, 1874-03-22
Eb& Gblf>aDu UIi&bugae.
Sunday Morning, March "a, 1874.


There is no good reason why the theory, or, az
it's advocates would probably term it. the princi-
ple, of woman-sutfrage should not be handled in
Us other theories aud principles. Its advocates
have now wasted several years in stump-speak-
ing OF q very foolish and sometimes objections
Bile character, and are apparently no nearer the
attainment Of their object than they we're when
they commenced. Within the past five years
WOMAN has made vetv decided advapce, it is
true. She has nttained position in the post-of-
fees in public Libraries, upon school boards,
in county clerks aud recorders Offices,
and in HUMOROUS other positions Of public
hduciary character, hitherto occupied only by
men, but this has been accomplished without
woIaan-suhrage, and is not the outgroTth Of tho
peculiar agitation OF the Miss Anthony sort On
the one hand or the Mrs Woodruff so.t on the
other. The day Of suffraCe-shrieking, Of gen.
arai and unlimited abuse, Of 7ociferous bra1l-
ing, OF the promn1gation Of all sorts Of ologies
and isms. and Of puerile threats has passed,
and the cause OF man-suffrage must
3ebt Qp0A LIB ult14Lds A1A Lus4s1 444iItAG0 4a@c-
tion the same as ali other great principles. It
must be shown, first TINT it is proper and useful;
and second, that people want it, If it can be
t:.own that Toraaa-sufrago is necessary to the
Eell-being OF society, and that majority Of the
women desire it, thtse IL not q Legislature in
the country which will refuse to submit the
question to popular vote.
These plain facts indicate to the advocates Of
woman suffrage their proper policy. They must
work more and talk less. They must make it
appacen: to legislators that the women gener-
ally wAns 1t, and then they will get it. The
action Of several Legislatdres upon the subject
is Of itself eloquently suggestive Of the first
duty ot the friends OF suffrage. In Iowa, the
BY 27 rotes and the House by 18 votes. Before
it can be submitted to the people for ratification
It must receive the indorssment Of the
next General Assembly. and the more
prominent State newspapers arc OF the opinion
that it will receive the requisite Endorsement.
Inths Ohio Constitutional Convention, the ques-
taon to submit to popular vote did not prevail -
48 voting aye and 53 being required. The mega
Eve vote was very small and informal Que, and
there VAS, in reality, no organized opposition to
the measure. and no pains we're taken
either to pass or to defeat it, The Micli-
gan Legislature, which is now specially
ut work upon constitutional amendments
to be submitted to tile people this year, has
voted to submit the question Of suffrage and
ASCERTAIN their wishes. In Kansas, where the
question has once been submitted to the people
and negatiyed, the House this winter adopted
resolutions for woman-suffrago by large ma
1ority, but the Senate; although apparently
friendly to the measure did not concur III the
Maine and Rhode Island Legislatures, favorable
actlou has been had, as in former years, showing
disposition to confer wonaan-suffzage when
ever the general welfare Of society shall seem to
demandit.
Tie position of the question in ali these Leg
islatures is very clearly shown. There ia no con-
siderable opposition to it, but the Legislators
Aaye no evidence that it would tend to the we'll
being Of society, and there is no indication that
tho women Of these States want it. Let the
advocates Of Suffrage only make it clear that
there is real demand for their article, and the
principal objection to its adoption will be re-
moved. Tbs opposition which the leaders Of the
movement are combating, with very absurd and
violent speeches, ia almost entirely fiction OF
their Own imagination, and they will commence
to nate progress when they cease belaboring
this man Of straw and convince legislators that
the women themselves want suffrage. We do
not believe that one in Eve of them desires it.