The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-18
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ue llhuuEE ID Mull1 We klNG OUT
reason for the hope that is In Us, Is
Of much Importance. A quiet, gentle,
yet earnest presentation OF fact aud
argument, without bitter JPnuncia.
ton, will win more advocates than
many Trades. All who have seen the
gentle dignity aud listened to the
quiet, logical statements Of many Of
the advocates OF woman suffrage must
respect both the speakers and their
cause, even though they do not agree
with the views expressed. The ar
guments Ia favor Of the franchise
which seem to me the strongest, and
which appeal to women most fOreibly
are those which show that woman
can do her part In advancing the re
. forms which are 80 greatly needed,
while she is dumb politically. The
unequal laws, the temperance ques-
ton, the social evil, can never be
justly and permanently settled 80
long ~ two thirds Of the church MEM
bers, who may properly be called two
thirds OF the nRtiOa's conscience, are
stified politically IL may not be best
% increase the ignorant vote, but this
Is not necessary an educational quail
fieati0n will exclude the worst ele-
ment, preserving only for the country
some OF that purity and conscientious
ness Of which we aretOld the body poi.
lille Is devoid.
Can any women who loves her race
and prays daily for its enlightenment
and Characterization read the horrible
disclosures OF the PdlI-lldH Gazette
and know that such diabOlical work
Is going on In every large city, with
out seeing that she owes 20 her sex
aud country duties concerning which
she has been totally Indifferent Can
she sit with folded hands and smiling
Indifference while those presumably
able. wise, and noble Legislators OF
Massachusetts decide To raise the age
OF consent from ten to twelve years
What child of twelve years knows
aught Of her physical nature, or OF
the prieelessness Ofwhat she may lose
by yielding to fiendish persuasiOns,
while the villain knows that II he can
only prove that the child consented.
why, then that grand old Legislature
Of Massachusetts, will throw its pro-
tectlng arm around him, shielding
him completely from all consequences
OF his crime. How many women
even know that In tWenty-fOur States
Of the Union the age OF consent Is ten
years THAT In the majority, IL not
all, Of the States, woman cannot be
guardian Of her own child? Nay,
more, that In many cases the father
can claim and take the child 81 en-
tirely from is mother as did poor
Griseldais lord In the Canterbury
Tales 2n These are only examples
which might be multiplied many
times. When every law has q right
or wrong, and touches either the pri-
vste or the public family, has One-
half. that family any right to sit still
and say, Eve do not care to be
troubled with these things"
When we hear good men iauding
the efforts Of women for temperance
aud social reforms, yet denying them
the ballot and telling them that Il
would ct once destroy their influence,
we think Of Bridget aud the faucet.
One day she turned on the water, hut
did not know enough 10 turn Il OFF
again. Soon her mistress heard q
great connection In the kitchen.
Opening the door she found Bridget
mODping for dear life, while the
water still flowed from the faucet.
why don't you turn OF the faucet,
Bridget, exclaimed the lady.
''Sure, ma'am, les meself that
hasn't tonne, the water kapes me q
moppin' 50 fast"
The Temperance women who do not
care for the ballot stand precisely IN
BridgetG place. They msy mop IN
al exhausted when they are done,
they will find the liquor traffic hilari-
cusly marching on, and themselves
weary and peHpiring In the rear.
"Oh !" says an Obiector, "but men
and women are 30 different In their
habits Of thought and action. They
could not work together politically"
They do work together harmonious.
Is In everything else, and IN politics
wherever q has been tried Nay,
more. it is because they are different
that their combined judgment should
be used Do ve ever see the best re
suite 70 the far 'iy, the church or 10
ieduchtiOn, when only one side acts
abd the other Is excluded?
"Bat there must be q head
"True, but QUE head is not enough
that 1.-TWO hesds are better than one'
has beenme prOveTblal.
"But &c will cause dlso0rd In the
family when the husband votes one
way AAAA NLG wiz AMlA4NAH
Does the father think Of abusing his
son and quarreling with him when
he votes another Ticket ft is true
that men should cease 10 believe that
they have q right 10 think for their
wives and themselves too.
Before civil Law. as well as before
the divine tribunal, Il Il the indlvidu
al,nOt the family, that is responsible.
When q woman commits murder or
felony, her husband does not fear The
penalty. When she fails Ia duty, he
cannnt supply the omission. Hence
the duties she owes 10 her country as
q citizen, must forever 90 undone II
she fails TO perform them. Who can
estimate the loss that the world has
experienced by the intellectual aud
legal notification Of women during
the past centuries
But the signs Of che times show
that the cause Il gaining. Il must
win, for it is Is wide as the interests
Of humanity. Yea the principle
that II embOdies Is a. deep as the puF-
pose Of God, for Il is simply another
step 10 the development % His plan
OF freedom ioF the Hce.