West-Jersey pioneer., 1871-04-21
For the West Jersey Pioneer.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.


running through every allusion to women.
1t is not intentional perhaps, and is all the
more significant for this very reason 1t is
the natural and inevitable effect of the con-
dition and position of woman in her rela-
ton to civil affairs. 1t is law of human
nature to feel more or less contempt for all
persons and classes who do not enjoy equal
civil and legal rights and privileges with
ourselves. We can see this exemplifed in
every nation, and among every people under
the sun, from our own proudly independent
people, down to the lowest tribes of saw
ages. He who stands highest in anything,
more especially i'll civil rights, feels little
contempt for all below him. Now man |
everywhere, stands higher, legally and civ
lily than woman, and in exact proportion
to the difference, is his respect for her.
Where the difference is greatest, as in saw
age and barbarous countries, there she is |
held in the lowest esteem, and expressions
of contempt sum up mans opinion of her.
In countries where the legal and civil diff
erence is least, as here, and in Western Eu-
rope, she is held in highest esteem, but
through all the literature of even the most
enlightened people, runs vein of scorn and
contempt for her. She is vain, she is tickle,
she is perverse, she is unreasonable, she is
foolish and untrustworthy; al this and a
thousand other weak silly things she is, ac-
cording to the best poets and other writers.
A,,I foly In h,to
and cry, and helps hunt her down. 1t
makes my cheek burn to read the sneers and
innuendoes flung at her, in even our leading
papers. Scarcely one man in a thousand
can write or speak of women fairly, can
didly and without prejudice. They do not
mean to. be derogatory, but they are. l
| never yet read fair manly report of a
woman's speech. Her dress, her personal
history, her face, receive plenty of atten-
ton; but what she says is spoken of as we
speak of the prattle of child. So wo-
mans book is never criticised-all the crit
icism is reserved for herself. So of wo-
mans work. 1t is judged, not according to
its merits, but according to her personal
qualifications. No matter what a woman
does, she herself is trotted out for inspec
ton, and if she pass muster, her work is
pronounced SO, so if not it is condemned
without mercy, no matter what its excel
lence. --'s-
| And man assumes to be the sole Judge
and arbiter as to her work, her rights, her
natural powers and Abilities everything, in
short just as our whites once assumed to
condition, and natural capabilities of the
negro. But we hear very few sneers and
jibes about the negro, since he holds in his
hand the emblem of power. Men suddenly
feel great respect for him, now that he
stands on an exact legal and civil equality
with themselves. He is no longer a laborer
l-he is a voter. Men do not tell us oracu-
larly about the impossibilities of freedom
for him, nor of his untitness for it for he
has given the lie to every theoretical objec-
tion ever set up as scarecrow. And SO
woman will, when the right time comes.
And when they stand as equals beside men,
they will be truly respected, and not until
then
see that the PIONEER fears, or rather
asserts that "the grace and sweetness of
domestic life" will be destroyed by "pub-
lie strifes and contests" If this be so,
advise men to put an end to "public strifes
and contests" for women, sooner or later,
will vote, though we don't see why that
should necessitate "public strifes and con-
tests" / know men who vote without i'm
pairing "the grace and sweetness of domes-
tic life," and believe they make quite as
much of this "grace and sweetness" as
women do. AS for the collisions of the
ballot" have never seen any very serious
"collisions." I don't really believe voting
is the frightful thing men say it is, or they
would stop the collisions of the ballot, %
by staying away from that mysteriously
: awful place-the polls. Let me speak the
awesome word with due reverence.
If Woman Suffrage really is so demoral-
izing as the PIONEER asserts, l can't un-
derstand why it did not blow it's trumpet of
alarm when the Methodist women voted on
what may be called Methodist political
question. Will it impair "the grace and
sweetness of domestic life - any more IA
tally, for these ladies to go to the regular
polls with their husbands and sons, than it
did for them to go to their voting places
with them then? So far as Methodists are
concerned, the question at issue then, was
as momentous, and as likely to create "col-
lisions of the ballot as any that are deci-
dsd at the polls yet we hear of no special
ly disastrous calamity in Methodist domes-
tic life. / fancy the women who voted then
are just as good, and modest, and womanly
now, as before and they will be, after they
have voted for President, as some of them
will, one of these days. The PIONEER talks
about women "asking their husbands at
home" Why did it tell those Methodist
ladies to do so? Or does the PIONEER mean
that women must ask their husbands what
to vote for? That might do, especially
when the husband wanted an Office.
The PIONEER winds up with an unmanly
sneer at women lecturers. Now all such
are neither wise nor able but | submit that
it is no proof of wisdom or ability to sneer
at them, and when these same lecturers
hold the balance of power, they may be
judged according to ability, and not sex,
lust as men now are. Eco.
BURNED AT SEA.-The barque Minna-
hanonck, Captain Allen, was burned off
Cape Canaveral, on the coast of Florida, on
Wednesday, the 5th inst. She was bound
to Galveston, Texas, loaded with coal oil.
The fire originated about S P. M. in the
galley, and the flames soon spread through
out the vessel. The crew, consisting Of
fourteen, took to the small boats after doing
all in their power to save the vessel. Two
of the men after being burned badly jumped
overheard and were drowned. After re-
naming forty-three hours in the small
! hoatc thovr uvorn reScued bv tho Schooner