The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-12
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

The woman suffrage idea makes Roadway
slowly. Defeat alternates with success with
such regularity that it is difficult to mark
progress, and less buoyant and irrepressible-
women than the champions of that cause
would have succumbed to encouragement
long ago. A slight success, however, offsets
many failure and that fills them with ex-
uberant joy. The defeat in Wisconsin is
disappointment, but they refuse to be cast
down by it, and prefer instead to rejoice over
the action of Washington Territory solons,
who have granted for the second time the
privilege taken away by the courts on a tech
nicality. Fired by this triumph, they have
already laid out plan of campaign which
includes a demand upon national committees
to make the question party issue. The eel
ebration of the suffrage anniversary at Wash
ington next month will doubtless be an occa-
sion for the display of much feminine state
craft, and the cause will enjoy something
quite like ''boom" on paper. The great
trouble experienced by these enterprising
workers is in securing practical results.
opposition, but against Indifference and in
ertia, which are far more difficult to overcome.
The arguments of the reformers long ago pro-
duced their effect on the intelligent part of
to their proposition is concerned. Statesmen,
and 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, because they acknowledge the possible
. benefits of equal suffrage, it by no means fol-
lows that they will labor to bring it about.
The subject is not one that inspires enthusi-
asm in the male sex, and is equally unexcit-
ing to the majority of women. The proposed
reform is based on the theory that man is
tyrant and brute, and only to be restrained
by force from perpetrating all sorts Of wrongs
upon the feminine part of creation. Now,
privately, each individual man considers him.
self pretty good sort of fellow, and, being
conscious of no fell designs against woman
kind, does not feel inclined to enter into a
crusade which has as it's avowed object the
overthrow of so-called tyrannical power in
which he is himself factor And
women, that is to say, the of
women, refuse to acknowledge that they are
downtrodden and oppressed, and that their
necks are under the heels of heartless task
masters. They see that wrongs exist and
that humanity suffers, but they also see that
reforms are effected and the condition of
women improved by the efforts of these very
s.tyrants," and without the aid of feminine
legislation. On the whole, they are willing to
take man at his own estimate, as a reasonable
creature who means to do right and to treat
women justly and with thoughtful considera-
ton in all relations of life. 1t is perhaps,
distressing to the advocates of an advanced
civilization" to see their sisters hug their
chains, careless of their slavery, but it is q
condition of affairs which, painful as it may
be, certainly exists; and whileit lasts, and the
motive of the proposed revolution remains the
same the progress of the movement is likely
to be slow