Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-03-18

kulh- AuSf Hl~AS N"N'-.~N- -
aud unmako, as suits the humor al
the hour, l,el them suil It's require
mshts 10 their circumstances,
Now, with all these, her very
own, unduabied, unalitnabie rights
in full and undisturbod possession
Of moro than half tho world, and
that the better half one w0ald not
suppose that she could, by ANY pos
sibilily, ssl up claim TO the other
half
Bul this is an age Of progress, an
age 0f wonderful Developments and
curious phenomena, An age when
steam ears, steamships, lightning
lelegraphs, aud sky reaching bal
looms run 10 aud fro through the
earth, inereAring knowledge. An
age Of humhug. spirit rappings,and,
90, sealed, spiritual manifestations,
An ago Of unparalleled wars, aud
unlocked for disturbances in high
places. Aud 10 In the midst Of all
this, certain women strike ihr high
er rights, and come forth rs an ar
my with banners, and n great cry,
that shakes the foundations OF So
ciety. Aud the cry is "give us our
rights. We are down troddcn, do
graded, enslaved, by brute force
give us the right OF suffrage that
we may break our thraldom and be
free"
That woman has just cause of
complaint is most true. That she
has suffered that she docs still suf.
fer from the action of unequal, un-
just, unchristian laws is patent to
all the world. But these old bar.
barrie relies of feudal ages are pass
ing away in the light of The nine
teenth century, like mists before
the sun and when those that re-
main are brought to the attention
o: intelligent legislation they will
be blottcd from our State Constitu-
tions and statute books at once and
forever.
But, supposing woman stood, To-
gally, where she should stand. fair
" and squarcly on the same plan
as man, would these agitators be
satisfied then? Would they not
still cry "givc us our right" We
are taxed without representation
give us our inalienable right of
They most certainly
would.
Now, if this claim is founded in
ruth and justice, it should be al.
owed ut once, regardless OF conse-
luences.
Is the right of elective franchise
inherent right? l deay
hat it is.
First. Because its uses and re-
are Incompatible with
,he innate dclicacy Of her nature,
Second. Because association with
he bad men who prostitute the bal
ot box to unrighteous uses, would
end to corrupt and degrade wo-
men.
But it is asserted that woman
with votes in their hands would re-
orm the practices Of these political
,rickstcrs would purify and rcSen-
,rato this polluted ballot box.
Now l ask, would woman be able
o keep their own souls, their own
learts, their own hands unsoiled,
while they. were doing this dirty
work +?
How many ages would it take
hem to do it? With the odds of
mans vantage ground against
hem, would they ever be able to
10 it while this republic lives, while
his world stands ?
Alhs, for the forlorn hopc--alas
or womanly delicacy-ior the white
'obes of womanly purity.
Would this coveted right make
woman happier? Let us see. She
,ives the care, the protection, the
owe, the tenderness Of man-all
Ter most valuable, most precious
,ossessions-aii that goes to make
lp the happiness Of true woman's
leart, ofa true womans life, for
What? A bauble called power, that
he has no natural ability to WELD,
But supposing she had, supposing
he could crown herself with polit-
cal success, in the heartless strug-
lie of party strife-on the arid sum
nit of political greatness, would
he be happier than she is now, in
he warm bosom OF love and home 7
lie who ascends to rnountain tops will find
The highest peaks most clad in frost and
snow;
10 who surpasses or subdues mankind
Must lock down on the hate of those be-
low.
But as / do not desire to beg this
question, nor to obscure its merits
" cunning .sophistry, let us meet
t fairly from another standpoint.
Is the fight of Elective Franchise
s inherent right?
Order, we are told, is Gods first
aw. A violation of this law in the
olar system might result in the
destruction of unnumbered worlds.
violation of this law in our own
world might deprive US of the suns
ight for long, indefinite periods
night interrupt the beautiful sue
,ession of the seasons that bring us
eed time and harvest-might hurl
'ur little planet into the chaos from
hich it sprung.
Under the provisions of this law,
he seas are restrained within their
proper bounds, the winds confined
o their allotted missions, the
worlds held in their appointed or
,its. Under this Law, nature pro-
luces, year after year, age after
lge, the same results from the
anne causes, as we'll in the intellect
laI and moral worlds, rs in the
physical.
Now contend that the exercise
,f the powers conferred by the