Wichita eagle., 1889-05-18
A WOMANLY WOMAN TALKS OF
WOMEN.
The Editor Of the Eagle Defended From
the Salina Gang Of Female
Politicians.

The following paper written by the
wife Of one of Kansas most prominent
citizens, a resident Of one Of the older
and larger cities of the state, was called
out by the late Salina convention and
that body's pointed reference to the ed
itor Of this paper. The letter is worthy
of perusal, even if it does seem to refute
the apparent assumption of its author
that women are not as smart as men in
some instances:
To the Editor Of the Eagle
1t seems to me to be very great pity
that the American women, who are the
great majority in the land; the women
Zone of whom I ann who are not repre-
scented by an organized aggressive league
or society, have really no spokesman on
the rostrum, no one to work for them
with their pen-it seems pity that be-
cause of this we are in a measure ignor-
ed. The Equal Suffragists claim that
they represent womankind seeking to
gain something that womankind wants
Then in fact they are a small, but
very busy portion of the
race, and they are asking
for that which only small portion Of
wOmanklnd can possess. Is this fair?
1t seems 10 me that it is one of the most
unfair things that the world has ever
known. Now and then a brave, strong
man speaks in our behalf: but when he
does candidly and honestly say what he
believes to be true, and what he knew to
be true, and claims that women do not
want suffrage and when they do ask for
it then let the question be fairly treated.
| say when man comes to the front
and speaks Of the question in this way
he is Immediately seized upon by the
short-haired woman reformer and the
long-haired man reformer and accused
of being unjust and of having no
chivalry, and of not loving his wife.
tyrant, and allsthat. This is the treat
ment that is given the man who opposes
the cause of woman suffrage and speaks
in behalf of the majority OF the women
OF our land. In some places when by
dint of ali sorts Of arguing, croaking,
smiling and bouquet distributing legis-
lature has been induced to grant partial
suffrage to womankind because a few
hard working, wire pulling women
sat down and would not get up
till they had their way-in plans where
these women have secured a measure of
that they wanted in the way of suffrage,
the suffragists are lecturing the whole
sisterhood upon the solemn duty of
making good use Of the franchise and
if a sister should cause q carbunkle to
appear upon my hand she might lecture
me upon the subject of using poultice
and liniment to the best of my knowl-
edge; but think the law of self-defense
must lead me to look after tie boil and
to be careful that | did not get another
if l could help myself. How many
thousands Of indignant women there are
who feel the injustice of being placed
where they must either vote or else be
accused of not being true to the sex,
when in fact they have received such
great injustice from the handful of
womankind who have assumed dicta-
torship, and must now claim a director
ship, that the time has passed when
silence IS golden and womankind should
IIse up and speak for herself against
sutfragekind. 1t is simply a case of
woman versus suffrage The suffragists
have blown the bugle and beaten the
drums. They must make the world
think that they lead a mighty host and
perhaps they do; but a mightier, a far
host is the one which they do
not lead. A WOMAN.