The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-28
Practical Objections to Woman Suffrage
Communicated

o.
Communicated
If political authority is placed in the hands
of those who have not the physical power to
exercise it there is danger that disorder,
civil war and military despotism will be the
practical results. Such policy provokes
revolutions. Suppose a case where a few
more than two-thirds of the women and one
third Of the men vote on one side, and two.
thirds of the men, with the remainder of
the women, vote on the other side. 1t is
not improbable, when the angry tempers of
men are excited, that the two-thirds of the
men might revolt 1t would not do TO keen
up standing armies to prevent revolutions
nor TO disarm dissatisfied classes: and when
the aid OF the General Government is in.
voked 1t is expected that a State will itself
first endeavor to enforce the State laws. In
either case the result woald be social disor-
der and military despotism on one side or
the other. Moreover, questions of peace OF
war may arise at any time in Congress; and
1t is right that the men, who are liable to be
called into military service, should, through
their representatives, decide such questions;
not the women, who are usually exempt
from most of the dangers of war. IL NAV be
said that nearly all of the women would
men of their families: so that practically
the election results would not be changed.
But If this is so it only proves the useless
ness OF dragging women into the political
arena. Ii, however, elections should be
carried by the votes of a portion of the wo-
men, the perilous result arrived at would be
nominal political authority on one side and
preponderance of physical power on the
other. In that order of society, which Prov
ldonCo nd hav rloir
hrst come the rights of personal liberty,
personal security and private property.
These belong, of right, equally to men and
women, and ought to be secured by the
Constitution to both. Next comes the fam
lily, because the majority of men have, or
will have, families. And 1t is not improper
10 consider the vote rs the vote of the fam
lily cast by its natural Representative the head
of the family. 1t is through their representa-
tives that male voters usually exercise their
political influence; and who would the
family be so likely to select for its represen-
tative as the husband and father? If women
Can not trust their fathers, brothers, hus-
bands and sons, who can they trust? Not,
surely, the politician, whose great object is to
obtain a lucrative Office. 1t may be that
some women can not trust their husbands:
but IL does not appear that the Constitution
and laws can furnish any remedy, further
than TO secure them their personal rights
and rights of property. AT any rate, the
misfortune of few ought not to be made
the basis of a rule which would necessarilyi
apply to all: to the majority of women who
believe that they can trust their husbands.
Reasonable men listen with respect to the
opinions of their mothers, sisters wives and
daughters, but it does not follow that they
should consent to undermine the natural
foundations of society by dangerous politi-
cal experiments which invite disorder and
civil war. The advocates of such professed
reforms seem to overlook the fact that Provi- |
dence has not made force the only ruling |
power in nature. 1t is not compulsion |
that causes a hen TO care for her brood of
chickens, or that causes parents to toll for |
the benefit of their families. Again, divers |
influences sometimes cooperate to bring |
about certain results; and none must be lack |
ing. The power CT women is not derived from |
force. 1t is this very fact that often makes |
it so effective. Perhaps no more certain |
way of destroying or improving the infiu-
enee of women for good could be devised
than TO change them into law makers-thus
substituting the rude rule of force, woman
suffrage, for a natural influence for good,
which has no element of force in it; and
which the world can not safely dispense
with. W. M.
indianapolis, Feb. Is, 1888.