The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-04-21
Woman suffrage.


| Nearly one year ago, in the Acad
envy of Music, New York, Henry
| Ward Beecher gave utterance to tho
following just sentiments on this
question, and they enforce the RIGHT
as we'll as the need Of comforting or
woman the power of voting, that we
reproduce and commend it to our
readers:
81 don't know how it is with you.
but my idea OF women is borrowed
from my mother, from my sisters, my
wife, children, from those | have as
ISOLATED with, and [ have been accus-
toned to feel in the presence of wo-
men Of thoughtfulness. and of moral
| depth, that there was something more
| for them than mere housework-not
that despise that, but / have been
| accustomed to women who could do
| their own work so that they could
read the last treatise on science
! or the last book on art, and sit and
| converse as close in criticisms as any
man. L say, il you are to make a
household with such woman as l
have described. you must have some-
| thing more than drudgery. APP
plause The superior woman may
| be her own light, she may throw a
| radiance over the whole household
| out of the elements Of her own soul.
| But all women have not that power of
development and moral influence
| Taking them one and another they
| need help and succor. and | say, any
| thing that gives woman something
| more to think of than daily drudgery,
| that gives her an inspirations. that
| the pulses of new life, that makes her
| what men are thinking of. what poll
what is the law, and what are the va
rious movements of society-these
| things tend to content women, and
make home more sacred; for it no
| longer is prison-house; it becomes to
her throne. Where she can, by the
free exertion of moral influence, move
upon a community, she becomes a
| legislator. l know it is said, "Let a
| woman stay at home; if she is really
interested in these things let her hus-
band satisfy her, but do not let her go
herself into the field and vote. Why
should she vote?' Well, why should
you vote? Tell me any reason why a
man should vote. and that reason is
why a woman should-frst. second,
third, and last, every single one of
them. Tell me any reason why a man
should not vote, and that will be the
reason why woman should not vote.
This idea of shutting off the women is
not original with you. There has not
been a king or an aristocrat since the
world began that had not precisely
your reasons why the lower classes
should not give up all their liberties
to the upper classes, SO they might
appropriate the power. Look at it in
England, loot at it on the Continent;
they are squeamish when the rights
of women are spoken Of But when
we advocate the rights of a duchess
they arc never SO. nor when a crown
is the question to be decided. Only
let her wear tiara of power, or let
her he some aristOcrat, and she can be
exalted to any hight of political or
civil power without a word of oppo-
sition on the part of her electors.
Woman is at the beginning, at the
end, but she is the queen. That is
the secret. Now that which aristoc-
racy asserts for itself l assert for De.
mocracy. That which is right for an
earl's wife is right for my wife; that
which is right for dukes wife is
right for your wife; that which is right
for a woman in any station In life is
right for womanhood, and | plead for
that; that which has been conceded
and sanctified in other lands through
ages | ask for my wife, my sister, my
child, my mother. Crown women be-
cause they are women, not because
they are duchesses. fit be said that
woman can preserve her individuality,
and not vote, [ suppose she can pre-
serve it it she does vote, just as easily.
And if a woman can stand in the bat
tlefeld and load gun. then l think
she can stand in the battle and fire
the gun. If she has to stay in the
house and interest herself in all pub
lie questions enough to instruct her
boys, or advise her husband. then, /
think, she is In situation in which
she may fire her own gun which she
has taken SO much pains to load.
Why should you send me to vote?
Why should she not vote Moreover,
it is dangerous to have influences ex-
erted in the community without re-
sponsibility 1t is dangerous thing
to have StrOng-mlnded women about,
with nothing to do but stay at home
and talk about other folks. The man
is urged forward this way and that
way; he is responsible; but the mover
Of the machine is not. Let her have
responsibility as we'll as privilege. It
is said it would produce such disorder
that no man could think with patience
of consenting, or allow his child or
wife to go into scenes of political ex-
citement. Now, in the first place,
while the beginnings of this move
ment are very like eddies and whirls
of excitement, when it is settled by
public action and by joint councils be-
tween man and woman, there will not
be the wild excitement that now ex-
lists. Do you believe it would be pro-
ductive of much harm when the hus-
band would say, my dear there Is to
be primary meeting to night. Cath
arine, put on your bonnet and let US
60 down" And next after him would
be his daughter, with her young fell
low. Do you think such scenes would
take place at the primaries as now do |
in Brooklyn? Primaries, must con-
fess. are not the most agreeable places