Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-08-29

shall we drink And wherewithal
shall we be clothed' become absorbing
questions The little horizon that
bounds our vision becomes a world.
The great end Of our being. TO servo
God, is lost sight OF. The calls OF human.
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 the ballot
comes and arouses us from this dream
of selfishness 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 sympathles
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. III 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 seek knowledge, and COM
pare and balance theories, to reason
and to analyze; but II he cares little
about his duty, II 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 masct-
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.
(a) That the ballot would enlarge
woman's 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 tho
sleeping truth Of free agency and con-
sequent responsibility.
Right here we may detect the true
solution OF woman's inferiority. The
has entered her soul and bound her all
through the ages. do not mean that
this has been with her formulated
theory. 1t may not have always been
present to her consciousness, but 1t has
slumbered in the profoundest depth OF
her being. She has lived under tho in
fuenoe OF this narcotie, and it has
stepped her senses in perpetual calm.
Would you awaken woman from her
supineness and energize her consciencep
Give her the ballot We do not ask
, you to give 1t to her because she is so
wise and good, but because she needs
wisdom and goodness.
, Does not the world believe it? We
know 1t was the argument urged for en-.
| franchising the negro. But those who
urged it SO vehemcntly then can not
see it applies with equal force to wo.
man. Says wise political economist:
at is characteristic of the cautious and
tentative character of English legisla-
I ton that it becomes gradually com.
mitted to great general principles, not
, through any perception of the truth
, and value OF these principles in the alb
I stract. but gradually. and through the
> compulsion OF particular necessities.
, And to the last possible moment the
: general application Of such principles
is always resisted"
: Perhaps this explains why VIC have
| not applied this doctrine to women.
D 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
/ brings to the perusal OF the book the
: most knowledge will learn the most
0 from the pages. So women will be
0 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
d her sons to greater maternal reverence.
!; Every son knows that his country de-
/, grades his mosher.-He knows he Is to
o be her future ruler. Boys are not long
s in learning to sneer at woman's posi-
i ton. 1t is shame thus to degrade
S the mothers OF the land before their
$ 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 indifferen,
n to the negro's claims, but they are deal
IS to womans claims They thrust 1t on
+ the negro before he asked for II, bu,
many thousand woS,en sue for Il vain
|. ly. When will America learn that tC
!. elevate her nature you must elevate
y her motherhood?
1t Egypt, that wonderful civilization
o that existed for so many centuries. hon.
It ored her women. When the Moslem,
:. came. with their contempt for woman
rs woman went down; and the nation
10 went down with her. Look ut Turkey
,f IL you would see the effect Of femal,
lr degradation. Here women are slaves
Q and they bring forth progeny O
IS slaves, who grow into a nation OF i'm
a beetles. No country has ever degraded
d women as America has done. Othe
l. countries were obscure themselves Ii
Re regard to human equality; but Americ'
0. has done it in spite Of the prayers ant
v tears of tens Of thousands Of her bes
Te and most distinguished daughters
he Says Hon. A. Spencer: Sooner or late
q every institution must answer the chal
Is lenge: Are you founded on justice?'
ell God grant American men may answe
to this question In tie peaceful convoca
is ton of deliberative assemblies. and NO
ID before the flaming bar OF retributiv