The Wilmingtonian., 1885-07-11
Woman's Vote.

that the majority of the gentler sex lave to
publicity. They are averse to that state of
things. The natural drift of their tempera-
ment causes the feminine nature to throw
up its hands in horror at the sight of the
strong minded woman, who, with masculine
hardihood speaks of Woman's Rights and
clamors upon the public platform for female
suffrage.
The Susan B. Anthony, the Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, or the Lille Devereux Blake
| type is not favorite with her sex, and with
the other, oh!-they are great and good
women-but, bold and manly!
Still the above need not unconstitute
them Objects of abstract admiration, that is
to say their theories.
There is one point, we-think, in regard to
female suffrage however that the gentler sex
might consider seriously. IL is the tax
ing in hand by them of school and educa-
tional matters.
The mother is always closer to the child,
there seems to be more thorough reliance,
fellowship and communion between mother
and child than between father and child.
The worlds record shows that the mothers
influence has always been the one that
makes or mars for her son,s-future.
/ u,I,;u IL, o1,1 raot "a
then that mothers so readily, 80 unreAect-
ingly refuse to consider the valuable power,
almost within their reach, of continuing, in
a very significant sense, some share in the
responsibility of the future building up of
her child's moral and intellectual ma
ture.
Had women, mothers at least, alright to
vote upon school affairs, there is little doubt
but some improvement in educational mat
ters would soon be seen. There would not
necessarily be present in that act any of
the coarse associations such as ars linked
with political balloting. The purpose alone
would dignity the act in the eyes of all
women, and the harsher sex would compre-
hend the sacredness of mothers love and
anxiety for her children as the noblest ex-
PLANTATION for the picture Of woman deposi-
ting her vote at the public ballot boxl As
has been said the motive in this case is
something superior, altogether .dissociated
from the coarse surroundings of tie usual
voting precinct picture. -
There is another strong reason. At til,
f last city election for members Of tIyI Board
, of Education, there was an sjladingls
light vote cast, The figures are called
| to mind, but it is sufficient to say t.Ea the
! voters did not give half the attentioh to this
most important suffrage that it deserves.
II the school suffrage were granted to moth
ers it is highly probable that different
story would be recorded. They ave always
solicitous about their children. The sub
f ject is TO them, one of never ending inter-
est.
There is great affinity between the home
, and the school. The latter is a direct envi-
ronment of the home of which the mother is
ruler. Is it out of place that some modi-
cum Of the mothers influence extend to the
schoolroomP When the child leaves ber
home of morning, with the mothers fond
kiss imprinted upon its lips it would almost
appear that the child were going to q
5 strange land, to incur possibly some danger,
and that the parents good bye were a spe.
, cies of charm to ward off suspected trouble
The identity between home and schoo
J should be closer in theory and fact.
Did the mothers in Wilmington have
some choice, some influence in the school af
fairs of the city, had they the option of suf
r frage, it is extremely probable that more
real, more lively interest would be seen il
/ general educational affairs. The sternel
r sex seem to have very little, let them not, al
Y least, oppose woman's vote in school af
Y fairs.