The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-01-30
Jean Ingelow. Mrs. Sigourney, the Misses

Mrs. Livermore and Miss Dickinson; poll
ticians like Madame de Stael They are
in the pulpit, in the physicians office, and
the lawyers study. They are editors,
correspondents and reporters. 1t is no
new thing for women to engage in the
enterprises of trade and speculation, and
to prosper therein. Does not Solomon
hold up us an example the woman who
"Considereth field and buyeth it; with
the fruit Of her hands she planteth vine
yard; she maketh fine linen and selleth
it,? In short, they are in nearly all the
| fields of labor. As mechanics women seem
| to be failures. The constructive and in
ventive faculties with them are unaccoun-
| tably dormant. They plodded YEARLY at
| the needle from creation until few years
| ago, and left to man the invention of
the sewing machine even the Song OF the
| Shirt had to be sung by Tom Hood. And
| all the patent inventions Of feminine use,
from hair pins to cradles, crinoline and
| IHi7 hpiio civ vi ilfftSSuliic pIlSlu.
| But it is held, and undoubtedly Justly,
that the possession of the ballot will en-
| able women TO render their paths easier
| in their callings by removing and prevent
| ing injurious restrictions and customs;
| that with the power to make and unmake
| public officials, those representatives can
| No tfnvJ To, HiSrauorJ bo,
any other large class of their constituents.
| The alleged incompatbility between an
active life and the office of maternity,
would be doubtless 50 arranged as to be
no insurmountahle objection.
| Upon a careful review Of the whole
subject we incline to the belief that a
change of the laws both of statute and
custom, in respect to the rights of females,
would upon the whole be beneficial In
| some respects the change might result III
temporary harm, but the unavoidable
| benefits would far outweigh that, By
making women more independent and
self reliant, it would develope their minds,
| ohttl POll tilCit 'ttNC Ptloio. +tlit III ttl'Ii
better tor the great duties of life. Be
| coming less frivolous, the marriage re-
| lation would be less often irksome. and
divorce not 50 frequently sought as a re-
lief from discomfort and disgust.
It is subject which is almost inexhaus-
! tible as a field of speculation and argu-
ment, but a few points of which can be
touched in an article Of the limits of this
one. We are glad that the subject has re-
ceived the impetus which the recent legis-
latiye action gives it, No harm can re-
suit from a submission Of the question to
| the popular vote. Ifthe aggregate opinion
of the people OF Maine be against the
measure, it will simply be slenced by an
unmistakable vote. And if on the other
hand, the proposed amendment should be
adopted, those who oppose it now will be
| surprised to see how easily, naturally and
alvantageously public affairs will adjust
themselves to the new order of things
And now the eel comes into the General
Court ut Augusta and demands to be
heard. There have been acts for the
preservation of trout in Observation-Disclosures
muck lake and acts to prevent the illegal
catching Of picllerel in Slapack pond.
The 9leaginous porgy hath his untailing
friend The salmon. portly and tooth
some, demands fishways, averring that
all his race are doomed by the march OF
Improvement; and the Waterville Mail
has made the atmosphere blue with
damning the ins,rmountable dams. And
at last the eel wriggles before the Leois-
lators. Certain inhabitants Of the ancient
bailiwick Of Castine, holding that eels
have rights which white men are bound
to respect. petition tor an act to prevent
the capture in Bagadnce river OF that
elongated and slippery thing which occu-
pies ,itijatable ground between fish and
reptile But Mr. Webster rises in his
place to put in the remonstrance of dis
senters. There be those in Castne who
believe in cells and their uses, and that the
principal use OF eels is to- be skinned and
that it don't hurt them because they are
used to it Before the Committee on
| Fisheries is to be tried the issue whether
the eel shall live his harmless life under
the pulsing waters, and pursue his sinuous
way among the weedy wharf piles of that
| venerable town-or whether the eMticlng
| and treacherous eel-pot shall lie in his
daily path, and he shall be served up for
the morning meal, smothered in onions
and fried potatoes. Meanwhile the great
heart Of the country is oppressed with
| anxiety.
We were surprised and gratitied by the
| passage in the Senate last week of an act
abolishing the ranking privilege. Not
outstanding that the republican national
convention resolved that this should be
done. we have not heretofore believed
that the resolution had more than bun