Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-06-16

say that q woman should not vote be
cause meddling with politics will con
. taminate and degrade her that ming
ling with the masses of men, including
: the vagabonds and adventures
, and the criminals who infest tho
polls, will drag her down from hel
high and holy sphere OF home &c
Did it never occur TO tho grave and
conservative advocates of this doctrine
that it would perhaps be better tC
keep all such persons away from the
polls whose presence would be a men
ace and insult to ladies', Must ignor
ance and rudeness necessarily bar the
way to intelligence and culture? Shall
the latter be kept away from elections
in order that the former may revel in
their original elements of degradation
Any class of people that would not be
constrained into deoency and respect
and order by the presence of ladies
anywhere would better be kept by the
police, The jails and workhouses
should coRfne all such persons at the
public expense rather than have the
elections corrupted and the balIot-box
crowded and polluted by their votes.
The Government would better feed
them. Let US not be misunderstood.
While there are thousands of voters
who should not be allowed at the polls,
the masses of them in this Nation arc
people Of good hearts and noble i'm.
pulses and not liable in any respect TO
any imputation. The barbarous civii-
zation Of all Nations in the past have
made women slaves and consigned her
to condition of social servitude and
inieriority of rights and yet in spite
Of these great barriers in her way they
have arisen all along the great high.
way Of history illustrious names Of
the gentlor sex.
Semiramis, Boadicea, Catherine of
Russia, and a long line of heroines
have illustrated the annals of their age
in war and science and letters The
| first Napoleon, falling in with the mar.
row spirit of prejudice and tyranny,
told Madame DeStael that she "med.
died to much in politics" She answer.
cd "Will your Majesty have the kind.
ness to define what you mean by poll.
tics {" He was silent, Then she add.
ed - 81 will spare your Majesty
the trouble. | understood true poll.
ties to be the science OF determining
which are the institutions most per.
nicious to the general happiness, and
what are the best means by which
they can be destroyed; as well as the
art Of knowing what are tho institu.
tons most favorable to the greatest
amount of human injoyment, and how
they can best be introduced, perpetu-
ated and secured.
"Ii this be so will any man venture
to say that women have no interest in
such questions Have we not fathers,
husbands, brothers, children, and can
they be made happy or unhappy by
good or evil government without our
heina made portirinatnra IN their grief
or joy2 II on their account only, per.
mt us TO feel, to think, and to express
our feelings and thoughts, and let me
add that no woman deserves the honor
of being q wife or mother who does
not understand wherein her husbands
or her children's interests are en-.
dangered or advanced, and who is not
prepared to encourage the one in his
political rectitude, and to instil into
the infant mind of the other, those
Just principles of virtue and courage
by which man can alone fulfill the
high destinies that await his mortal
career"
There could not be more powerful
argument against discrimination on
account of sex in the matter of suffrage
than this eloquent woman's views on
the subject OF political duties and
rights. Instead, therefore, of permit,
ting the presence of such persons at
the polls as would prevent ladies from
coming there, elections should be so
controlled that the refining and ele-
waiting influence which pervade the
home, should stand as impossible bar.
riers against rudenoss and lawlessness
and riot. The poet, Goethe, makes the
Princess d. Este say in "Torquato
Tasso:"
"Propriety guards as with a wall
The tender, easily wounded sex.
Where mortals guide they govern;
Where awlessness prevails they are nothing"
"The noblest purpose is the public
good" Who doubts how the millions
OF female ballots in this land would be
cast on all great questions of Temper
ance and Reform and Public Morals.
The temporizing and expedioncy Of
demagogues and politicians would 60
down as the small dust in the balance
before the mighty tide Of popular in
dignation, which rises from the emyriads
of troubled homes and desolated fire.
sides.
"Liberty is security against injus-
tico." This truth the friends of popular
government must learn, and if they
would have the Republic endure they
must learn it well. | am in favor of
throwing open the mighty race for
fame, and place, and power in this
land to all classes and sexes, and races,
with only one condition of entrance
intelligence. | am willing TO make
that the basis of governments, and
creeds, and all the dearest and highest
interests Of life, Allother qualifications
and criterions and conditions are acci.
dents. There is no royal road, no un-
derground way, no climbing over the
wall tolearning. 1t comes in only one
plain, hard, democratic way-by toll
ing for it. care not how high you
make the standard. | am glad that
mythology has placed the temple of
fame away up on steep, rugged, high
hill, so that vagabonds and laggards
and stragglers cannot stumble in. IL
may be that no argument could illus
trate or embellish oreniorce this princi.
pie on the minds Of the preiudioed and
selfish. No effort is needed to demon.
strate il to the cultured and thoughtful.
When the flames OF the French rev.
olution were raging around the un-
happy Queen, Marie Antoinette, she
implored Gaudet TO tell her how to
save the crumblng throne for her little
sleeping son. He replied, educate
him for the coming freedom, for that
is the only condition Of life.n The
mighty tide of war and blood and fire
swept over the fair fields Of the smitten
Empire of the Bourbons. The coming
freedom was delayed for little time
while an adventurer and despot
strutted in the fading garments of
royalty. But in the wake of intel
ts...i .a..at..t:a. ..l ...s,.x.,. &C.