The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-02-23

~ SCS di4 "CIIGIl SOlc anu llicn NatCn
the result. do not know that it would
change anything fer the better. Nest
wives and daughters and sisters would
vote as their husbands and fathers aud
brothers voted. Nearly all the families
that know are solidly Republican or
Democratic or Prohibition. Those fani.
lies all voting would make moro votes
but no difference in the result. Besides
that, as now at the polls men are bought
up by the thousands, women would be
bought up by the thousands. TIE moro
voters the more opportunity for political
corruption. We have several million
more voters row than are for public good.
We are told that female suffrage would
correct two evils-the rum business and
the insufficiency of wonan's wages.
About the rum business have to say that
multitudes of women drink, and it is no
unusual thing to see them in the res
traurants so overpow cred with wine and
beer that they can hardly sit up, while
there are many so-called respectable res
taurants where they can 90 and take
their champagne and hot toddy I'll alone.
Mighty temperance voters these women
would make. Besides that, the wives of
the rum sellers would lavo to vote iii tho
interest of their husbands business, or
have a time the inverse Of felicitous.
Besides that, millions Of respectable and
refined women in America would prob
ably not vote at all, because they do not
want to go to the polls, and, on the other
hand. womanly roughs would all go to
the polls, and that might make woman's
vote on the wrong side. There is not in
my mind much prospect Of the expulsion
of drunkenness by female suffrage.
As 10 wonan's wages to be corrected
by woman's vote, havo not much faith
in that. Women are harder Oh women
than mcH are. Masculine employers are
mean CROUCH in treatment Of women,
but if you want to hear beating down of
prices and wages in perfection, listen
how some women treat washcrwol2!cn
aad dressnaners and female servants.
Mrs. Shylock is more mercllesS than Mr..
Shvloch. Women, fear, will never get
righteous wages through woman's vote;
and as to unfortunate womanhood,
women are far more cruel and unfcrgiv-
ing than men arc. After a woman has
| made shipwrcc.1 Of her character men
generally drop her. but women do not so
much drop her as hurl her with the
force of catapult clear out ans OF and
down and under.
I have not much fait!l that woman will
ever get merciful consideration and JUS
ticc through woman suffrage, yet l like
experiments, and some Of my friends III
whose judgment l havo confidence arc
SO certain, that aileviation would come
| by such process that l would, if l had
! the power, put i'll every wonlan's hand
! the vote. l cannot see wat right you
have to make woman pay taxes Oh her
| property to help support city, state and
national government. and yet deny her
| the opportunity of helping decide who
| shall be mayor, governor Or president.
| But let every wife, not waiting for tho
vote she may never get, or, getting it,
| find it unbalanced by some other vote
| not Et to be cast, arise now in the might
| Of the eternal God and WELD tho power
! CT q sanctified wifcty ambition for a good
approXimatinS the Infinite.
No one can so inspire q man to noble
! purposes as noble woman, and no one
SO thoroughly degrade man as wife
Of unworthy tendencies. While in my
text wc kave illustration Of wifcly aMbi-
ton employed i'll the wrong direction,
society and history are full Of instances
of wifely ambition Gloriously triumphant
il right directions. All that was worth
admiration i'll the character Of Henry VI
was reflection of the heroics Of his wife
Margaret. William, Prince Of Orange,
was restored to the right path by tho
grand qualities Ct his wife Mary. Just
inian, the Roman emperor, cenfcsses
that his wise laws were the sugges, !or
Ct lis wife Theodore. Andrew
jackson, the warrior and president
had his miShticst reinforcement in hi:
plain wife, whose inartistic attire was
tho amusement Of the elegant circles il
which she was invited. Washington
who broke the chain that held AmcricG
i'll foreign vassalaGe, were for forty Year,
q chain around his own neck. that chair
holding the miniature likeness Of he,
who had been his greatest inspiration
whether among the SHOWS at Valley
Forge or amid the honors of the presi
dental chair. Pliny's pen was driver
through all its poetic sEd historical DO
minions by his wife Calpurnia, who sang
his stanzas to the sound Of the Gute, ant
sat among audiences enraptured at bel
husbands genius, herself tic most cn
raptured. Pericles said hc got all hi.
cloquerco and craftsmanship from hi
wife When the wife of Grotiu.
rescued him from long Imprisonment
at Lovestein by means Of q bookcase
that went in and out, carrying his bcok:
to and fro, lie one day transported. hid
den amid the folios, and the women q
bcsicSed Weinsbcrs, getting permission
from the victorious army to take Will
them SO much Of their valrlablcs as they
could carry, under cover Of the promis,
shoulGerc1 and took with them as III,
ucst important valuables their husband
! - both achievements in literal way
illustrated what thousands Of times ha
been done in . fgurativc way, tha
wifcly ambition has been the salvation G
men.
Dc Tocqucvillc, whose writings will b
potential and quoted while the worl:
lasts, ascribes his successes TO his wife
and says: '.Of all the blessings which
God has given to me the greatest of al
in my eyes is to have lighted OIL Mari:
Motley" Martin Luther says Of his wife
! Il would not exchange my poverty Will
l:cr for all the riches Of Croesus witlol:
her" Isabella of Spain, by her superio
faith in Columbus, put into the hand C
; Ferdinand, her husband, America Joh,
Adams. president of the United States
said of his wife: she never by wcrd c
look discouraged re from running =,