The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-10-04
PoLI1,cAlS powEla,

The Ballot Necessary to Preserve Woman
From . Condition OF ssrvitude.
It has long been apparent to suffrag-
lists. says the Woman's Journal, that
the spirit of modern democracy, so
called. which vests sole and unlimited
political power in male citizens, ire
spective OF their intelligence. charac-
ter or culture, il not favorable to the
interests OF women. The successive
aristocracies of birth. Of wealth and
of race have hitherto jeslously guarded
the rights and interests Of the ruling
class. and in doing 30 have always In
some degree provided for the dignity
and independence OF their female MEM
bers. We, owe to the feudal system
the right Of dover which secures to
widows life interest in one-third Of
the real estate of their husbands. also
the wife's right to independent control
of inherited property vested In the
hands Of trustees. iointures. marriage
settlements, etc. rTfzz $50 rE0g
This class-spirit.. in Europe. in the
Middle Ages, enabled women who were
born mobiles, to hold courts. to sit in
legislative assemblies. and to exercise
large and underlined political powers
1t led to the recognition of women as
freeholders in the provincial charters
and early constitutions Of many Amer
lean States, and as voters in New DER
sey from 1776 to 1907. It has been an
animating cause, of the extension OF
municipal suffrage to women in Great
Britain and her Canadian and Austria
liam dependencies. An inherited re-
spect for ''ladies"-a sentiment inher-
tied from the mother country-has
been potent ally Of the woman suffrage
movement But this seems to be dying
out Within century, q political aris-
tocracy of sex has for the first time
come into power. It has marked
characteristics. but respect for women
is not one OF these. On tho contrary. a
growing disrespect for women Is sup
planting our proverbial American cour-
tesy, and stolid disregard OF their in
terests and feelings continually con-
fronts US. Old and middle-aged mon,
as rule, cheerfully offer women their
seats in the horse-cars; while younger
men too often keep their seats and al
low elderly women to stand. Second
rate men, in State Legislatures sneer at
women, to the delight Of some silly
remonstrants. sffv
This grossness Of manners Is indica-
tive of more serious delinquencies.
Every daily newspaper contains shock
ing stories of wives beaten and killed
by husbands, of women assaulted and
defrauded by men, while adequate PEN
alties are seldom meted out to the Of
tenders The records of our divorce
courts are narratives of fugitive slaves
fleeing from the domestic tyranny Of
domineering husbands. And now the
Maryland court of appeals has deliber-
ately set aside the presidents Of CEN
turtles. to defraud married women in
that State of their property. o. ss
These facts are not accidental; they
indicate tendency and point moral.
Society never stands still; it advances
or it retrogrades Either women will
become voters. or they will sink into
more abject conditions The social at
mosphere of the Back Bay and the
North End are alike malarious to true
womanhood. New York slums and
Chicago saloons and Wisconsin stock
AIDES and the licensed brothels OF Min
neapolis and Denver suggest what mere
manhood suffrage has in store for dis
franchised womanhood. Why notp
Manhood suffrage is a political aris-
tocracy of sex. 1t is class legislation
in its most subtle and insiduous form.
Every man a sovereign; every woman
a subject No class of human beings
ever did or ever will legislate justly
for another. The only hope for woman
in the future is the ballot. Her sole
alternative is suffrage or subjugation.
In every country whose ancient rec
ords are preserved. there has been
period in its history when women held
a more free and honored place than
now. In young. growing communities
women have shared In the general
amelioration OF conditions, only to lose
1t in subsequent eras OF decline. The
OF this continent from a
wilderness to great union OF States
will enable women to reach an equality
unattainable. Let not the
golden opportunity be lost, for it can
never be regained. Behold. now is
the accepted time" 4raf-,