The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-01-31
THE WOMAN QUESTION.
No. VII.

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 80. 80.
Editors Herald:
In speaking OF Woman's eligibility
to hold Office publicly, you refer to
some positions in which she would be
out ofplaoe as lovely "woman's quail
fications for pound keeper, constable,
read supervisor, iailor. policeman,
jurymsn, and sheriff." I will fret
take ground that ell women are net
lovely" any more than all men are
lovely; that their dispositions, Ito
which you refer l suppose, in calling
them "lovely") differ; go 30 their
iastes; and while it might be possible
to find a woman who would be willing
to act in these offices, the probabilities
are, "she would be Rcarce." lido not
understand that in removing from
women all disabilities to bold
Office, that official position is
made obligatory upon her. Sup
pose all restrictions of a legal
nature were removed, it would not
alter the nature of facts. and while
ell these points are left Tor IN in
telligent public to discuss and TO
adjust, there is little fear OF women
being elected to Offices for which her
nature disqualifies her ;unlesp, like OUT
newly appointed Governor, personal
beauty" shall be considered the only
requisite necessary 10 insure election.
To one Office you mention, as being
uusuited to Won an, | must take ex-
csption-thas of road supervisor.
Women are the greatest sufferers aS
pedestrians over badly kept roads,
owing to their habiliments, and Aa
suffering qualities persons to work
emerge tically for reform in those
things from which they have suffered,
l think from past experience through
mud and mue women could most
gracefully drive about in their bug
gies and set men to work to repair
the overlooked quagmires. which
have been of years standing, l pay
a heavy city tex, and yet have been
Inconvenience for years years by a
terrible mud puddle in the
road directly facing my property,
tie water standing there nearly the
year around. Some years ago, |
spoke to the city authorities about it,
considering it unhealthy, but TO no
effect. Since Mr.. Hyde's insugurs-
ton, however, there is an improve
ment, and my difficulties are bridged
over, But should he be delinquent
in repairing the roads facing the
property OF some other taxpayer,
woman though she may be, l think
she is justified in being delinquent"
in paying for what she does not get,
i. e., a repaired road. So much for
the road supervisor, which, as far as
city limits extend, l hold to be quite
an elegant and lsdy-iike Office.
The poundkeeper - en- paSSdHt-
let us give brief mention to bis Office.
Are there not some women raised
upon farms, where constant and dsily
charge of cattle familisTizes them
With the duties of q pounkeeper? The
Smith sisters, who hsd 30 much
difficulty with their COWS, would 10
doubt have been glad of the oppor-
tunity of putting some other mans
COW in the pound, and making him
pay we'll to get her out.
l might go on enumersting and
finding exceptional characters who,
by nature or circumstances, are made
eligable for all these offices, but |
spare you, and will go 90 far as to
promise to give my vote On the other
side, when a woman is nominated for
any of the Offices which you consider
Objectionable, unless it be for road
supervisor. Having heard of a suo-
ces.ful attempt being carried into
effect by some New England women,
in a little town in the Old Bay Slate,
by which the public we're greatly
benefited. and the roads Immediately
improved. l have a precedent in
mind.
The cares OF supporting family do
not depend, as q rule, upon the nus
band alone, in this part of the world
especially. If the census takers we're
to inquire at each house which sup
ported the family, the husband or
the wife, in very many instances
they would find that the husband
was on a three years mission" or
chad failed in business" or had
''too large a family to support
and the wife MAS the hesd
of the house. Then, by all means,
give her an equal chance to earn her
bread, and bread for her children il
needs be. by walking int a "fat'
and easy Office, such as men hold, if
she can pass the public verdict and
be found equal to the situation.
The "Ben" who haa taken the
Task her" OF trying to bring Bib
heal authority to smash her. will find
in these words a crasher. The
"head" belongs to the one who owns
it, and all the Bibles in Christendom
piled up could not put a "head" on
some men. AS champion for the
rights of all Mormon wives, l suE-
scribe myself one of them.
a MORMON WIFE.
MINING PATENTS.-FJIIE efs ofI