Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-29

You "a. home IS the sphere OF wo-
lnan; grsrsed-if woman chooses
home as her sphere, then she is in
duty bound to attend carefully 10 the
performance OF its duties either in
person or by proxy, and it is my
opinion that ninety women in one
hundred will choose the home life
and uaatroniy duties if permitted Ia
choose for themselves but rs the
merchant chooses his sphere OF act
ion. or the farmer, carpenter, black
smith, lawyer, doctor, minister OF
politician, and yet has a home, q
wife end children, home duties and
home cares, and still finds time to
vote, 20 will the ninety women, az
they now find time TO visit, gossip,
nurse the sick. do up all the chart
ties. attend church and church meet
ings, manage picnics, go out wash.
ing. work by the day in shops, die
ia the earth, drive horses upon
reapers, bind grain in fields, beg III
the streets. attend circuses and mon
key shows, take excursions, 90 to
Europe, spend winters in Washing
ton. or any other employment OF
pleasure that takes them from home.
The ten out Of the hundred, then as
now, having tastes and capacities
that impel them to seek other
things, will choose their own spheres
Of operations. The Mrs. Stoddards
will be missionaries, the Harriet
Hosmers will chiseI statues, the Rosa
I3onheurs paint pictures, the Mrs.
Sinileys preach the gospel, the Anna
Dickin-ous lecture. Miss Mitcheil-
be astronomers, Miss Edwards write
books, Charlotte Cushmans be act
resses, and the Polly Dolly Adeliues
ride circus horses and dance the bal
let, while the millions left, that have
neither homes, husbands nor children
and must learn their bread by the
sweat OF the face" will make their
shirts for six cents apiece and live in
garrets. But they Will all find time
To vote and make their own spheres
each iii her own way broader and
more independent.
One out of a thousand will be need
ed as an active, earnest politician ;
one i'm five hundred as Il doctor one
in two thousand as q lawyer. All
trades and calliugs will be open To-
all women, and all tools free to the
hands that can use them best, with
out regard to sex, race, color, or for
Iuer condition. .Ail colleges, schools,
and neminaries of learning, endowed
by the people for the use of the peo-
pie, and supported by the taxation Of
the 11eOpte-inen aud WOmen-Will
by the votes OF the same 3)eOf)te-Inen
aud women-slOwly but surely open
their doors to all the children of the
people, without regard to sex.
When woman votes, every woman
will be held Responsibilities is every
man now-for the well-being OF So
ciety, and we have faith to believe
that few women will be found to
vote in favor of drunkenness, crime
or leWdness.
Men don't do that"
No-not directly, but they vote
for the causes which produce the eff
fects, license liquor selling, license
houses of prostitution, and through
them come crime, shame, iniamy,
disease ard DEATH"
DO you suppose that the vote in
the hands Of women Will correct at
once all these evils?"
No. 1t has taken centuries to es-
tabiish our present methods, and it
will take years to work permanent
years to teach men and wo-
men that the moral code for man
shall and must be the moral code for
no sex in the sight of God; that
drum kenness is drunkenness, wheth-
er it lays in the gutter in pantaloonS
or founced skirts; that the sins of
the fathers shall be visited upon the
and men no longer per-
mitted to say as now, 1.-THE woman
gave it me and did eat" The plea
did not serve Adam in the begin
ming and will never serve any man
unto the end.
Voting will open to women new
duties and responsibilities. New
duties will arouse energies for action.
Homes will become purer and
through increased intelligence and
power and united strength of men
and women, the world move onward
and upward. L. ID. GAGE.