The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-01
WOMAN'S RIGHTS.

Written for the Sunday journal.
For the advocates of woman's rights TO resort
to threats or abuse is impolitic and to some
degree unjust It is very rarely that case of
this kind occurs, and when it does the newspa-
pers make the most of it. The speeches are, as
general thing, dignifed and argumentative,
and their freedom from anger or resentment is
somewhat remarkable when one considers what
these advocates have endured for the last forty
years IN securing such privileges for their sex
as they now possess Women have always been
taught that they must not demand anything
from men as right, but must get what they
want by smiles. and soft words. and the other
Establishments that from long practice they have
become mistress of. The first lesson the wife
learns is that she must not assert her right to
the joint earnings. but when she wants money
she must coax and cajole her husband until she
gets the dime or quarter she Is after, and il at
first she don'ts succeed, must try, try. again.
Rather than make any ''strong-minded" re-
marks on the subject, she should rise at early
dawn and abstract the money from the pockets
of her slumbering lord. 1t is SO much more
womanly.
It seems that at the Woman Suffrage conveu-
ton, just held in New York. they resolved to
petition the Legislature "to make the mother
joint guardian of the children with the father,
now possesses of disposing of his infant children
by viii without consent OF their mother" 1t is
to be hoped that when the mothers of New York
go to the Legislature with this little bill they
will bestow plenty of smiles and sweet phrases
on the members. Having neither money nor
votes they will have to depend entirely upon
tafy. And when their measure is defeated let
them go home, still smiling and amiable for
that Is their only chance of obtaining fayors
Every woman of sense or experience knows
that she Injuries her cause by getting mad and
speaking her mind, but In spite of everything
the righteous indignation will sometimes boil
For forty years women of fine intellect
and irreproachable character haye been asking
simply for the privilege to exercise the ri hts
guaranteed them by the Constitution of the
United States, and for forty years the men of
this country have persistently refused them
these rights. These the facts in the case,
put them in as pleasing language as you choose
The woman who wouldn't lose her temper oc-
casionally. and strong language, would be
too good for earth. and ought to be an angel
And also, IL ought TO be remembered that these
speakers may and do say a thousand good
things about men. which are accepted mat
ter of course. 1t is only when they say some
thing severe that all the men cry out. through
the columns of the newspapers, "See here. If
you going to talk that way TO US, we won't
let you have single thing you want" Ingersoll
says: I'VE beat cur children because we are
stronger than they are. and they cannot strike
back"
Duts speaking Senefal tefLnss women nave
quarrel with men, and never expect to have.
The end of the world will come before the affec-
ton between the two sexes to exist.
Men and women will love and marry. and live
happy forever after to the limit of time. Men
are infinitely bettsr than the laws, and not one
in thousand would be mean enough TO take
advantages which the law permits. They want
to do exactly right by women, but they have so
much TO oyercome-the traditions and customs
of ages. the inherited authority from past gen.
erations the willing submission of women. the
attention and ad1ation they have always been
accustomed to receive; that they generous
and self sacrificing everywhere find them
bespeaks q true nobility of character that is
divinely originated and everlasting as life itself
-
The poet, male poet, says:
Man to man so Oft unjust is always to woman.
This Is poetic license, aud not literally true;
bur II is absurd to say that man is absolutely
just TO woman. The old common law. made By
men and endured By our foremothsrs, was dis
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