Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-04-30

WoMgN's PRAYER AND SUYrRAeE-
Mark Twain. writing to the London .Nan-
dad Of the prayer crusade. says. ..Would
you consider the conduct Of these crusa-
ders justifablc do-,horoushly jus.
tifable. They end themselves voiceless
in the making of the laws aud the election
Of the officers to execute them. Born
with brains, bnrn in the country. educa-
ted. having large interests at stake. they
6ud their tongues tied and their hands
fct,cred. while every ignorant. whiskey.
drinking. foreign born savage in the land
may hold Office. help to make the laws. de-
grade the dignity of the former. and break
the latter at his own sweet will They see
their fathers. husbands aud brothers sit
namely a, home and allow the scum Of the
country to assemble at the primaries. >
name the candidates for Office from their
own vile ranks, and. unrebukcd, elect
them. They live iu the midst Of coun-
try where there 10 no end of the laws and
no beginning to the execution Of them
-Asa whsa chr aSs 'sss gSt
their sons from dcssracn5n rssemnp per-
auce lie torpid and without sign of life.
year after year. they recognize that here
is a matter that interests them personally.
a matter which comes straight home to
them. And since they are allowed to lift
no legal voice against the outrageous state
Of things they suffer under in this regard ,
| think it is no wonder that their patience
has broken down at last. aud they have
tried to persuade themselves that they are
justiiiable in breaking the law Of trespass
when the laws that should make the tres
pass needless arc allowed by the voters to
lie dead aud imperative. The present
crusade will. doubtless. do but little work
against intempcrance that will be really
permanent. but it win do what is as much,
or even more. to the purpose. I think
l think it will suggest to more than one
man that if the women could vote they
would vote on the side Of morality, even
il they did vote and speak rather fran,i.
cally and furiously; aud it will also sug.
gcst that when the women once made ut
:heir minds that it was not good to have
the all-powerful primaries in the hands
of loafers. thieves. aud pernicious lit,l.
politicians. they would not sit indoleutly >
at home MS their husbands and brothers
do now, but would hoist their praying
banners. take the field in force. pray the
assembled political scum back to the holes
and slums where they belong. aud set uE
some candidates fit for decent human be.
ings to vote for. l dearly want the NO.
meu to be raised to the political altitud,
Of the negro. the imported savage. ant
the pardoned thief. and allowed TO vote
1t is our last chance. l think. The NO.
men will be voting before long. aud thcr
il B. + Butler can still continue Il
lord it in Congress; il the highest Offices
in the land eau still continue TO be occu
pied by perjurers and robbers; il anothe,
Congress. like the Forty y-Second. consist
ing OF 10 honest men aud 296 Of the 9th
er kind, can once more be created, il vii
at last be time. fear, 90 give over tryin.
to save the country BY human means, aue
appeal to Providence. Both the grea
parties have failed. I wish We nigh
have womans party now, and zee Lou
that would work feel persuaded tha,
in extending the suffrage to women, thi
country could lose absolutely nothing an,
might gain great deal. For thirty cen
,uries history has been itera,ing aRd re-
itcra,ing that. in moral fight. woAan i
simply daun,less; aud we all know. eve,
with our eyes shut upon Congress and ou
voters. ,ha, from the day sha, Adam at
of the apple aud told on Eve down to th
present day man in moral 6gh, has pret
~ uniformly shown himself to be an AZ
rant coward.