Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-30
Woman's Suffrage.

nm vaIueUle aS6istauCc.
 Woman's Suffrage.
 Week before last aseries of woman suffrage meetings were held in hartford and. New Ha- ven. These meetings were well attended and were addressed by ladies prominent in urging the extension of the suffrage. Miss Anthony, Mrs. Hooker, Mrs. Gage, Mrs. Hanaford. Mira Olympia Brown, and others, spoke in behalf of this reform with great force and ability; and we judge that the meetings were successful in the object for which they were called: that of stirring up those who fa- vor this measure of justice to woman. to re- newed efforts in it's behalf.
 Commenting on these meetings, the New Haven Palladium, while substantially admit ting that the weight of argument favors the acknowledgement of woman's right to the bal lot, yet maintains that the movement is a failing, or at best stationary one, and at- tributes this condition of things to woman's own indifference.
 That there is much apparent and some real truth in this view, we must concede. The cause has not, SC far as outward manifesto tions go, gained materially in the East for several years. The measure comes up every year in the Massachusetts legislature for an- nual defeat, with slightly varying votes. In Connecticut, bills granting woman's munich pal suffrage, have repeatedly passed the Low CT House, to be defeated in the Senate; Though, this year, a modified measure did, inadvertently, slip by even the staid (not to say stolid) conservatism of that body. In New England legislatures, then, the measure is marking time" rather than marching on.
 In the West, progress is more apparent. In the first place, in Wyoming Territory, where woman's suffrage was adopted in fun rather than in earnest, it stjeks. It is no long CT an experiment, but stable, solid success. It is not only popular; but, to tine surprise of many, it proves to be a most conservative measure, tending strongly toward a better choice of candidates and purer elections. In many Western States the cause is certainly The Granger movement admit ting women as it did to full equality, has ev- idently accustomed the Western woman to political or semi ni-political action, and has re- moved much of the prejudice formerly exist ing against her participation in politics. In several Western States, suffrage amendments have passed seperate Houses. and, We think in one or two instances, both Houses so that the question must so0lr come up for popular vote. Possibly Kallochs may rise up and defeat it Ill other states, as did that notorious demagogue in Kansas, but defeat never kills a real reform
 When we go outside mere votes of politi- clans in legislatures, the progress the measure has made toward a favorable public opinion is literally immense. Ten years ago the New Haven Palladium would have heaped ridicule on such gatherings as those of last week. It was then no mere error of judgment, it was a crime, to favor woman suffrage; it was a hor- rible thing for women to hold public meet ings; free-love was the natural result to which the whole thing tended. To day, we see at least half our intelligent people looking with complacency, if not with favor, upon propositions for suffrage extension. Even the conservative Episcopal Church has it's Wc- mans Auxiliary. with their public meetings,
 The chief reason, however, why the suf- frage question drags in our legislatures is be- cause conservatism is in deadly fear of the results of universal male suffrage. Within the last half century the immigrant and the ne- gro have both been given the ballot, These extensions of the suffrage-frst by one and then by the other political though, as we firmly believe, wise and just-have led to serious misgovernment-to Tweed Rings, Southern Carpet Baggery," and negro legis- latures to widespread political corruption Such evils have always seemed to us likely to be only temporary; but that they threaten even worse results than they have yet shown, we cannot deny. They have prtjudiced in- telllgent people against all extensions of the suffrage. The inevitable reaction against the Democratic extension of the suffrage to the inn migrant, and the Republican extension of the suffrage to the negro, has made both parties profoundly distrustful of all suffrage exten- sions. This feeling of distrust on the part of so many men is reflected in the opinions of their wives and daughters and, makes woman afraid of the ballot. It will be when iatelli- gent persons of both sexes come to see that woman suffrage is not, like previous suffrage extensions, . radical, but thoroughly conser- vative measure that they will heartily favor it.
 Woman Suffrage is however but a part, perhaps small part, of the 'woman move. ment" In other directions progress is sufi ciently evident The right of wives to their own property, unrecognzed till that time iu Connecticut law, has within the past fou, years been secured by two most importan, statutes. Woman's sphere of active occupa. tion is daily extending. She is learning tc compete with man in every direction. Firsl of all she is calling for and receiving what twenty years ago would have been called a mans education. Excellent colleges for wo. men have been opened; mems colleges have been opened to their admission. The idea that woman should have as thorough an education as man is fast driving out the mere accomplishments, the superficial Finishing off" process of the old fashioned
 ladies' school. With better education and
 freer notions, women are developing in. creasing aptitudes for what used to be con. sidered male avocations. Indeed it may
 prsve after all that woman's suffrage, instead of taking it's place as the corner stone on which
 her liberties are to be founded, is to be the
 key stone of the completed work. It may