-
pose the toiv polite u iz DOT divided up All
portion ALLOTTED Ia osch person. nor docs eac-
person possess the whole.
sl--EEIGy-T Ec- Is I-- IS--7-l --l- l-- il
-uE NATION
Sovereignty 10 O. state au- The power @. de-
Iermiue IRIS Institutions belong O. t1e s7c-s-7 Do
It's organic capacity. O. society as q union. as
great corporate whole. possessing uat.1ut pef-
s1uat-r Hi-1 G. distinct moral character and az
e5uutsaiu-r This single organic society," benz
me depository Of al political power, mas not only
The right. bur is Eutiect1l t0 the uu-T, 90 es-
ta1is1 ana pre- 7rve such forms u government,
institutions. political capacities sri privileges as
shall nest suuse-Te TIE genera. welfare l- con
ters and may withdraw a- political llgh.s en-
Dyed il- tHe time beng BY the ---i7.lua. ll
one country u msr be- hg-- -ua- monarchy De-
esmoishe1 10 another 81 representative reuuH-
lie: IL one the electoral franchise msT be grant
Cd 90 O. few il al0-he-. 81. large classes of per
sons Wna-e7a- be- The f.e-. in each l1E--n-a
the people, Sc al IuIlVilu-. ulIr- and ~ 81 acf
1f Its absolute sovereignty. has ser mp the g.
erumel-. be- e Iu king ~ congress. and mas be-
stdSei the franchise ur.u The few lr up7l i-e
many. 10 De- eze-c.ssl as O. trust created sid
conferred Tor the good of ST. This p-ucrl7
lies ~ the very bottom Of orr OWE llstltl .l1us-
ami Is recognized as correct 57 Che p-oioundes-
writers upon puull law. r. huis az expression
10 the Decsra-I0u Of Independence. 10 The s-sre-
meut that governments derive al their just
covers from the consent % the Eo7erne-. u Fe
once abandon 81, ami substitute iu irs stead TIE
doctrine that the indivi4ua. consent Of each per
son b. she foundation % government, anarchy
rusr be thl inevitable lc-ica. result
There Is, therefore, D.. notion r- right con
nectei with the exercise Ci the electl--. iran
ch.sa. -hs absolute right reside 10 the one iH-
di7isibIe ue-rll the power l- voting as vel. OF
of holding office De- a privilege created zut con-
tsrred upon some for the public good.
Whether the privilege u the suffrage
should be granted to women. becomes, then,
says Prof Pameroy.a question of ezpedienrv,
viz. 8. whether it is best for the general lie
tarcsts OF mankind % break up and destroy O.
social organization based upon the family as
it, unit" But iusl this field of discussion
he does not propose u enter. lie has some
thing 20 say. however. on
THE DEMAND F1E TRANSCRIPTION FROM -uE RS
sTRA1Sr OF MARRIAGE AsD TIE r4,ilIT-
Whist are the restraints connected with rsr-
risee and the family. from which the apostles Of
the new civilization would have women brsab
away They are either le-a. or soc.z- zen
We examine the llF Of the and. it is surpris In-
10 ind hos few are tie legal bonds which hsve
been thrown about the vile TO impede her q oso-
lutte freedom married WOmsu. 10 matter
now large an esJste sae may possess, need not
contribute any thing 10 the support Of her nus
band OF her children. Size may shut the door
Of her own house upon him ami upon them, and .
no power IN the State can force II open. Lsen +
if the husband dies. 10 legal duty rests upon
her 90 maintain the children thus left without s. .
fathe- support she Is not obliged 20 live with
her husband she may. without excuse. and .
obeyiug the dictates Of her Owl viii, abandon .
hlrn ~ pleasure and be viii be left t0 persuasion /
az ms only remedy the courts viii give nm no .
aid. IN fact. all the obligations growing on. O. .
the marriage and family relations, which rest
upon the wife, ere, with one exception v0lun-
tary and social. and n0t legal The single ez-
oepuou. the single OBSTACLE which the law puts
in the way 0i absolute liberty, is the prohibition
upon marriage while q former union is still ex-
.stng. " sag tins is the ou,y restriction, Be-
cause the woman msy az any time leave her
husband and family, and be subjected 90 no legal
penalty and may thus obtain al. the benefits Of
3 divorce at pleasure, and Of q marriage ne bro
Ken az vii. except the power Of marrying again.
he matter IL thus brought TO its lowest terms.
The law is said 20 be oppressive. There can be
DO change 10 the isw possible, but one which
hsl give greater liberty TO subsequent maria
res when the former have become irksome This
sould involve either the abolition Of statutes
-ginst uiEamy. or the reduction Of the marriage .
elatiou 10 compact 10 be dissolved atthe Will Of
he Two parties, or rather 81 the will Of one .
larty, and that one the woman Here We have
he demand II all its naked uglIness. Cover 10
Up as mu1h e. possible with hue words and
ague genera phrases, an II still means 10th
ng less than this
Such are the objects and designs Of the wo-
nan rights movement ar fully developed IL
america, and s. suggested at present, rather
nSu openly HvoWei il England The great
7rour which underlies IL. and which includes Z
il minor and incidental wrongs. is the tendency
1sepsIabiy bound with IT and forming an essen
a part Of Il. TO destroy all respect for and obe
hence to, lsw sud authority IL Is not merely
scheme OF reform 1t does not aim at Topping
& excrescelces anu fungus groWths uoon the
oclal org anEm; II is ntrlnsicaiiy and thoroughly
estruc-ive Il denies principles which have 7
zen accepted as true since the dawn q civil
aton, aud which running back 10 a time prior
o the modern civilization, are based upon the
ecesssry fasts Of history 1t is in is nature !
70 the very idea Of lss, would pro
eed without law, snd would subvert and over
hrow the laws Of God, Of the stse, and Of socie-
=. Prior 10 our experience. we might have |
imposed that sivocscy Of s proposition to con-
er the electoral capacity upon Eonsn need not
C coupled with a demand that everything sacred,
Terything which secures society 10 its moorings &
mould be destroyed. Blu; the fact Is far
itierent Nomsn's suffrage Drugs after il a
lSss Of schemes by which the Bible, religion, c
marriage, the family. are 10 be bsnishei and r
be STATE and society are 10 be reconstructed.
Jay, even the wonderful functions and mos. So
smn duties Of maternity have been discussed l
Don the platform by unnatural wives and IN I
sxed misses, and condemned as restraints which
hall not trsmmel the freedom Of the age to {
ONE.
Certain It is that the doctrines low taught
nder the name Of womsn's rights, would SAP !
be foundations Of society, destroy its final unit,
ne family, and overthrow all law and order. l