Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-07-29

: were -FOUR inches or snow on MOul
Washington Wednesday morning
during one of the hot days lai
week u. Il. thought he would hay
a pair Of thin pants. tie cOuldn
find any ready made TO suit him, s
in his trouble he went to Hayes, tn
tailor, who thought he could fix him
The cloth for the garment was Gu
T. from the piece at 1915 and at ll:3O
t Tom was strutting round in u new
|, pair Of pants, feeling as proud as
boy does on the Fourth Of Jul,
when he has red stripes on his trows
ers legs and Il picked paper hat OF
his head.
About forty persons gathered
at the Town Hall. Wednesday eve
ming, in response to a notice that
Miss Il. Anne Hinman would speak
upon "a Plea for Equality" The
lecture was well written and forcibly
delivered, aud secured the attention
OF all present. Ii contained much
good sound common sense aud con.
siderable nonsense. AS illustrating
the latter assertion we cite one or
two points brought forward by the
speaker why WON en- desired the bal
lot. They wished for suffrage that
they might secure the same pay for
like services that men received. No
one will deny that this demand is
just and right. At the sane time
all will admit that 1t is a question
which the ballot cannot effect in the
least. Legislation cannot change
the law of supply and demand: nei-
Their can it establish the prices to
be paid by employers for labor.
The idea is simply absurd that leg.
iSlation should establish the prices
to be paid for labor at Stewards, or
Lord Il Taylor's or other places
where female clerks are employed,
or declare that the proprietorS
shall pay female clerk the same as
a male clerk, even il both clerks
render the same equivalent in Ia
Dor. How the ballot can benefit
woman in this direction we fail to
see. Apother idea advanced by the
speaker, to wit: that women desire
the ballot to protect their woman
hood and their virtue, may be brief
~ noticed. That the libertine should
be de.estcd and abhOred more than
his victim, will be admitted by all
moral persons, but that public opin-
ion can be changed by legislation
50 that he will be, no sane person
will claim. In fict public opinion
s never changed one iota oy legis
alton; but on the other hand legis. !
alton follows public opinion. AS in t
he case of wages, this is matter :
hat legislation cannot regulate. {
Public opinion must regulate it. s
When men see that women them.
elves look upon the seducer as t
worse than his victim; when they I
ease to overlook his crime and well
ome him to their arms, while they
hruSt her from them as too vile to "
ouch even the hem of their gar D
nents, in short, when they see that c
t they prey upon the innocent to a
'ander to their lust, they will be. G
ONE oulcAs's from society, then =.
1ill they from selfinteiest cease c.
heir work of destruction. We do $,
ot put forward this argument to y;
alliate in the least the Nervousness O
f the crime, but merely to show it
hat this deplorable state of lax .:
lorality iu society is due to a great
xtent to the women of society.
We have cited the above argu- A
lents not for the purpose of getting II !,
p a discussion, but to show that
omen are claiming benefits from =
re use Of the ballot which can new. N
, be realized. In conclusion we
ave only to say that there are not Fl
N men in the town of Bradford
no are unwilling that woman 81
lould have the privilege of voting .
she wants it. We do not say
lat there isn't ten men who do not I
link it will be better for her not
} enter the political arena, but we
, assert that if a majority of the
omen OF this town should indicate
desire to vote at the September l.
ection, they would be cheerlully
lowed to do so, provided the law &c
ould permit of it. AS Indicative az y
the feeling upon the subject, we
ay cite the fact that there were
vt over twenty five women in the
I'll Wednesday evening of the re-
lisite age to vote, although Miss ~,
inman is known to be al eloquent 81
eaker and a strong advocate of re-
rmg. That the women will be per- pr
ltted to vote sooner or later, we j.
lieve, but that the many aayan- COZ
ges which they expect TO receive thu