The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-08-21

| OWN wants. w Hut Siidu VIZ cttts W uhb
shall we drinkp And wherewithal
shall we be clothed? become absorbing
questions. The little horizon that
bounds our vision becomes world.
The great end of our being, to serve
God, is lost sight of. The calls OF humans
ity can not be heard for the clamor OF
custom and the din CHATTER OF domestic
life Contemplating little things, we
grow little; confined to narrow bounds.
we become narrow. But tho ballot
comes and arouses lis from this dream
of selfshness. 1t gets the thoughts out
of the old ruts. 1t impels and counsels
us to the consideration of other subjects
besides our own little interests. Our
views will widen, our sympathies
broaden, and we shall be wiser, better
and nobler. And the mental benefits
OF the ballot will be in proportion to
the moral attitude of the voter. If he
is conscientious and wants to do. right;
if he has an honorable solicitude to
stand fairly on every record, he will be
impelled to sock knowledge, and COM
pare and balance theories, to reason
and to analyze; but if he cares little
about his duty, il his conviction lacks
intensity and strength, he will derive
but little benefit from this great privi-
lege.
In this paper we have used the word
men in its generic sense; but the mascl-
line includes the feminine. All these
truisms are as applicable to woman as
to man. Truth may have her meridi-
ans but she does not have sexual va
rieties.
Gay That the ballot would enlarge
womans sympathies is unquestionable;
and unquestionably she needs it.
(b) 1t would compel her to indepen-
dent thought She is given to thought
by proxy.
(c) 1t would awake in her mind the
sleeping truth of free agency and con-
sequent responsibility.
Right here we may detect the true
solution Of womans inferority. The
fatal iron of the doctrine of necessity
has entered her soul and bound her all
through the ages. l do not mean that
this has been with her a formulated
theory. 1t may not have always been
present to her consciousness, but it has
slumbered in the profoundest depth Of
her being. She has lived under the in-
fuence OF this narcotic, and it has
stepped her senses in perpetual calm.
, Would you awaken woman from her
, supineness and energize her conscience?
Give her the ballot. We do not ask
you to give it to her because she is so
wise and good, but because she needs
wisdom and goodness
, Does not the world believe itp We
! know it was the argument urged for en-
I franchising the negro. But those who
/ urged it so vehemently then can not
see it applies with equal force to wo-
man. Says wise political economist:
, ut is characteristic of the cautious and
| tentative character of English legisla-
f ton that it becomes gradually COM
D mitted to great general principles, not
Q through any perception of the truth
. and value of these principles in the alb
# stract, but gradually, and through the
Q compulsion OF particular necessities.
n And to the last possible moment the
: general application of such principles
i, is always resisted"
y Perhaps this explains why we have
d not applied this doctrine to women.
o But we do not point you to the negro
! to show what the ballot will do for wo-
: men. Give several men copy Of the
+ same book to read, and the man that
il brings to the perusal of the book the
: most knowledge will learn the most
o from the pages. So women will be
o more benefited by the ballot than her
: inferior in knowledge Indeed, the ex-
r pertinent was never tried under so ia
vorable circumstances as it might be,
s to-day, in America.
| Giving woman the ba lot will educate
her sons to greater maternal reverence.
/; Every son knows that his country de-
/ grades his mother. He knows he is to
Q be her future ruler Boys are not long
s in learning to sheer at woman's posi-
i ton. 1t is a shame thus to degrade
s the mothers of the land before their
s children.
n But, as men accept my theme as tru-
Q ism, then it follows they must think
n of woman's education as matter of in.
n difference. They were not Indifferent
n to the negro claims, but they are deaf
IS to womans claims. They thrust it on
l. the negro before he asked for it, but
many thousand women sue for it vain
|. ly When will America learn that to
!. elevate her nature you must elevate
y her motherhood?
it Egypt, that wonderful civilization
o that existed for so many centuries, hon.
It ored her women. When the Moslems
r, came, with their contempt for woman.
IS woman went down; and the nation
10 went down with her. Look at Turkey,
Of if you would see the effect of female
lr degradation. Here women are slaves.
G. and they bring forth progeny of
IS slaves, who grow into a nation of inn
a beetles. No country has ever degraded
ID women as America has done. Other
l. countries were obscure themselves in
re regard to human equality; but America
o. has done it in spite of the prayers and
" tears OF tens Of thousands Of her best