The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-30
Women Do Not Want to Vote.
IWOman's Journal.

The above assertion is often made by men,
accompanied by another one, viz: When
women want the vote they will get il"
Having said this, they assume that they
themselves have no duty in the matter and
can wait quietly until all women are so alive
to the fact of their political degradation, that
they will with one voice demand the ballot,
and find all men eager to grant it.
Not long ago / asked az excellent man,
leader among men, to second a measure
which would encourage and help women.
| The following reply came to me:
| That women will vote some day / think likely.
When see evidence that any considerable num-
Der desire to VOTE will vote. shall not be slow
to do my part toward securing for them this privi
lege. But do not believe in thrusting great re-
spOnsibility like this upon class of people who
plainly show that they are utterly unwilling to
assume II.
There would be force in this reply, if suf
frage were class right, instead of an indi-
vidual right. Lucretia Mott and Lydia
Maria Child did want to vote. They knew
they had the right and they desired to ex
ercise it. To the end of their lives, both
of these women devoted time and strength
and toll TO arouse and convince others,
| men and women. But they died disfran-
chised. Their individual right existed all
the same, and the indifference or unwill-
ingness of other women formed no possible
excuse for denying to them what was right
| fully theirs. On the principle which my
friend maintains, men would be dlsfran-
chised also, for it is well known by Com
mittees of all political parties that endless
trouble and expense are necessary to induce
men 10 attend the elections. The PrOyi-
dence Journal lately published this item:
The name, of about 5000 registry voters had
been entered. at the City Clerks Office up TO the
close of registration last night This is not one
| half-probably not one-thlrd-the number OF
citizens who were entitled to registration, if they
desired ii.
If there is a special party strife, as in a
Presidential election or a personal interest
men vote. But on other occasions ii re-
quires great urgency to induce them to do
so. This item is reported of an election in
France.
! Anincident absolutely without precedent in the
annals oil universal suffrage occurred in the De-
partment of the Aude. France, during the munic-
lpal elections The Parish of Thezan in the Aron-
basement OF Narbonne. has population of 500
souls but not an elector presented himself at the
poll on Sunday, January9.
1t would be easy to multiply instances
that show the indifference of men to the
suffrage. But nobody thinks it necessary,
or wishes to take away their franchise on &C
count of that indifference.
The only true thing to do is. to secure the
right of suffrage to the individual. The num-
Der who will vote has nothing whatever to
do with the settlement of this question If
the gentleman whose answers quoted above
had seen Mrs. Mott trying to carry parcel
too large for strength, he would have has
tened to relieve her. In her more difficult
task to lift men and women out of the state
of mental asphyxia caused by centuries of
false religious teaching, by laws and customs
and education which enforce the idea of
subjugation for women, he shoald all the
more feel his obligation to help.
1t is this very refusal of men which is
most in the wayof woman suffrage. Women
see men with the power to extend to them
the opportunity to vote, but they do not do
it. The one direct and only possible infer
ence is that men do not want them to vote
Nothing is so much needed to-day by the
woman movement as the chivalric and gen
erous championship of men who are them
selves emancipated, who have escaped from
the bondage of old customs, and who know
that justice is always safe.
Women are in position to be asked, and
not to ask When, instead of the oft re-
peated women don't want to vote" and
Il told you sc" uttered with a tone and
manner anything but friendly, women hear
the invitation cordially given, Come and
help us elect the best persons for the good
of all of us, half the obstacles women now
feel will vanish.
In a certain district in Kansas was for
lorn old log school house. There was need
of a new one to keep colds and chilblains
from the children. Every mother wanted
the new school house. One man had always
said, 'He did not think it was a woman
place to vote" ''She had better be at home
minding the children But he wanted the
new school house. and he wanted his wifes
vote to help his own. 1t was little hard
for him to eat his own words. But at last
he said "Come my dear, it is time to go to
the school meeting. Get your bonnet. We
shall need every vote if we have a new
school house" The wife wanted the new
building and wanted to vote for it, but she
also needed to be asked cordially by this
opposing power that had always said,
Women had better be at home, etc She
) went, and the votes of the women added to
' those of the men secured the new school
} house. Try this method, gentlemen. 1t
, will do no harm, and it will be vastly help
full to us. And remember suffrage is an in
dividual right. To withhold it when it is
due because some will not use it is both un-
: just and absurd.
Women and Politics.
detroit Free Press
9 But for women, iterature-especialiy that
portion of it known as bellies letters-and the