Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-03-28
NO WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Mrs. Admiral Dahlsreen Presents the Cause
OF the Silent Woman.

Of tho Silent Woman.
Mrs Dablgreen has laid before the
Senate Committee on Elections ths
following written argument against
the ballot for woman:
GENTLEMAN: Allow me, in cour-
tesy, as petitioner, to present one
or two considerations regarding a
sixteenth amendment, by which it
is proposed to confer a right of suf-
frage upon the women of the United
States. l ask this favor also in the
interests of the masses of silent wom-
en-, whose silence does not give con-
sent, but who, in most modest earn
estness, deprecate having the politi.
cal life forced upon them. This
grave question is not one of simr lie
expediency or the reverse it might
properly be held, were this the case,
as legitimate subject for agitation.
Our reasons for dissent to this an
gerons inroad upon all precedent lie
deeper and strike higher. They are
based upon that which in all Christ
ian nations must be recognized as
the higher law'-that fundamental
law upon which Christian Society in
its very construction must rest, and
this law, as defined by the Almighty
is immutable. Through it the wom-
en- of this christian land, as mothers,
wives, sisters, daughters, have dis
tinct duties to perform of the most
complex order, yet of the very high
est and most sacred nature.
We cannot without prayer and
protest see our cherished privileges
endangered and have granted US on
ly in exchange the so.called equal
rights. We need more and we claim
through our physical weakness and
your courtesy as christian gentlemen
that protection which we need for
the proper discharge of those sacred
and inalienable functions and rights
conferred upon us by God. To these
the vote, which is not natural right
OTHERWISE why not confer it upon
idiots, lunatics and adult boys p
WDuIu W duV6rse.
When, women ask for distinct
political life, a separate vote, they
forget or they willfully ignore the
higher law,'whose logic may be thus
condensed Marriage is q unity. The
family through it Is the foundation
of the State. Each family is repre-
sented by its head, just as the State
ultimately finds the same unit,
through a series of representations.
Out of this comes peace, concord. q
proper representation and adjusts
ment-union.
The new doctrine, which isillusive,
may be thus defined: Marriage is a
mere compact and means diversity.
Each family, therefore, mnst have a
separate individual representation,
and divided, out of which crises d.
versity or division, and discord is
the corner stone of the State.
Gentlemen, you cannot displace
the corner stone without destruction
to the edifice itself. Personally, if
any woman in this vast land has a
grievance by not having vote, l
may claim that grievance to be mine
With father, brother, husbands, sons
taken away by death, | stand utter
ly alone, with minor children to ed
ucate, and considerable property in
terests to guard. But 1 would deem
it unpatriotic to ask for general
law which must prove disastrous to
my country, in order to meet that
exceptional position in which, by
the adorable will of God,I am placed
| prefer, indeed,to trust to that NOR
al influence over men which intelli-
gence never fails to exercise, and
which is really moro potent in the
management of business affairs than
the direct vote. In this am doubt
less as old fashioned as were our
grandmothers, who assisted to mould
this vast Rupublic. They knew that
the greatest good for the greatest
number was the only safe legislative
law, and that to it all exceptional
cases must submit. Gentleman, in
conclusion, sophism in legislation
is not mere abstraction /; it must
speedily bear fruit in material results
of the most disastrous nature, and /
implore your honorable committee,
in behalf of our common country,
not to open Pandora's box by way
of experiment from whence 90 much
evil must issue, and which once open
ed may never again be closed.