The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-02
The Right Of Suffrage for Women.


With your kind permission will occupy q
very email portion of your valuable space to
further consider your editorial on s'Womau
Suffrage The editorial in question has brought
letters from as far away as New Orleans and
Florida, proving two things: the extended cir
culation of the Journal and the interest felt in
the position assumed by this paper upon the
question of the political equality of women. ]
say political because there is doubt of the
sentiments of the Journal upon extending TO
women the same educational and industrial adj
vantages accorded to men. Besides the Jour
nal is distinguished for its cham ionship of fair
play, and could not consistently exclude women
from its broad plane of equal rights.
The editorial referred to is based upon the
common but false theory that women want the
ballot in order that they may reform the world.
This may be the claim of certain fanatcal
class. but the National Woman Suffrage ASCOT
alton. which must be- accepted as the representa-
tive OF this moyement. asks simply that, as q
citizen or the United States, each woman shall
be permitted to represent herself, because this
is right guaranteed by the Constitution to
law-abiding citizens. This is the for
asking that woman shall have the franchise
There are two points that shall De briefly no.
ticed. First, 'the proposed reform is based
upon the theory that man is . tyrant and a
brute" Who advocates this theory7 The Indi-
+ ana Suffrage Association has just held series
of thirteen conventions in the congressional dis
seventy five in all. were addressed by four rep
resensative womansuffrage speakers-Miss An
thony. Mrs. Wallace, Mrs. Sewall and Mrs Gou-
garland were attended by thousands OF people.
Certainly if the base of this reform is the theory
that man is tyrant and brute this would have
been stated in some shape at some of these
meetings If any one of these thousands OF peo-
pie heard il either charged or implied that man
is tyrant and brute let him speak now or for
ever hold his piece. The Woman's Journal,
News and Tribune, the recognized organs of the
equal suffrage movement, published weekly,
contain such charges the above against
men as class. Where is the authority for the
statement so often made by the opponents OF
the cause that this demand for equal rights is
based upon the theory that man is brute and a
tyrant2 When our ancestors were compelled to
Day taxes bur deprived of the franchise. they
called King George tYrant, and when the ne
groes required to obey the laws but not al
lowed TO vote. all the newspapers call it South
ern brutality; but when exactly the same prin-
ciples Tor want of principlesl are applied to
women. we would not think of calling 1t either
tyranny or brutality; in fact. we are somewhat
as a loss what name TO apply to it that will ex
press our feelings and at the same time not of
fend the senSibilitieS of the privileged class.
The formal says, statesmen, legislators,
and male citizens in general, cheerfully agree.
for instance. that there should be no taxation
without representation, and that certain social
reforms might be brought about by the aid of
the female voter, but it by
no means follows that they will labor to bring il
about" To admit that it Is wrong but refuse to
make it right. is not tyranny. but the dictionary
somehow fails to supply just the right word to
describe 1t. 1t Is some consolation to know,
however, that the male citizens in general
s'eheerfully" agree that injustice is done 1t is
always pleasant to people cheerful. The
Journal said yesterday that "the paramount
issue Is that of equal ballot
and equal representation" We do not
a SIX the statesmen and male citizens to 'Nabor
10 bring it about" but just simply to grant per-
mission that it may be so. If the women of the
country should ask and work for suffrage for
the next one hundred years they could not get
It until the men gave them permission. So
much authority vested liz class has ten
dency to make them tyranncal, but it has not
had that effect upon our men. They simply
waiting to get a good ready" The women of
leans are the best men on earth, in every sense
of the word. and the woman who 10 born in the
United States may consider herself most fortu-
nate. Pages might be written of the kindness,
generosity, chivalry and liberal spirit of our
toward women. But that they are
absolutely just or that women enjoy
to the fullest extent the privileges of a republic
an form of government, no one will attempt to
prove. There is convincing argument why
they should not possess perfect equality, and it
is only question of time until these best, and
wisest. and most generous of men will level every
barrier of prejudice or selfish exoediency and
let il be a fact and not farce that woman is
made symbollcal of everlasting Justice and
eternal Freedom.
In writing upon question which presents
many different phases as that of equal suffrage,
it is almost impossible to keep wishin the mar
row limit which is all writer topic
has any right to claim in Letters to the Peo-
pie" Therefore the oft-repeated charge of "the
Indifference of women" will have to be con-
sidered at some future time.
IDA A. HARPER.
State Secretary Ind. w. S. A.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.