, 1881-09-11

| HC -$3h 1Nth ttNt"et~ Ft1>~+A>N0 ~ -A>"' -
sufficient authority for printing tho follow
ing:
| Secretary Blaine IS reported to have told {
T. friend te-uu: thnt one ct tho most serious OBJ
stuclcs the Cabinet had to meet in coMsiderI1't:
the advlsAbility Of inviting the Vice Prest0enl
Mrs. t;aritelAE objection. She had dcclarcN tna'
] rs long as the President lived no invasion OF Iii:
| put her foot down In this matter, and they could
not induce her to hear Of any assumption OF
| power by the Eicc-Pgesidcnt.
| ThcreuDon the Grnp}ic gravely expresses
| the hope l" that Mrs. Garfield has not thus
] interfered,'' and proceeds to lecture the
| Cabinet for t0lerating airy expression oi
| oplnlon from Mrs. Gariield about the matter.
1t is very evident that the writer OF such com
ments Is not Il married man. Otherwise he
would know that women Of character always
have opinions ut critical moments, and that
ITO Cabinet nor any other formidable COLL
bin atlon Uf lncl can prevent them from Civ
ing expression to those opinions. Nor do
sensible men try to repress the opinions OF
sensible women; neither do they scorn it. nor
t,ippantly and contenptuously neglect it..
Moreover, Mrs. Garfield has Il perfect right to
an opinion on the subject of the Presidents
Inability. There Is no one else to whom the
life and the rights Of the President are SO s:e-
cred us they are to her. 1t would be very
strange if, with her experience anu knoWl~
eIge Of public affairs, she should not enter
tain an opinion worthy Of consideration as
to the propr1ety Of calling in Gen. y rtlaur to
discharge the duties to which the American
people appointed her husband, anu equally
strange if she declined to state that opinion
n iS IL
to say that the Cabinet has no right to be i'll
tiuenced III the discharge of its duties br any
sentiment Of Mrs. Gnrfelt!'s: that is simply 4
matter of course, But we know of no pro-
vision in the Constitution or laws which
makes it the duty Of the Cabinet to call in the
Nicc-rresident to assume the office and du-
ties of President; and, if Mrs. Garfield adj
yised the Cabinet to do no such thing, her
advice was wise and timely, and tile Cabinet
have done exceedingly well to heed it.
1t is essentially un-.American to denr to
4 woman the privilege OF expressing her
opinions Oil matters that come near to
her, and it is nnwise in America or any
where else to ignore such opinions. This
feminine privilege is Of more value both to
women and to the country than the ballot
would BE- under a system of woman suffrage.
If ever woman Justified her claim to the ex-
ercse of this privilege and to respect for her
opinions, Mrs. Garfield has done SO. II the
REPORT i'll the Graphic be true, that Mrs. Gar 3!
field has influenced the Cabinet not 70 call |
upon Gen. Arthur to assume the Presidency ]
i'll the absence Of any precedent for such Il !
and also IN the absence of any !
fur it. then that lady has added to |
her claims upon the American people, not |
because Ten. Arthur is NFice-Presit(cut, bus :
because there has yet been no oc:ssioini for /
any such innovation i Lis Is Said that when
Tile doctors gave UP The Presidents life anu
went to Mrs. Garfield to inform her Of that
act she told them to 10 back to the sick
cha iiIbGf~ and continue their efforts. There
was Il case In which her opinion and prompt
expression thereof were valuable. It is be-
ievcd that the removal ct the President |
rom Washington to Long Branch was large
y due to the insistence IF Mrs. Garfield, and
hat she had some hand III dispensing with
Tue further attendance Of the physicians
who oycrruled DR.. Hamilton for a long time |
n this matter. 1t is very evident she was
right III that particular. II ller Influence
Ills also prevented tile Cabinet from under
aking the questionable proceeding of calling
tpon the Vice President to take the Presi-
cnt's office, the, it Is the third notable i'll
tancc i'll which the assertion Of her opinion
las been Of good effect. Mrs. Garfield may
ettcr be pointed to as af Illustration Of the I
alne OF wonan's opinion and the lna1iena-
lie right Of woman to express her opinion
han of the contrary theory.