Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-23
MIGHT AND RIGHT.

MIGHT AND Right.
Frederick Douglas On Suffrage. Before
the New England Woman suffrage As
sociation at Their Twentieth Annual ses-
sion.
According TO the Declaration of indie
pendence and to the men who signed
that great charter Of human liberty,
all rightful powers of Government
are derived from the consent Of the gov
erned.
No man has yet been able to state
when. where and how woman has ever
given her consent to be deprived OF all
participation in the government under
which she lives, or why women should
be excepted from the principles of the
American Declaration of Independence.
We are told that man derived his au-
thority thus to disfranchise woman from
Nature; well We should ali have great
respect for Nature. We can not too
often listen to her voice and learn the
lesson she teaches.
LIE, Us begin then with Nature in the
family. This is the starting point OF
life. the natural starting-point of organ
lied society and of the State. Here are
a son and daughter in the same house
hold. They have nursed at the same
breast in their infancy; they have been
supplied from the same board: they
have talked. sung. prayed, and played
together on equal terms in their youth;
they have grown to manhood and wo-
manhood together; in a word. they have
been equal members Of the same family
together all their young lives. with sub
stantially the same rights and privi-
leges in the common family; they have
received the same moral and intellectual
training, and have enjoyed the same tree
dom o: thought and expression around
the family board-the RICH: to ask and
TO answer questions. They are equal
in moral and intellectual endowments.
or if not so equal. the one is as likely to
be superior as the other. the daughter
as the son, the sister as the brother.
Now the question to be answered at this
point is Just this: At what time and
under what conditions does Nature step
in to change the relations Of these two
people and make the son and brother
the ruler OF this daughter and sister?
When does Nature say that he shall
elect Lawmakers. and make
laws. institute governments. define
for her the metes and bounds Of her
liberty, and that she, rational crea-
ture like himself. shall have no voice or
vote in determining any question con-
corning the government under which
she, equally with him. is to live? They
were equal in the cradle. equal in the
family, equal II childhood. equal in
youth. equal at maturity. equal in the
right to life. to liberty. and to the pur-
suit of happiness. demand 20 know.
then. what fat of Nature. wha. moral
earthquake from below. or what
thunder-bolt from above. has driven
these two people asunder-raised one
TO the SKY and struck the other to
earth-one 10 freedom and the other 10
Slavery The only answer that Nature
Is alleged 10 give here in opposition 10
woman. IS one which 10 just and gener-
obs man can or should accept, for il
bases moral and intellectual conclu-
sion-one which excludes woman from
all freedom of choice in the affairs Of
government-upon a purely physical
fact The logic is that man is physical
ly stronger than woman. and that he
has the right 20 make her subject OF
his will: that since she can not shoul-
der a musket and fight. she shall not
select a ballot and yote-tha. though
she may have the ability TO think.
she shall not have the right to
express her thought and give e.
fet to her thought by her vote.
There is no getting away from
the conclusion here that the very e.
sence OF this anti-woInan suffrage doc
trine Is that might makes right. 1t is
the right of the usurper. the slave
holder, the tyran.. the robber and
pirate-a right which better belts wild
beasts than reasoning men asd women
"A right which no woman ought 20 ad.
NIT and no man should claim. The only
thing that saves it from execration is
the fact that men are too humane and
too civilized TO make their practice con.
form to the full measure of their theory.
They deny rights. but admit influence
She may not vote. they say, but she may
influence the man who does vote: and
it is precisely this which constitutes the
vice of this relation. for it gives in6u
ence and excludes responsibility.
sense of responsibility IL an essential
element in all our exertions and rela
tons We need It: woman needs It
not less than man. to work out the best
results Of her conduct Diyest no