Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-02-13
An Experiments That Ought to be Tried.

A great many people honestly believe,
with our good DIR. Bushnell, that to give
women the ballot would be to fly in the
face of the divine order and to unsettle the
very foundations of society. great ma
ny more are in doubt they don't know
how it would work or what the effect
would be. On the other hand, the number
OF women who demand the ballot as a right
increases from year TO year and some of
our most acute and cautious thinkers are
satisfied not only that the demand is just,
but that this is one OF the cases in which TO
give will prove even more blessed than to
receive.
The simple, obvious, common-sense way
OF Tearing up the donht md Sot.Iise ti'o
s-sstfun is TO experiment in G. small way
and see what comes of it. That is what
our English relatives are doing. They
haven't as yet placed the woman on an en-
tire political equality with the man. But
they have allowed her, If a rate payer TO
vote on parochial questions, and also to
take part, both as voter and candidate, in
elections for the school board. They are
now noting the results. So far, nothing
dreadful has come OF it; the shock to So
ciety, If it has sustained any, has been so
faint as to be imperceptible.
We had hoped that Massachusetts would
be the first state on this side of the water TO
follow the English example. By right of
her history and traditions, she ought to
have been. But, in this as in other things,
she has trified with her ancient prerogative
OF leadership, and it would not be at all
surprising If other states got the start of
her. Connecticut, for instance. This Glas-
tonbury affair has arrested public attention.
We suppose there is no doubt that it will
be brought in a formal way 10 the at:en-
tion of the Legislature. If the equal suf-
fragists of the state will abate for the time
portion OF what they regard as their just
demands, and concentrate their efforts up
| on securing the removal OF the word "male''
from the statue regulating the local, town
| suffrage, they will stand a chance, at least
ofcarrying their point. Suppose ii carried
Women will then have the right TO vote il
the towns on town questions, and the state
and the county will have the chance to
"oto tho rosuIt. wo ehall then find out
whether the women generally avail them
do, whether the act of voting unsexes them
breaks up households, and disturbs socie
| ty,-as DR.. Bushnell has predcted,-or i:
entirely unattended with these deplorablt
| phenomena. We shall thus be in a posi-.
ton TO decide intelligently upon the ques-
tion of still further extending their polili-
cal privileges.
The men and women on the ground are
Of course, the best judges of what is prac-
ticable at this moment, and what is not. If
upon careful survey of the situation, the
chances appear 10 be against the success d
a demand for the universalizing of the mu-
nicipal, ortown, suffrage, we should strong,
ly advise them to make their fight for this
partial enfranchisement of women who
hold property in their own right and pay
taxes into the town treasury. They can dc
this without any compromise of principle
and the half or even the quarter loaf is {
great deal better than no bread at all. The
vital thing is TO make .beginning-to gel
in the thin edge of the wedge. That done
the rest is only question of time. The
spectacle of women actually voting IL
town meeting, without damage TO them
selves or the town, will be of more value t.
the cause of equal suffrage than whole Ii
braries of abstract argument. Springfield
Republican.