Litchfield enquirer., 1876-08-17
rne Need of Woman's Vote.

rne Need of Woman's Vote.
 During the Senate debate on the Wo' man Suffrage bill which passed our Con- necticut House of Representatives, last session, a Senator gravely informed his brother legislators that he had consulted his wife and should vote, "No," by her request. This seem to him. and perhaps to others, 6 satisfactory reason for hls de- uiaI to a large and most respectable class of taxpayers of that voice in laying the taxes they are required to pay, which is al- waysclassed among the fundamental rights of American citizenship. The opponents of the measure forget, in the first place, that the question is not whether tax-pa ing women who do not wish to vote should be compelled to do so, but whether those ~ho do wish to vote should be placed on an equal footing with the male tax-pay CT.
 One would imagine that there could be no practical difficulty in an arrangement winch would leave it optional with the in- 1ividual to vote, or to abstain from vot- ing, as her conscience dictated; but. con- ceding that most women do rot wish to vote, what does that prove? Simply that they do not understand that the ballot in their hands would be of any use to them selves or to others. They have been taught to dislike politics, and to believe that the requirements of the suffrage would load them with additional burdens and bring no corresponding benefits. Their views are the result of more or less elaborate mis-information-the reflected unwisdom of conservative fathers, broth. CT and husbands. But were women given to understand that their votes would be of real service to the state; that their --AA-a--a-A--A- A-I-----A r'S- itics; and that they can strengthen nor ality and decency just where they are now weakest, there would be few women un- patriotic enough to shrlnk from so plain a duty, even though they might feel it to be disagreeable one.
 This naturally brings up one of the great questions presented by woman suff- rage; what good will result from woman's voting? In the first place there can be no doubt of the superior decency and mor- allty of the average woman to the average man Politics is not the only thing that has been demoralized by the absence of woman. Wherever, indeed, men alone are assembled together in large bodies, there is prevalent coarseness of manner and lowering of moral tone that even the severest discipline cannot restrain. The ~Orst modern society is purity itself com- pared with the society of ancient Greece so refined in many important partic- ulars. but from winch woman was seclu. ded Their immortality is only paraileled by that disclosed at the breaking up of the English mOnasteries. regarding which AE. Proud. presents such convincing evi- dence. Woman is so strong in modern society that her influence is greatly felt even an Ter absence. Our armies and our colleges sEOw tendencies towards demor. alixatiOn rather than demoralization itself. But the refining influence of woman is most conspicuous in the history of litera. tare Ancient literature was for men alone. and it is full of the coarseness of ancaent society. Old English writers of- fsOd m like manner. Chaucer is coarse with all the coarseness of the ancients. SAOuly. as woman grows of more impor- taDce m society, and books are written with the expectation of their reading tAsm. our iterature grows decent. The ePsn prOHigacy of Fielding and Smollet e&e succeeded by the partially yelled Ii. sentioasness of Sterne. Then comes a eeataEy of rapid Improvement. Scott. ThAckerAy. Dickens and all our modern writers. are without taint of the yulear;- v ot tAe older novelists. Gan there be say doubt that the influence for decencv that has 90 changed English literature ia the influence of woman? Do not the lit. sr4ture of politics and the manners of lolEtics show those very characteristics tAsa experienee teaches us to expect from she absence of woman?
 There can scarcely be doubt that tLe arst elect of woman suffrage will be a mazked improvement in political man. neEs- People will have decent polling PA-esa; they ~ill put on their best clothes and their best manners when they 20 to aa election. as they do at other times when men and women meet for any com. Do1 purpose. Political literature will hose the coarseness that could not fail to disgust female constituency. The in- tEOduction of the ordinary decencies of @ixed society into politics would be some. thing more than a superficial reform. Among the other changes of a new and deOe1t political era would be the reouire- @enk O: decent candidates, and the de. eArone1ent Of the dram-shop from the position of prominence it now holds.
 Bat would not woman continue. as she .ow doas. to give mere reflected political t'gAthy voting as 8 matter of course with ems t4fher. brother. OF husband Even naAA. ue maintain, woman suffrage womb be of tnestlnabae advantage to the state. h woaia restore to the family the intiu.