The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-01
MANIToWOC. Nav Both. 1871

weather and on an unknown sea, he
naturally avails himself of the first pause
in the storm, the first glance of the sun,
to take his latitude and ascertain how far
the elements have driven him from his
true course. Let US initiate this pru-
dence. and before we float farther on the
waves of this debate, refer to the point
| from whence we have departed that we,
we now are. p"
My opponent dropped his cable and
| sailed off, in his first article, with gale
of epithets and denunciations. Since
then he has learned to keep silence con
corning the character of female suffra
gists. 1t has been shown that some of
the ablest met of the present time, as
we'll as the ablest women, are enlisted
in the cause. In his second article his
noble "top-gallant' careened to the Law
of Average. With this he labored might
he must take in sail or break But his
tear-drops mingled with the mist among
the shrouds because [ told him that the
dirty shreds of his rotten sail cloth were
stale. Notwithstanding his emotions,
because the Law of Average could no
| longer aid him in floating his crazy scow,
he mournfully furled it up, complaining
that nothing ought to be called stale that
| DO L.
tempted unjustly to load me with the
burden Of proof He has relinquished
this design also He has charged me
with an impracticable application of abb
stract right. This was dropped also
when it was shown that abstract right
has nothing to do with suffrage for eth
CT man or woman. He has appealed to
the Bible, and then forsaken its precepts.
He claims that Nature has clearly point
ed out what is proper for woman, and
yet urges that the Legislature, represent
ing only one side of Nature as expressed
in humanity, must supplement the great
original work. Since his first article it
has been his constant practice to devote
the 6rst-fruits of his labor, to my style
as writer and my personal character.
OF course this can have nothing to do
with the question at issue, and whatever
[ have heretofore done by way of retort,
l shall now discontinue. [ do not regret
the satisfaction it may give him to have
the last shot; for in pro6tless war of
words [ can conceive Of no excuse for
any, save juveniles and garrulous grand
mothers, delighting in the last word.
Thus have [ given briefly the results
of the discussion so far and some notion
Of its present status and its future con-
duct. Let us now see what his last ar
ticle develops.
In this. discussion [ have neUer admit
ted, but do now admit, that some po-
litical duties are above the average abili-
ty of women. But [ say the same of
men. | go farther and affirm that the
acreage of political duties is above the
acreage ability of men. This may as
found some, but 1 think even my oppo-
nent will concede the point. The truth
is these duties are performed by those above
qverage capacity, while the masses are
fully competent to select them by their
votes. A loyal and honest man can
safely choose his representative when it
would not be safe for him to attempt
matters of state himself. Our UNIVERSE
ties, colleges and normal schools have no
difficulty in securing teachers far above
the average mass of those who vote them
into their positions. Mankind, even in
ignorance, instinctively recognize great
abilities and are ever ready to employ
them in their own service. But in this
country we have not much to fear from
ignorance. Certainly no more from one
sex than the other. And though wo-
man may, like my opponent and myself
be deficient in some of those qualities
requisite to good lawmakers. yet. also
like US, she. knows what those qualities
are and can as readily recognize them in
others. Why, then, has she not our
rights?
L would have our readers clearly un
derstand what this question of authori-
tatlye precedent is expected to estab-
fish. The history [ have cited proves
fact, not in American nature, nor Eng
fish nature. nor in African nature, mere
ly, but in human nature. That fact was
that female suffrage by actual trial was
found not to be In nature opposed to
peace, law, order and intelligent govern
ment. My opponent scenes to think
my argument was-other nations have
allowed women to vote and therefore the
| United States ought to do likewise. After
making my argument clear and conclu-
sive am not bound to furnish the gen.
| tleman with brains to understand it.
| With. his strange misapprehension of the
4 force of my argument, 1t Is not strange
that he supposes [ would favor the adop-
ton of the most absurd practices. His
nonsense respecting the Feejee Islanders
was just as silly, and no more so, than
was his estimate Of the value Of history.
| He believed that if women were enfran-
chised ''she would madly rush from her
heaven ordained orbit" and that society
would be broken up and destroyed. In
support of this hideous vision he offered
nothing but q priori reasoning. Phil
osophers allow a very slight fact to weigh
against long entertained hypothesis But
| is it slight fact that England the most
cautious and wary nation In the world,