The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-01-21

dalton and want Of conscience. The
bible indeed teaches that woman Is
/ the queen Of the home. But the
/ christian home Is designed to exert
It's influence direct and authoritative,
on all public affairs. Right here at
this point, hOweyer-the relation Of
woman 70 the home, there are those
who, strange - Il may seem make
the blunder Of MOhammedanism
But the Bible Ia not like; the Koran,
which teaches that women have no
souls, and 90 their husbands shut
them up In the harem and treat them
Ike slaves. On the contrary under BIZ
bic light, women have the same moral,
social and public rights and response
bilities that men have. and their du-
ties are not all domestic. But they
are needed in every effort for making
the world better and the reason the
world has been growing better so
slowly Is becauss that men in their
stupidity and self-cOnceit have shut
women out Of many OF these enter
prises. But, thank God, the spirit OF
the Bible Is beginning TO prevail with
thinking men aud the time b not
far distant-if / read the signs Of the
time aright-when men will take
their helpmeet by the hand and say
To her, come and help Us overcome
the great evils Of society that we have
been unable to overthrow alone,
though we have been battling with
them for 5000 years, refusing 10 let
you help us publicly.
This second proposition that the
general spirit Of the Bible makes
woman mans equal In all these mat
tiers both Of privilege and TespOn-
sibility, Is so clear that nothing short
Of a positive command Of God 20 the
contrary. thus saith the Lord
''trOHieH shall not rOfc, " would justify
Us in modifying Il.
But when we come, Rs we now de,
10 apply the second principle OF in-
depreciation ny examining the teach
ings Of separate passages-specifie
verbal texts Of scripture-the most
narrow, literal, verbal construction
that can be put upon them. will fail
10 tind a direct, thus saith the Lord
anywhere within the lids OF the Bible
forbidding women to take part In
public affairs, 10 be mans helpmeet
la all the relations OF life, and espec-
tally In the social and moral eleva-
ton Of the race. But we will find
quite a number Of examples Of God
pHtting women or endorsing their be-
ing put in positions OF public trust. OF
even al the head Of public affairs ~
Abigail, the wife Of that contempti-
BILE churl. Nabal who, when by his
stupid ehurllshness he had revOlted
against King David and was unable
TO defend himself aud family from de-
structiOn before the just wrath OF the
king. stepped &C. the front aud took
the reins OF public affairs In her own
hands, aud by her tack and gOOd
sense appeased the wrath OF the king.
and saved her family from the de-
struction that her stupid husband had
otherwise inevitably brought upon
them. Aud instead Of being rebuked
for stepping out Of her sphere % pro-
tect her home from the ruin that her
husband had brought upon Il, by
thus taking the management Of pub
lie affairs into her own hands, Divine
records the approval OF
this act by Gods everything provi-
dence, in letting her first husband die
IL tell YOU that WAS the luckiest
that ever befell Abigail,
10 let that old churl die who was I'M
worthy Of herl aud causing the king
10 seek her out, because of the nObili-
~ Of character she displayed In that
very transaction, Rni make her his
wife aud queen Of the whole realm
Let me here quote ~ another spe-
cific passage: Judges 4: 9Th 5tn
And Deborah a prophecies, the wife
OF LapidOth She judged Israel at
that time {. e. was the public rulerl
And she dwelt under the palm-tree
Of Deborah. between Rtmah and
BethelIn Mt. Ephraim. and the chill
dren OF Israel came up 70 her for
judgment"
Here Is a woman, hOnOred OF God
10 be not only a wife, but both
and ruler Of her people be-
sides. There II not one word of Di-
vine disapprOval but Of c0mmenda-
ton aud successes In her manage
msnt Of public affairs. For she too,
took the nation when threatened with
what humanity speaking was inevita-
bic ruin. The men got themselves
into that fix and they had % let this
woman get them out Of II and God
wrought deliverauce 90 the nation by
the hands Of that woman, thus Civ
ing his sanction tn wOman's admins
lering public affairs. And not only
20. but demonstrated that woman
was a. that time the most competent
man Ia all the land % be jud % aud
ruler Of the natiOn-that competency
and not ser Is Gods criterion Of Sc
lection In eKalting persons 70 admins
Ter public affairs
We might 20 on aud examine the
specific history Of Miriam and Esther
aud a host OF other women prominent
In public affairs Of the nation, Nth
Gods dDDrOrai, not Omitting Jezsbel.
For A. 4 ruler her ability j. unques-
toned. Tire trouble with her was not
10 her governing faeulty-but in her
WAS an idOlatOr aud she
WAS very devoted 10 her religion, and
bent all her energies 20 convert the
whole nation % her religion. aud sue
ceeded remarkably. She j. often
called a very wicked WOMAN real
shs-devii But that Is a mistaken
Of her character. she was
a very religious woman. LOrenzD
Dow uttered truth a. well as vie in
his strange puzzle that startled his
hearers, When he quantity said
u Je.ejei igHs a rery piOus iC9mdn-in
her UaV li'-but her way was the way
Of idOlatry. The fault was not IA her
zeal nor In her governmental ability
but In the religion she adopted.
But the way she twisted the old
King Ahab and the whole nation
about her fingers proves her eompe-
tency 70 govern and disprOves that
woman Il eonstitutiOnally unit and
10 take part in or man
age puOlic affairs.
And In the matter IN which she
went astray-her choices 81 a religion,
IL j. 10 be noted that she was the eK-
cepti0n amOug the women who held
public trust Ia Israel. while out Of the
male rulers history records that nine
out Of ten went sstray IA tue same
way-turning 10 idOiatEy. While
the record Of only about Que 10 ten II:
He did right IN the sight % the
Of each Of the other nine
b : And he did evil In the sight q
the Lord and followed the sins Of
Jeroboam the son Of kshat which
male Israel sin.
Nov what are the passages relied
upon forbidding women % take part
10 national and public aftln None
In the Old Testament-absoluiely
none.
n, -. N-.-r Tasfaunant there are