Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-02-01
About Woman Suffrage.

AS COuCeINS tho WOman SuHfa9fI
movement, we can tell in brief words
and plain ones. where We stand. Ws
are now, as we always have bcen..
since we voted to epfranchise the ne.-
groes,-(which was long before the
editor of the Press had said he tho't
women ought to vote, or the editor
Of the Herald thought it bis dnty to
make himself tlmid champion Of q
cause he has not yet with any manly
vieor espoused)-we have alwsys
been Of the opinion that to woman,
on many grounds, belongs the right
to vote, and that we were willii & for
her to try to vote. At an ell cti,n
upon the question, we would cast
our ballot in favor OF her enfran-
chisement. We have faith enough
in her to let her show for herself
whether or not she wants to vote,
and whether the world would be bet
ter or the worse for her voting, We
know there are some argusnents
against her assumption Of full citi.
xenship; we think, too, there are also
many, it may be more, arguments in
favor Of it. We know very well that
yoa can't make women men, but We
do not know positively that it ID
necessary to make them men in or
der to make them voters. We ars
aware that so long as Governments
are IS they now are, and 80 long q
the sword is the last appeal in the
argument Of nations, that voting
power is partially, if not primarily;
and wholly, based on Sighting power;
and we are also aware. that women.
while they could and perhaps would
use the ballot, in bringing war on.
could not AMI would not use the
sword after war had come. There
are other reasonable, sensible objees
tlons, but this appears TO us to be
the most insuperable one. 1t wom-
an can, in any way, assume all the, re-
spons,bilities as well as all the priv
,leees; if war can be done away with
and, voters who bring on war need
not necessarily be soldiers to fight
the war out, then our principal objcc-
ton would be done away with, and
we might be ready to make the unbe.'
lieving masses OF the women OF the
country think they ought to want
to vote, which five ont OF SIX OF them.
certainly do not think now. But 60
long AS such large majority Of the
women are either opposed to the
proposition, .or omlnously careiess-
We cannot feel that we are called up.
on to worry ourselves in the work
of making them believe that they
don't know wha. they want.
We could fscc, too, other rather
serious objections, but we would try
TO Get over them. For instance 9
women should come to vote. they
would naturally want TO, and logic
ally ought TO, hold office. Now "
are not woman. and consequent.
cannot speak tor her; but 70 on
mind. and from our observation, YER
few women, married and ralsiH
, families, could contract to meet, o
bc able to meet, to the sattsfactio
at oEce Of themselves, their faml.le'
and the public, the duties OF otl:
and the duties Of maternity.
Ifthere is way to get ovef tn.
and still not interfere with the cor
slant and necessary repicnishment
population, our other most serious oil
lection would be gone. As it is. VI
,uust believe, that hereafter as in tht
past, the best women in society
therefore tho best Of those wht
would bo in politics and in office
would be those who comc to o.
married women, anil beng married
women and mothers, those who art
inevitably hoond to pass large pre-
portion OF their lives III condition.
, and occupations which they coul'
not MAINTAIN in connection with put
lie service and from Which they cal
not be spared. We have read ,nuc
OF al. that has been ssid on all side
!, of this discussion; We have ncve
!, seen this phase OF tho subject touch
ed upon but lightly and then in
: manner totally unsa,isiac' ory Il Ste
Rsgis!sr.
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