The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-04-13
Written for the MONITOR.
WOMEN AND SUFFRAGE.

| by l. N. J.. p.
They are slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak;
They are slaves who viii not choose
Hatred, seo1lng and abuse,
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must thfnk;
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or fhreet
The world has made considerable prog
ress since Lucretia Mott IN London, re-
ceiyed her later baptism into woman's
degradation which turned the current OF her
thoughts into the channel that afterwards
led her and a few other friends to call the
first Woman's Rights Convention. and as
| write, the great International Council of
Women are today celebrating the fortieth
anniversary of tile movement in Washing
ton, u. C.-Mareh 18th to April 1st, in
elusive.
Beautiful, tender memories of this re-
narkable woman are yet fresh within our
hearts She was truly womanly woman;
answering to that dear old English term
.gentlewoman A lovely Christian.
notable housek aeper, a charming friend,
perfect wife and mother, and best be-
cause most difficult of all, soaring above
the petty trials and crosses, retaining al
ways the Kind tone and pleasant expires
sion.
Lucretia Mott fully believed in National
protection applied to woman as well as the
African race, and she most zealously adj
vocated equal suffrage. which is not es-
sentially woman's movement. A curse
has rested on every land that despised its
women. Lower. degrade Eve, and Adam
will surely follow; exaIt her. and Adam is
exalted History plainly proves this
God created woman after man to become
his helper; his living comrade, not his
slave. She was His latest creation, there
fore why not His most perfect?
Women in every land have been Gods
torch bearers, holding aleft The light TO
guide the faitaring steps of the so-called
stronger sex, and believe this to be her
truest mission. The thoughtful male
thinkers of our country advocate equal
suffrage because they know that politics
need the purifying, guiding spirit of the
wives and mothers Of our natioa In olden
: times, when our nations heads were Sc
lected from its best citizens, when politics
were purer and our representatives, as
their respective terms expired, returned
home to their plo.s, content TO again
move in their little circle; women, know
ing that their presence was not needed,
accepted the unjust position assigned
them, patiently feeling that their homes
and families would be wisely protected,
! but now how is it, Everyw here We realize
that good house-cleaning is needed Are
women not the house-cleaners Of the ma
ton, and should they not be permitted to
clean the eenrts, the National Capitol, the
polls, of all The impurity that has aecumu-
lated in the years Of a rule that first came
about through the declaration that tax
alton without representation was unlaw-
full and unjust, yet has practised it on at
! least one half its citizens for over a cen
tury Oh consistency thon art a rare.
precious 'jewel' indeed. Rev. Dr. t.
Dewitt Talmage, one of our most popular
minister, writes: .The government of the
United States ought to free women from
paying taxes or else give them the vote
; Many earnest women have stood in the
background, shrinking from advocating
the polls for women, fearing that their
homes would be neglected or that they
might be termed strong minded. To such
would say. better be termed strong
minded than neglect duty which now
beek0ns YOU, and so become weak mind
ed. Lille Devereaux Blake fully believes
in the mental equality of the sexes, but
she as readily recognizes woman's place in
the economy of home and in society
She is one of the most prominent of our
suffrage women at the present time, and
her home is simply perfect. Frances =.
Willard says: at does not take as long
TO vote as to buy the baby pair shoes, "
but no vote. woman's or mans. should be
east without an intelligent preparation is
made previous to its casting, and fwomen
are to yote--as they will do some day, for
right always comes nppermost in time
they SHOULD be fitting themselves for it.
Suffrage clubs should be organized in ey
cry town, having for their object a course
of political study, law, etc. Indeed a
course Of law is needed for men and wom-
en- to enable them to protect their proper
ty and themselves, and Law Made Easy"
by Miss Lulu j. Robinson, is book all
women should be proud of and glad To
study.
Many prejudiced minds, unwilling to
step out of the old time ruts, quote the
omen Of the Bible and the terrible pre-
diction made in it of the cruel subsection
into which women should fall, as proofs
that women arc inferior to men; indeed
many term this prediction a curse. while
events have proved it TO have been a pre-
dietion only Others so back to ancient
history and quote facts of their own in
vention, perhaps, as authority for wonen's
subsection and inferiority to man. One
persuasive young collegian spoke Of won
ems brains being smaller than mans as
proof Of her intellectual infeFiority. Ii
this is so We must bow to all our large
headed men as the intellectual superiors of