The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-12-14
THE PALLADIUM,
SATURDAY DECEMBER u, ".
Eov ~ Pallsj;yn.
OMEN SUFFRAGE.

For ~ Pallsjisa.
WOMEN SUFFRAGE.
IT.. Fallocies cad Facts.
Nh EDi1oR. A. the leog pelhissl baltic he
beDa fought aud won in behalf Of RspuLl sas
principles. Of PROCESS and reform. II may rot
b Improper, after the smoke Of the battle has
cleared, 70 discuss and advocate some Of tlss
social and political reforms now about
dawning upon the political era Of our Gov
eminent.
Perhaps no reform 10 more rife for political
action than ths one spsci6sd III the sb,v.
caption. What Il somewhat frequently 70
psatsd b. men ~ . elinchinG asaumsn,
against women suffrage, 10 ~hat tLey ar
pleased 70 term We physical inability Of NO.
men to perform The higher kind Of labor, ~
quarrying stoss. bod carrying, and The like
They overlook the fact, that the greater share
Of that sort Of work falls 70 The foreign sls-
msns Of our populatiOn. Also, that large
pruportios Of ADerican men ere - physical
" Incapable Of ssduring that species Of labor
q their trailer sistsrs. Such may BE- To-
minded, that daring our late rebellion many
women perfornsd The hardest kind Of labor.
partieularly In the tanning districts, where
thws Was ths greatest scarcity OF male help.
II was no unusual thing in those dsys 70 80
wonss driving reapsrs, rakiug, binding loading
grain, husking corn. and even blowing. The
prsss tesms with accounts Of dangers and
hsrdships met and surmounted BY women;
and not ssldom 10 she credited with perform
ing isats Of real strength. An account has
ossn going the rounds Of the press latsly, of
. woman taking contract for railroad graz
ding, and she 10 credited with sueeessfully
completing the contract. and paying ne
hands employed, which 10 more than can b
said Of al men contractors. Conservative
have been reluctantly compelled 70 admit that
with half chance allowed them, women have
attained NO mean reputation in literature, Sci
snce and art tha: they have made successful
physicians, surgeons and lawyers, and their
ssx includes many sxcsllsns speakers, minis:
tsrs and journalists. Another argument used
u that woman 10 totally incapaeitated for
warfare cannot help 10 defend her country !:
consequently she should have no voice in Ne
laws which govern Il. Doubtless This d con.
sidsrsd Logical statement. Do men really
consider women 90 ignorant - not to know
that many male votss are ph ysieslly incapable
d bearing arms, that thousands are exsnps
By age, yet their right Of franchise does rot
rest on that condition. These bsisg facts, u
q not strange il women DO occasionally call -
mind suggestive old adsgs about "saues for
ths GOOSE" -. Those familiar with history
need not Be informed that women have oftsn
taken an active part in warfass-who have
bads shsir liess lords farewell, and gone
bsavely forth 10 battle with neighboring
tribes, defending themselves With javelin and
lance. Boadicea. With her outraged daugh-
tsrs beside her. rode in The chariot At re
head Of her soldiers, iaeiting then BY pas
sioeats harranguss 70 assses their wroDks:
Maria Theresa VS. eomnAsdes-is-chisf Of
her forces, and she rode on horssbask through
her povinces, invoking he cid Of her mobiles,
10 The defense Of Silssia.
A recent writer insists that II women ars
allowed to vote, or to do snyshins especially
masculine, the matsrsai slsnsns will die out.
II might be intersstisx TO kaow that Maria
, Theresa Was the careful and conscientious
mother Of twelve children. Other female
names shine ont conspicuous on The pages Of
history. Joan Of Arc, the Msid Of Sarsgos-
o., Moll Pitcher, OF lstss isms. and the score
Of brave women On our frontiers, who have
lsesodsd homes and chiadese with bullets, en-
dared privstion end hunger, In hasy fights
ftom rsthlsss savAgss, and whose record
should - rsfstation Of The abatement that
women are Incapable VI enduring the psrils
and harlships Of war. True, Ill women have
not strength o. ability SUFFICIENT: neither havs
IN men. Hence die argument IL Of NO weight
whatsysr, when candidly considered.
Il has never bssn considered Tie proper
thing for women ~ rsssivs military aduea.
tion: bat many . wenan has displayed tal-
sut for gsnsralship n The management % do
mestics and social natlsrs, that, With the
proper education, would have won brilliant
record on the odd. And mssy . mothss
shows calculation and tAst sulAeisnt 70 plan
sisgs or 70 eondsst benbardnsnt In OBJ
tanning money from Der lord for housshsld
sxpsnsss, or in the effort 10 make one Aollal
60 ~ Ear - avs shosA In ths support and e.
asssisa Of . family.
A ths world msvss On Il 10 70 b hopsd
shat wars win be Of rars occurrence. With
The sxampis Of the 0sssva arbitration bsfors
a.. and Julia Ward Howe, basy IN the saor
10 organise Peace Cosgrsss, IL win not b,
unsafe 10 predict that The time 10 coming
when reason and logic will tsks The place o
artillsry and tactics, and there shalt be u
end Of blood letting ~ . means Of settling
politiesl didersness among enlightened M.
lions. when that tine arrives, the womss
America win not b called upon 70 bear arm,
IN called upoa hey can doabtlsss assume {
share Of . peassAbls arbitration.
CosssrainG the question Of oecupahsa
who 10 70 decide what kind Of work d stsistlJ
fsminiss o. maseulins in it, character, "ough1
~ net 70 b matter Of ability Or fitness, 70.
easdlsss OF ssx. Ia definite line must b
drawn, lot u exist alike for men or women
II conservative circles. the complaint ID
heard that women Are intruding into mascu-
line prosisess and ssising upon all the easy
positions. Yet the lev dspartmsats OF labor
eossidssed essentially feminine cookisg
sewing aud tsaehing-ars constantly being
6llsd By men. Men cook in nearly ell III
hotsle and restaurants, they teach ehools and
he u hs~>