Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-03-20
Woman Suffrage.

There is Il committee. of the Massachu-
sets legislature on the subject of Wo-
man Suffrage, which gave hearing on
Monday, to the remonstrants against the
measure. Upon the question of rights,
Judge Lowell, of the Supreme Court of
Massachusetts was first heard. He said
Suffrage in itself has no necessary con
nection with inalienable rights. Suffrage
is political, not II natural right 1t is
the right of every person to elect and be
elected, simply to the extent that it Is es
tablished by the form of government. 1t
Is a question of policy, privilege which
is to be established according to eXpedi-
ency. Mr.. Bowditch takes the ground
that unless women can vote you ought
not to tax them. He says taxation with
out representation is robbery. He doesn't
give any reason why it is robbery. He
says that James Otis said so, but he adj
mits that James Otis and his confreres
didn't mean what he means. They said that
representatives should be chosen by people
who have $50 in money. There is no uni
versal maxim or code of morals that every
body who pays Il tax should vote Many
persons don't have votes that pay taxes.
Corporations don't have any votes a
foreigner who lives here less than five
years has no vote, no matter how rich he
may be. The richest person in the Com
mOnwealth has no vote unless he can read
and write, The maxim quoted only meant
that there should be representation by
the people in order that taxes might be
voted by the people and not arbitrarily by
Ming OF some lother power Inc rlShu
~ Noie ~ man, No,iih ii " iiiiiu 10 " p1
of hiph Gvnediencv for the Good of the
people themselves. On those grounds it
must be decided am not certain how
snol,iu Note on Nv eApeu'ellc!; ~ VI tt
mnefiom imam WV 7'''
Thomas Newton. ESQ. of Newton then
spoke of woman suffrage as something
that might prove the opening wedge for
things which never could BE- desired. The
American idea of the right of voting i'll
cludes three things First, the right to
vote; second, the right to be voted for :;
third, the right to defend the vote if need
be. Such an idea rs voting for political
Office or holding such office is repulsve to
our mothers, sisters and wives, with few
exceptions. 1t is not Womanly. Woman
has nobler duty than crOwding the vot-
ing rooms. The defence of the ballot by
those who cast it is, Il most important CON
Slderation. AS to the real feeling of the
womel. on the suffrage question, the best
evidence came from the voting on the
school committee question. Out of the
800, 900 women in this Commonwealth, i'll
1879 just 1864 registered and 229l voted In
1880, 1866 registered and 1861 voted Not
one woman out OF hundred desired the
ballot. AS to woman purifying politics
polltlcs-ioOk ut Washington, where Wo-
in ih eo.ie ~ aS i1tS N a., th
great snnt 1non onr nntion
- a., ,,;,,+ ,1.la ,,,,,,,, ,,.,,,+d
, '0,i 'i'o P'iiio "ii''h'i "'''io'i ""i'S
the palloU' Ine Wolltn were very property
allowed to speak for themselves. a petit
ton drawn by Miss Mary Dewey. daugh-
far of tba I,ta Rav Orville dewey
Ho ,''0 WV "N''
OF women, was reap, which SAID:
We represent Il large class, we believe a
majority of our sex in this State, who
earnestly protest against the extension of
suffrage to us Even if we agree that we
have a right to it, all rights are not duties,
and there are many which sound judg-
ment will not exercise. We believe in a
wise division of labor, based on natural
fitness inherited capacity and functional
occupation, and just as it would not be
wrong but very unwise.. fer men habitu-
ally to exercise their indisputable right to
manage the details of the kitchen and
nursery, 50 we urge that it would be a
great mistake for women to mix in the
technical turmoil of politics and cast
votes Our influence will be stronger and
truer exerted in ways more congenial to
us than the ballot box. Therefore, we
pray you not to impose an undcSired and
undesirable obligation upon one-half the
community whom you represent, and
whose WISHES YOU are hereto CONSIDER.
Mrs Kate Gnnnett Wells was nevt call
od ,nor, and s,id n,,,o,,,, ,t,an ti,i,,,,.
W. ,, npoH ".i,' '''.' "',,o7 o'"ei '"''So
me caSIllS vi palio.s ny women Is not
neeueo' lor representation OF women IN
teIes'e; Iu Ior !hey are represented ny the
men. Inc interests OF Doth men ana Wo-
men atg So lluis5oluply p0uhu togethef
thau eltner coulu ne trusted 10 safety rep
resent Ihe othero, ana we anus MAINTAIN
thaI tIe lranchlse Is now sulllclehily eN-
tehueu' tnu thtt men Gun ne trusted 10
represent us, ior whether as woman
cauoc, vi Moiiiii lelto' ol us lie heeuS
VI i.'iiialiit?' liiG ca,ise, lhS rlSnIs, lhe
neeus, are siGailiy advanced ny the pro
Sress vi clNlllHatioli' every sleP IN Wnlch
4? ili''ue pelhlaliehl ny masculine leSlslit,
tlol. ou!iIiraSiSUs clalln that payment OF
lanes WihouI representation Is UNJUST;
IaAeo navy nolnlnS TO 40 WIN personal
rePrtsellulioii' OF II they clalhl that they
snoulu ne dependent upon II, then, con
sistenily, she VINO pays the heaviest tan
should nave the largest power OF repre-