San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-05-01
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1886.
A WOMAN ON WOMEN.

Gail Hamilton passes muster
wherever known as one of the brainy
women of America. Her early writings
attracted attention, were widely read,
sharply criticised and generally ac-
cepted as the product of a fertile, richly
stored, thoughtful mind, Years have
matured the powers and added sOlidly
to the judgment Of that writer. Her radi-
calism will hardly be questioned by any
one familiar with her writings. In the
very fore front of all movements for adj
vanced education for women, for open
ing the doors of all our higher schools
and colleges to women on equal terms
with men; thoroughly committed to all
that can advance in any way the posi-
tiOn of women educatiOnally, indus
trially, socially and morally, Miss Mary
Abigail Dodge, (Gail HsmiltOR), has
certainly earned right to speak for her
sex. Her opinions on all matters con-
nected with the sphere of wOman-her
duties, rights, Possibilities, advantages,
etc, are entitled to consideration. She
has recently put herself on record cen
corning Female suffrage" in way
that will not exactly suit her radical
friends; but Miss Dodge, like her big
cousin, James G. Blaine, has always had
the courage of her opinions and the
power Of their forceful utteranCe.
Concerning this matter of comforting
the franchise on women, Miss Dodge
says:
Woman suffrage is an artificial cause, and
is just as hard to keep up as slavery was TO put
down. Convention discussion, legislation, fail
to arouse any enthusiasm for wOmans rights,
because there is no organized, insistant radi-
cal wOman's wrongs. Individual women suffer
and concrete laws are unjust to women rs u
class. As men Increase i'll refinement and Vir-
tue, women share in the imprOvement-in-
cYitably because man is compounded of men
and women. Whatever women suffer, they
suffer from an impertectiOn of human society:
not from any combined Intentional oppression
by its stronger sex. WOman's suffrage
langushes, not because men will not grant,
but because women do not wish il. Women
cannot be made to wish 1t, because they do
not suffer from the lack of II. Whenever they
want it, they will have il. There is more dan
ger that they will have it without wanting IL,
than they will want it without having it.
There is a quiet power Of conviction
ton in this article, the conviction that
the writer Of it has thought the subject
out, observed closely concerning it, made
herself familiar with it and firmly made
up her mind concerning it.
With that opinion one way or the
other this article has nothing to do.
While the question of woman's franchise
is agitating the legislative bodies Of the
several States and the nation, and knock
ing at the doors for recognition In State
and National law it is at least significant
that one of the most fearless, indepen-
dent, radical, outspoken advocates Of
woman's enlarged sphere and duties
should SO deliberately and squarely put
herself on the record as opposed to the
demand made for her sex. This oppo-
sition, too, based on the declaration that
women did not want the franchise and
would not exercise it If granted. There
is at least food for reflection and some
nuts for the PRACTICAL legislator in
"Gail's" brief sermon on suffrage"