The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-12
The Women's Meeting.


The Women's Meeting.
The meetings of women in this city Tues
day and yesterday-mostly attended by men
to advance the political progress of their
sex are gratifying illustrations of the recent
and rapid progress in comradeship and con-
certed effort made by our sisters. II is
singular fact that women, who have so long
led society in enlightened lands, have, even
in the immediate past, been so deficient in
organization, so backward in banding to-
gether fort the retaining of rights and the ad-
vancement of privileges. They are the social
sex; they hold more free and more frequent
converse with each other than men do; yet,
until of late, they have shown little capacity
for political organization-at least little in
clination toward it, Perhaps they have been
hampered by home duties, have not felt at
liberty to go beyond the limits of what is US
ually called Woman's Sphere, have not per-
mltted themselves to indulge in the longing
or attempt the ambition of men to conquer
new worlds. But some of the foremost ad-
vocates of woman suffrage have abundantly
demonstrated that the duties of wife and
mother are not incompatible with broader
though no more worthy nor useful-expe-
rience. The greater includes the less; and
there is no reason why the house-keeper
cannot take an intelligent interest in public
affairs without neglecting der household du-
ties. Matters of government are of quite as
much concern to her as to the man.
This appears to be the view of Mrs. Lucy
Stone, who has done most of the effective
work in these meetings. Her clearness of
thought, concseneSs of statement and beau
ty of diction have excited the ardent approx
al of those who urge the cause of adult suf-
frage, and extortcd the admiration of those
who scoff at it. Wisely, and unlike some
who spoke from the same platform, she has
attempts to excite the ire of the tyrant upon
whose good whim or sense of Justice she
depends. She knows that the power of ex-
tending the suffrage rests with men, and
she appeals to their sense of justice, wise
lY deeming that better way to achieve her
esiAh ohoh W PlOFOhC tuCtf uOSblllIy ny Call
ing them despots. She is aware that if ever
suffrage is granted to women it will be by
ballots thrown from the hands of men. And
she is too wise to irritate or condemn those
whom she must make her allies in order to
assure her success. Her plea cannot be
withstood by men who look upon suffrage
as natural right. Her logic is too strong
for them. Those who regard it as only
privilege may argue with her. But the
great majority of American men hold the
premises she does and cannot successfully
dispute the conclusion she draws. Few of
them are disposed to. As soon as women gem
orally demand the ballot it will be given to
them. When our mothers and sisters and
daughters unite in making that request we
shall not say them nay. To their persua-
sions we men-folk will speedily yield. In
appealing to them Mrs. Stone is both wise
and cunning.
These meetings have made it evident that
women have learned the advantage of Or
ganized effort From church societies, from
charitable associations, from adult suffrage
agitation meetings, they have learned The
lesson that men in this part of the land have
acquired by the town-meetings of two hum
dred years. They have been apter than we
They are naturally more alert 1t took us
two centuries to reach the advanced ground
they have so nearly approached within three
decades.
But some of the most ardent advocates
of adult suffrage fail to see that the enlarge
ment of the rights and privileges and COM
forts of women is not entirely dependent up
on the ballot and that much and immediate
advantage can be gained in other ways The
history OF man-government ought to teach
them that The worth and the dignity of
labor are certainly understood by those who
plead for the ballot; but 1t is dimly OF not at
all apprehended By many of their sisters
who are still in the bondage of darkness.
Until the laboring woman is held in as high
regard by her sex as the laboring man is by
his, equal suffrage will not command much
support from the mass of women. They,
like us, are mostly laborers. When the
housemaid can hold her head as high among
her sister-women as the blacksmith can
among his fellow-men when the shop-girl
is considered as good as the drummer
the suffragists will win their decisive
victory. 1t is not enough that women be
permitted to engage on equal terms with
men in the field of mental struggle. There
the lists have long been free to them, and
they have often carried away prizes. They
should be given as fair a chance and as
frank a recognition in the field of manual
labor. But there, regretfully be it said, the
obstacles to their success are often thrown
in the path by women. The girl who works
with her hands is looked down upon--ncver
by gentlewomen, but often by ''ladies."
We are not speaking of social recognition.
That, no man nor woman can demand as q
right. Society can bar or admit as it pleases.
We mean the foolish feeling entertained by
too many, that woman degrades herself by
undertaking manual labor unless it be in
her own household. Men, unless they are
fools, do not have that feeling toward each
other or toward their sisters. As long as
women do, their industrial progress and the
increase of their wage-earning power will be
stayed.