The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-03-27

Advice for Woman Suffrage Parties.

From Mary Clemmer's Letter in Indepen-
dent.
A humiliating sight, and so humiliatlng
that shall not witness it again, is that of
women pleading, begging of such men for
that political equality which no company of
men will ever grant; which, when il comes
as come 1T will, must come through that
greater development and education of men
which can come only by women. When
women as sex are great enough to make
men more humble as men, great enough to
fill any position to which they aspire, few
women will not have to plead. Let petitions
to congress from tens of thousands of women
continue TO come in TO congress. In spite of
Father Christiancy, who doesn't want them
TO come, yet says 'he will vote for woman
suffrage when the majority want it." let
them continue to come, that he may not be
left in ignorance of that majority" and, at
dlgnified intervals, let great woman make
a great speech to back the petitions
But don't use the weapons of weakness.
For mercy's sake, don't 'gad fly" the men.
The Lord never made a man that will not
run from that sort of operation; and who
can blame him? The masculine creature
has an instructive aversion to being nagged
And /, who have an equal compassion for
the weaknesses on both sides OF humanity
for one, don't want him nagged. His lovely
neighbor who may wear to his delight the
rose of womanhood for him, or be jabbing
thorn stuck in his side, will never make out
much in her own behalf, while his muscles
unfortunately continue tougher than hers
II she persists in irritating him in any way.
Even his tremendous Judgment will go
under il you make him "mad" And as
for you and your cause" it is lost the
moment you make yourself ridiculous"
That moment he ensconces himself on
the throne of his masculine prerogative into
which the ridiculous finds it not impossible
to enter. But never mind. If through
your weakness he is on that throne, your
beating against it will only be the waves
breaking on the rock. So don't appoint &c
male prayer meetings in the senate lobby,
and when you have said one brave, broad,
honest say, say no more, but 60 home and
stay there. 1t weakens your influence, it
harms your cause to pursue senators and re-
representatives., as they have been pursued for
the last month. Thoughtful men will not
forget the heroic utterance of Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Dr. Thompson of Oregon,
Mrs. Lawrence OF Massachusetts, and other
ladies who addressed the senate committee
of privileges and elections in January.
1t has always seemed to me that the morn
ing sermon would be more effective and
lasting in its influence if people would stay
at home in the afternoon and think it over,
rather than to rush forth to hear a second
one So L believe that the really great
speeches of these large minded, large hearted,
comprehensive women would be much more
potent in the minds of these legislators had
they not been perpetually followed by the
secondary utterances Of weaker women, who
harry them, both in the committee room
and in their homes. God never hurries; nor
can any great change. striking at the roots of
custom. prejudice, human association, be hur-
ried by Impotence or importantly. In the
higher civilization in whose dawn we stand
will eliminate the noon of woman's day.
The women perfectly developed-physically
morally, mentally-can not be degraded by
man; but the advantage he has gained in
centuries OF physical supremacy can not be
annulled, alasl these many days. Let us
thank God that we live to see the dawn of
the day of mental as we'll as spiritual equal
ity. The noon will be for those who come
after us. We never learn too soon for full
fruition. Is it not enough that, though not
for us, it is sure for others?