Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-05
CHICAGO LETTER.
weakness OF the Minority Report Oh
Woman Suffrage.
Argnments of Grave Senators Challenged
aud Controyerted.

speclal Correspondence OF the Gazette
CHICAGO, May 1.-The minority re-
mort Of the senate committee on woman
suffrage is one of the weakest, most
instituted documents that has lately
been given to the public senators
Brown of Georgia and Cockrell oil MIS-
souri, are the signers ofthe report when
fills an eight-page pamphlet. Inc ioi'
lowing extracts fairly illustrate the
drift Of the whole argument;
II the wife and mother is REQUIRED TO , ieays
the sacred precincts al home, ana 10 al'elnpt
10 do military duty when the state STU pen,
or II she is To DO required 10 leave nor n",,,e
fcom day TO day IN attenaance . ina inv, nuo
room nom night to night with men WHO MY
strangers while a question OF NE o. pIouv,TiT
IS being considered; If she Is 10 nt,enu Ro,i i,
cal meetings, take part In political discus
sions, and mingle with the male sex ~ poiiti'
cal gatherings II sneis to become an nctive
politician; II she Is to atteho ,r poi''c ~
the night; II she is to take part in all the IN
savory work that may be necessary Tor me
triumph of her party; and ifelectlon Jay sne
is TO leave her home and SO upon the stieets
electoneering for votes for the cnnalua.es
who receive her support, ana mlngiipg
among the crowds OF men VINO gamer arounu
the polls she Is to press her way tnrousn
them to the bailotbox and deposit her SUI.
rage; II she Is to take part In the corporate
struggles of the city or town IN whien
She resides, attend TO the duties OF
his honor the mayor, of councilman or OF pc.
liceman, TO say nothing OF the many other
obligations which are dlsagreeabie even 10
the male sex-how is she, with all these
heavy duties of citizen, politician and Office,
holder resting upon her shoulders, TO attend
to the more sacred, delicate and refining trust
which sheis peculiarly fitted by. nature9 II
she Is to discharge the duties last mentioned
is she In connection with them to
discharge the more refining, elevati,nng
mother, Christian, and friend. which are
found in the sphere where nature has placed
her? Whois to care for and train me child,
rem while she is absent in the discharge of
these masculine duties9 It's
said by those who have examined the ques-
ton closely that the largest number OF IL
vorces is now found In the communities
where the advocates OF female suffrage are
most numerous, and where tire individuality
of woman as related 10 her husband, which
such doctrine inculcates, Is increased to
the great est extent. II this be true, and II
seems 10 be we'll authenticated, IL Is strong
plea in the interest of the family and of So
ciety against granting the petition of the
advocates OF woman suffrage.
These worthy senators fall, uninten-
tionally perhaps, into the every day
error of surprising that if we grant
woman more privileges we impose
more hard, unwomanly duties; that II
they are allowed all of the privileges
of man that they must necessarily
abuse them in the same way that men
do; that If women do certain things
like voting that have heretofore been
done only by men that they will be-
come imbued with all of the degrade
ton that characterizes masculine poll
ties, as If it were the possession OF the
right to cast vote that makes men
mean! Those men who think that
women would be governed in theii
I voting by the low, debased principles
which influence men to vote this way
or that, must have very mean esti
mate of womankind. No wonder
many men shudder at the ides
of their female friends ant
relatives entering the dirty poo
of politics." but in tn,
name of justice who has made 1t thu
filthy: Do political affairs make mel
filthy, or is it men who make politica
affairs filthy? 1t must be a conceite(
coxcomb who imagines that womel
want the ballot SO that they may b.
more like men. A woman worth.
the name would scorn to think of be
ing as weak as the average man
Though she has not his privileges an
advantages, yet for all that she is con
PEELED to look down upon rather tina
up to man; hence no right-minde
woman would wish to be like maj
If men are afraid to trust women wit
higher freedom because they fear
will have demOralizing inhuenc
| xt.tl nl,a NJ do ..nl
and unrocked cradles, they are sadl
mistaken. Greater freedom al
breadth of opportunity has not degel
q Of such Englishmen as Matthew A
Of mold, who hold that the remnant"
II right and the majority always wron
and that America ought yet to be Il
flourishing western ward of the Br
w ish empire. Has American freedo
= been failure in the case of me
Would equal educational and sufI'ra
rights cause women to be Ii
m. womanly? How egotistical man mt
to be to think so.
lie The wife and mother is not to
required to do military duty "wh
the state is in peril" simply becar
ut she has the right to cast ballot.
ON Is not at all necessary that she
required to leave home day after
~. in attendance upon court as juro
But III she Were to serve in the il
,,s box, she would not have to go d
~ after day for many days; the aver,
ara male citizen of responsibility is
an found so very frequently serving
country in that way (; rs laws now
he generally manages to find so
ed way of shirking. Does he give
IL sister credit for less sagacity than
possesses? She would be unqualii
as a juror by a knowledge of curr
events, and the possession of opiniC
But, In all candor, with women {
lct- woman in the jury room, there wo
,uu- be no poker playing in the roc
lc', there would be no verdicts such as
one rendered in the Berner case
s. Cincinnati.
She would not attend political {
up cuses at late hours of the night;
. would not need to take part In all
the unsavory work which men {
cies slider necessary to the triumph of Il
party. She might we'll attend to
duties OF mayor or councilman,
On IN would no more be called upon to
oio police service than at present.
How ridiculous to think that bees
ND q woman has the right TO all of
T." privileges Of man that she will tn
by obligate herself to perform all
the work and duties that are ne
iarly adapted for man.
H. From the logic of Messrs, Brown
lm- Cockrell, all that makes woman
at I'M. fri 4