The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-03-14
Should Women Exercise the
Elective Franchise.

nuence Of her nature be iclt in the adj
ministration Of all our governments to
, n greater extent than it has ever been
felt before.
In Wyoming, women vote, act as Ju'
rors, and hold office, with manifest adj
vantage to the territory, as the Gov
ern0r himself has declared in message
to the Legislature; and in many other
States ;hey exercise limited suffrage
on the school question and whisky qucs-
ton.
In California, and number of other
States, women have been admitted to
practice law in all The courts Of the
State, and few years ago Congress
passed bill admitting them to practice
in the Supreme Court Of the United
States. " hen this bill was pending
before the Senate, on its third and last
reading, Judge lIoar Of Massachusetts
made II strong speech in its favor, show,
ing the necessity Of allowing attorneys
to follow their eases from State Courts
to Federal Courts, and in conclusion al.
ludcl in these words to one Of Shaks.
pcare's famous plays:
"Thc greatest master Of human man.
ncrs who read the human heart and who
understood better than any man who
ever lived the varieties Of human char
acter, when he desired to solve the knot
which had puzzled the lawyers and doc.
tors, placed II woman upon the judy
mcnt seat and yet, under the present
existing law, if Portia herself were
alive, she could not defend the opinion
she had given before the Supreme Court
of he United States"
One hundred and sixty lawyers in the
District Of Columbia signed petition
requesting the United States Senate to
pass this bill. and similar petition was
sent from the city of New York.
Mr.. Sargent, Of California;, made an
able speech in favor Of it, and, in the
course Of his remarks, said
cit is generally recognized that wo-
men are taking to themselves wider
sphere Of action and filling it well.
There was time in the history of the
English people when it was looked upon
as improper and degrading for woman
to appear upon the stage, and yet since
that time women lave made their way
in that profession in spite Of prejudice,
in spite Of the unadaptability Of their
sex, as it was claimed by what was called
public taste, until now they have rem
dercd the profession and themselves il.
lnstrious in it, The medical unlvcrsi-
ties Of the world IRE receiving women,
and inatrucling them in medicine and
surgery, and there are many women en-
gagged in these studies and practicing
this profession. In France the univcr-
sites are open TO them. The prejudice
in England has been gradually over.
come in this direction, and the London
Medical College receives them. They
are admitted into the Scotch schools and
into some Of the best medical schools of
the United States, and they are making
their way in them ALL There are in the
various States Of the Uuion women law.
ycrs and women in literature have won
Il very high place. No man has right
to put Il limit to the cxcrlions or the
sphere Of woman"
Now, if we admit Senator Sargcnt's
last proposition TO be true, how can it be
said that no woman should exercise the
elective franchise? Shall women prac.
ticc law in all the courts Of the State,
and even in the Supreme Court Of the
United States, the highest judicial tribu-
nal on earth, and still be not permitted /
to express their opinion as to the rcla.
tive qualifications Of candidates for pub
lie office by putting little piece of ia.
per in ballot.boX?
John Stuart Mills work entitled the
"Snblccion Of Women" has demon.
stratcd the propricty of charging the
sphere Of woman's influence, and 81.
fenced all opposition,
There is not IL leading newspaper in
the United States that opposes woman
suffrage, and the world is waiting for
women to demand their rights and do
their duty IN helping to place the wise
lhd vlriuous in power and authority.
When this is done wars will be no c
more the whisky question will be set, S
led; Understanding public debts will T.
ease to exist; private corporations will C
10 longer control tho currency of the r.
ounry the government will issue Ii
n abundant circulating medium d
which will be as good as gold II b
INIT will be placed to the accumu. -
alton of wealth by private indi.
'iuuals; law against land monopoly 4,
viii be made, like the Agrarian law Of y
The Roman Republic, allowing 40 one to J.
'W' more than n certain number of =
'crcs; the privilege and poll tax sys. =
lens will be utterly abolished ; the e
blessings of wealth will be more equally .
md justly distributed; and all persons :
over sixty years of age will receive Il :
pension from the Government, large -
'nough to maintain them in comfort ne !,
ong as they live. W. u
These things are practicable, and if :"
hey were carried into effect the moral y
S well as the material condition of the ="
eople would be wonderfully improved, v
nd tbs earth, comparativeI y speaking,
'ould be Il paradise. o
but without woman's help at the bal
t,boX, good men can do but little, .
ut it remains for her to say whether II
lp il WILING tn hn H., &, ,,, "a Al