The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-01-30
Woma ms Rjohts.


ture during this session. 1t will be re-
membered that in the Legislature of last
year proposition to submit to the people
an amendment of the constitution in that
respect was passed in the Senate, and fail
ed in the House by a negative majority of
only seven. Last week Mr.. Clifford, of
Vassalboro, renewed the proposition. The
proposed amendment strikes out the word
''male" so that the section will read every
citizen can vote, &c. The resolves pro-
vide for submitting the proposition to q
popular vote at the September election,
and have gone to the Judiciary commit
tee.
The legislative action Of last year and
this is significant of the growing import
ance of the cause of woman suffrage. 1t
has at least reached such stage that its
candid and careful consideration is de-
manded; while the strong feeling and
untiring persistence with which its advo-
Gates have advanced their claims in the
face of hostility and ridicule, evidence
deep conviction, and earn for them popu-
lar respect. The time for rdicule has
gone by. and that for an acknowledgements
that the question at least has two sides,
has come.
The advocates of q practice acknowl-
edgement of the rights of women. point to
two classes or kinds OF claims which JUS
tlce to the sex requires should have ac-
acknowledgements These are political rights
and industrial or social rights. The first
includes thu right to vote and hold office
the second the privilege OF education IN
every respect the admission to all EN-
pigments, occupations and professions.
That women have had much to complain
Of in the past, no we'll informed and re-
fleeing person will deny Until recently
the common law of this country stripped
a woman OF her property and gave it to
her husband; it also forbade her to enter
into contracts. 1t still in most States in
tiicts III intolerahle wrong upon mothers
in deprlvlng them of the custody and
comfort Of their children after a certain
age Although considerable Improvement
has taken place, yet still in almost all the
bearings Of the martial relation, the legal
advantages are with the husband Cases
of great hardship in this respect are with
in the knowledge Of almost every person.
1t is to be expected that the cause of the
entranchsement of women, and the ex-
tension of their privileges generally will
make more rapid progress and find earlier
acknowledgement in the United States
than elsewhere. Our government is demo
cratic in its principles, and is a continual
war against the claims of privilege and
despotism. 1t holds that every individual
has equal rights, and that the franchise
secures these rights When this declara-
ton is broad enough to free the negro
slaves and put votes in their hands, what
Just argument can be brought against the
comforting OF u similar privilege on wo-
men?
The matter of property enters largely
into this question. Women, who are per
mitted to hold and manage property, are
debarred from a voice in the laws which
regulate the management of that property.
and the levying of taxes upon it. As the
law now exists, the classes that are al
lowed to hold property, and are denied
the ballot. are minors, idiots. lunatics,
criminals, and women Women as a class
are much more economical than men
Their habits Of life, and often necessity.
teach them to study the art OF saving, and
OF making little go long way. Is it
not possible that this faculty, brought to
bear upon the public expenses, with the
hope OF reducing taxation, might have
beneficial effect
The argument that women arc ignorant
OF politics, and will therefore vote blindly.
cannot be applied except to the immediate
present. Political knowledge is the ac-
compartment Of political rights; and we
shall be 10th TO believe that the AVERAGE
woman voter will fall below in intelli-
gence s01ee voters of the present day. The
women of America could vote upon anv
political question to-day with more intelli-
gence than the eniranchised negroes of
the South will be able to for wears 10
come, if ever
Those who are fond of going TO the
foundation OF things, array against the
Claims OF the unrecognized rights of wo-
men, such an argument as this: That
there exists Il tacit understanding which
gives to the gentler sex the protection and
support OF the stronger, upon the cond-
ton that woman surrender her political
independence. But that is state of things
which belongs to the feudal ages, and is a
portion of the law which has come to us
by precedent, like most OF the common
law. In older days might made right
as indeed it must in the last resort now
but it is no longer individual, but aggre-
gate might; and no longer physical so
much as intellectual strength.
The latter portion of the demand of the
advocates of women's rights-those which
pertain to the industries of life-stand not
so much in need of advocates as those
which pertain to politics. Women have
filled and will continue to fill to Il larger
extent the active occupations of life; and
this by those slow and almost impercepti-
bic degrees which mark most of the great
changes in customs. 1t is scarcely right
to say that any calling is closed to her.
that she is barred from any career save
those which involve official position Wo-
men have been poets like Mrs, Hemans,