The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-01-02
LOOSE LOGIC.

The power Of the ballot is iise'ess unless those
who use IL [italics are oursl can execute its de-
cisions. Women, as a class, cannot do so In
war, so that II would be folly forwomen TO have
The ballot IIndependent
Waving the paradox SO plainly given
in the above declaration that the ballot
can be useless and yet used-a "Luce"
kind of logic which will wind friend
Womaek up and set him to running for
the next fortnight-we turn to the con-
illusions arrived at by the Independent s
"inductive reasoning" namely: that
women as a class cannot fight, therefore
it would be "folly for them TO have the
ballot" This, certainly, gives US an
idea The ballot is, according to Mr..
Luce, an instrument of war; and a state
of war being the normal condition of
humanity, and the ballot its recognized
instrument, and some women being in
capable of bearing arms, there Is rea-
son % why all women should not vote.
But why, friend Luce, is it not folly for
men 10 vote for the same reason? We
all know that men, rs a class, do not
fight. There are among them the lame,
the halt, the deaf, the blind, the infirm,
the superannuated, the imbecile, the
crooked-backed, the knock-kneed, the
reel-foOted, the one-eyed, the narrow
ehested, the short of stature-but why
longer enumerate? Quite as large pro-
portion Of men as women are so stu
ated. from the above and other reasons,
that their stse of the ballot is useless
your words, not ours, remember-and
yet, were all men denied the right of
suffrage because of the infirmities of
these, would you not consider the con-
ditiOns hard?
We do not deny that we have thought,
in our feminine simplicity, that the bal
lot was rather an instrument of peace,
and its still, small voice, when rightly
needed, would lead to the final overthrow
of the demon war; but If it is in reality a
bludgeon Instead Of the olive-branch
which we have imagined, then let men be
go 10 work in earnest TO discover what
the olive-braneh of peace consists in,
and where it may be found.
But, friend Luce, if through the bal
lot, in the hands of men, unnecessary
war may be declared, think you that
through that self-same ballot, in the
hands Of men and women, unnecessary
war may not be fobidden?
We claim that through the ballot
woman will have the power to prevent
war, and thus stop the terrible carnage
that so oftens weeps in horrid deluges
over the homes Of men and women.
But, suppose it were not possible for her
ballot to prevent it, and war should
come, would you not think it fair and
just that she who perils life when man is
born should enjoy immunity from fur
ther peril when men choose to kill and
cripple each other? Would it not be
asking too much other to bear the double
danger? And yet because one-half OF
this peril is unavoidably hers already, is
it just for you TO deprive her of the ben
ehts of freedom which you appreciate
to such a sublime degree that you would
part with life rather than lose it?
We contend that If the ballot is good
Tor man it is good for woman. We con-
tend that woman can fight when it is
necessary, as all history has proved; and
we further contend that with the ballot
in her hand she will soon aid man TO
usher In the day when swords shall be
turned into plow-shares and spears into
pruning-hOoks.