The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-06-18
woman's Temperance Column
The Lord of Hosts IS scith us, the God
of Jacob is our refuge"
Answer TO Joseph Cooks Twelve Reasons
for WOman's Temperance Ballot. :.
BY MRS. ANNIE wITTEN .dYER.

: 1. at is more difficult for a woman
TO obtain livelihood alone than for q
man to do go, and so she has a deeper
interest than man in the home"
ANS. Women, because of their skill
in household industries, when alone,
are able to live more chcaply than men.
And their knowledge of the kinds of
labor, which, though less remuncrative,
are always in demand, enables them to
gain livelihood where men often fail.
Besides, the great mass of the women
of the United Staics are provided with
ZONES, and supported in large part by
mon.
2. "Woman's love of home is the
natural antagonist of the enemies of the
home, and among these perhaps the
most mischievous is intemperance.
ANS. Woman's love for home is born
of. her God-given duties as wife and
mother. Throw her out into political
and commercial circles requiring for
success all her energies, and to just that
extent you strike fatal blow at the
home. 1t would be unwise, in our
haste to remedy the misfortuncs of the
few, to sacrifice the best interest of the
many.
D. "Woman is less Incorporate than
man, and so could be trusted to give
pnrer vote on temperance laws"
ANS. If women are less Incorporate
than men, it is because they arc more
sheltered, and have greater social re-
straints thrown about them.
Take away these restraints and sur
round them with the same temptations.
and there is no reason TO hope that they
would bc more temperate or give a
purer vote than men.
Indeed, with all the restraints. thous-
ahds of women are in the liquor busi-
ness, and still larger numbers drink.
a. "Woman is.less complicated with
party intrigue and political ambition,
with desire for Office and business at
large, and so would be more free than
men to give vote on the merits of the
case.'
ANS. 1t is because women are busy
with the kindly ministries of life and
have no part in politics that they arc
not involved in party intrigues. Put
before them the same temptation of
power and office, and there will not be
wanting women who will push into
the deepest schemes of party intrigue.
The worst class of women will be the
most active in political circles. And
women who sell themselves would not
hesitate TO sell their votes.
D. ga temperance vote by women
would be a test by which the theory of
woman's suffrage could be ,ricd on
restricted scale without dagger"
ANS. Woman suffrage has been
tested in Utah and Wyoming Terrific
rics without any marked beneficial
results. 1t has not helped in the solu-l
ton or sirglc great moral question.
Polygamy has not been ovcrthrown.
but rather strengthened by it,.
6. at world not be an entering
wedge, but only an appeal to exper-
ience, and the latter, as it shonld reveal
good or bad tendencies in the theory.
would decide the resnt.''
ANS. These most active in the
movement for the temperance pallot
are lifelong suflragists, and publicly
say that "All persons of intelligence
whose prejudices have not become in
durated beyond the power of logic's
sledge hammer to break them, have
been convicted already" And further:
"Any woman who could have shared
our bitter experience here without de-
string to vote on every officer from
constable to president would be al
knayc OF a fool" (IIome Protection
Manual.)
z. "Rumsellcrs oppose the temper
ance vote OF women. suppose tina
nothing ever stirred the rumsellers of
Chicago, ST. Louis and Cincinnati,
quite so much as this movement to
give the temperance vote to women.
If you will show me what rumsellers
do not want. | will show you what
want"
| ANS. Nothing ever stirred the rum
sellers of this country as the prayers
of the women during the Crusade.
And nothing now so much alarms the
manufacturers and dealers throughout
the land as the increasing demand for
prohibition, and the movement TO Sc
cure it by constitutional amendment
through the votes of men.
8. "Thc Temperance vote is asked
for by women in overwhelming num-
bers. most of whom are not female suf
fragists."
ANS. Large numbers of women
have given il a measure of their sup
port because they were led to hope that
it would help the temperance cause.
Larger numbers are opposed TO the
movement
lst. Because they are opposed to
woman's suffrage, and believe it is
pushed in that interest.
I'd. Because it is impracticable. Wo-
men cannot vote till men enc 'anchise
them. This in most states would re-
quire a two-thirds vote in both houses
of legislature and a majority vote OF
the people. Pushed as Temperance
measure, only temperance men who