The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-28
WOULD THE WOMEN VOTE
Over Thirty of the Most Famous Women
Respond to This Question.
Mrs. Lew Wallace Would Esteem 1t a Pleasure
Others Would Go TO the Polls and Vote
as o Duty, but Many Would Not.

Printed by Special Arrancsment-Copyriehed 1898.
Curiously enough, the most important and
vital question witch enters into the woman
suffrage discussion has hitherto been overlooked
would women vote if they couldi With . view
20 securing the beat attainabls answer to this
query, it has been propounded to some of the
brightest m~inds-womsn whose opinions would
be most valuable. The writer's whose letters
are given below represent, it will be noticed, al
most every walk of life in which the women of
the country have distinguished themselves, and
this collection of opinions, il may justly be
urged. will stand as the most important contri.
button ever offered 10 the woman suffrage ques-
ton:
The Duke Of Argyll, whom 1 remember once
to have seen superbly oyershadwod by his mag
nifcent nother-in-law, the. Duchess OF SEther-
land, though himself a fair specimen OF progress
s,ve manhood. 10 sternly conservative woman
ward. Ia a lecture, which some twenty years
ago he was gracious enough TO deliver before a
Mechanics Institute, he said, "a woman has no
right to appear upon q platform except when
she is about to DO hung-then 1t IL unavoidable"
This smart saying caused great hilarity among
his Graces audience, a little wit from q noble
man going a great way. i used to quote that
sentence in a lecture 1 was bold enough to
deliver from many a platform, and it always
brought a ,hugh-at womsns sxpense-but then,
again, my comment on it. though Dot particular
ly smart, never failed to bring generous applause.
and this comment was: The freedom Of the
scsffold, the CHASTITY equality OF the Rallows.
so graciously accorded TO woman by the
Duke OF Argyll, IS not enough. Give her q fair
swing at life as well as at death; let her have a
voice ar least In the selection of the men who
make and administer the laws under which
women may be taxed, divorced. deprived Of her
children, imprisoned, tried and hung" That
r-aa nv conffn1ant fUarfv ucara ~ " N yplna
to-day. and / propose to stand by II. Would /
vote If l couldl Yea. verify, at divers times
and in divers places, TO make up for my long
political disability. l think that for the first
presidential election after my tardy epfranchise-
ment ! would HE me TO . certain city in which /
lived during the trying days OF the Republic.
and when my little literary income was taxed
for the carrying on OF a war in which no woman
had any glory stock. only a ruinous investment
OF apxieties and agonies. aud IN that city l
would WELD tLe franchise with the patriotic
prodigality of a newlylanded Hiberniau Dem
ocrat. casting my vote right aud leftfrom morn
TO dewy eve GRACE GREENWOOD.
II the right were mine. 1 should hold it a duty
aud a pleasure to 90 10 the polls and vote.
SUSAN Z. WALLACE.
IL suffrage were given ple, / certainly should
not go to the polls without my husbands COM
pany. Had that right been given me before he
was taken from me. 1t is not necessary for me
TO say what l should have done.
Mrs. HENRY WARD BEEcHER-
Personally, 1 have no sympathy with she
woman'ssuffrag movement. Dut should il come
10 pass that the majority OF the women of the
United States thought IL best to have q vote, /
should fall into line as a matter of duty. When
i think OF the attendant necessities, such as
separate polls for women, women inspectors Of
election, the means of appointment and the grad
ual merging or the detestable features of prac-
teal politics into q woman's life, l cannot but
say that 1t Ia bad enough when men are COM
PEELED to mingle 10 the crowd that stir up the
ingredients thrown into the political caldron.
ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
Under no circumstances would l exercise the
right Of suffrage were IL possible for me to do
so. i see no benefit that could accrue to my
sex by such an act. On the other hand, l see
the harm which might easue. There is a great
deal OF talk about the refining influence of
woman upon politics. but the coarsenine effects
of politics upon woman are evidently overlooked.
No, mol ] 80 not wish TO vote, and | hope the
day may be far distant when my sex is given
the lawful right to do so. MARION HARLAND.
/ do not feel prepared to say what, as an in
d~ividual, ! would do were franchise given to
women. EDITH NJ. THOMAS.
Whether I would vote, would depend upon
what was TO be votsd for. Political questions.
as I look as them now from the outside, do not
interest me enough 70 make me desire to be q
voter. They do not seem to me to involve the
principles l really care for-party politics 1
mean, Of course. IL saw that my vo.o would
help to make the national standard a higher
one. / should consider il my duty TO give it, and
my desire is always to do my duty.
] should not sota My reasons are that when
ever / undertake any new enterprise ! give q
vast amount Of mentality, vital force, aud time
TO IL. l have only enough mentality, vital force,
And time now tn inadenuatelv maat tha demands
OF nearer duties than national affairs. To keep
my family comfortably looked after, my home
attractive 10 my household and guests (which is
still a part Of womap's sphere, l think, my lit
erary contracts filed, ard TO follow my idea OF
duty IN other directions, renders IL impossible
for me to entsr into the subject of suffrage in
diligently. leave it therefore for the present
10 others who are more capable, or to those who
have fewer obligations of a domestic nature.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
/ have never worked for suffrage because / do
not believe IN it for all men any more than for
all women. But II il came unsousht, If it was
conferred. its exercise becomes the citizens
duty. When the candidate suited me, / should
certainly vote, but l would desire no part or lot
10 mere machine politics. The great point in
regard to suffrage. so far as women are con-
cerned Is this: Suffrage is the recognition which
the state accords TO manhood. Womanhood
does not exist for it, and presumably, therefore,
has TO value. The vulgar and ignorant LOOK
10y WIZ ~ INV ~
inely. The state ought TO recognize those upon
whom it imposes taxes and burdens in some
other way than as punisAble creatures. IL
women are not allowed to exist as citizens they
ought not TO be taxed as citizens. and they
should be as free of punishment as they are de-
ciared to be Of responsibility. / like to be gov
erned myself, by some one who understands il,
and | do not want any part in it because / do
not think l understand IL. Bot If 10 10 to be q
free gam7 In which everybody takes O hands
dinner for which everyone cooks his own po-
tato-xomen should not be left out, and cannot
be left out without being heavily handicapped
10 the struggle for that existence which, once
imposed, must be maintained. and il is not
creditable TO the great modern Republic to cast
such = slur upon the women who helped to
found it. or lower them in the eyes of the bru-
tai aud ignorant to whom 1t opens its arms.
JENNY JUNE.
might vote IL pressed into the necessity by
the voting OF all sorts of other women. But I
shall hope that it may never fall tn my expert
encs. l believe that woman occupies q central.
not an external place in the order of things, and
] do not wish that order turned inside ont.
ADEL.INE d. I. WHITNEY.
Did ! possess the right Of suffrage, I certainly
should vote on almost all occasions. The ex-
ceptons would be those few cases whore the
question TO be voted upon demanded for An in