Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-06-07

votes are mere useless baubles why, in the name
of common sense, do men continue to carry on
the government by these means! Why 10 we still
have representative lawmakers? Women ask to
share the advantages of the system, be it good or
bad; having, perforce, to share the drawbacks
If the voting system be considered bad, unhappy
indeed must be the plight Of those who live under
it, enduring the disastrous consequences without
even such redress as can be obtained through its
privileges. Political rights are the mere ground
work of freedom and its safeguard. They are
needed not simply in order to protect interests,
but as the sign and symbol of citizenship for their
absence is direct sur, badge of servitude. In
demanding the vote there is no necessity to prove
that the interests of the disfranchised are neg
lected. A free born human being demands more
than guarded interests. He demands the oppor-
tunity Of guarding them himself. As a matter Of
fact, however, men have net guarded the interests
of women On the contrary, their laws are full
of injustice and of cruel insult to womanhood
There is, indeed, no occasion to be too bitter
against men for this very human abuse of power;
both sexes abuse power when they enjoy it I'M
checked; it is sufficient to demand and to demand
persstently and untirngy that men shall accord to
women the right so dear to themselves, of having
q voice in making the laws which they have to
obey. need not in this paper insist further upon
so obvious principle, but in urging women to
come forward en- masse to claim their political
rights, and to do so especially at the present juno
ture when a strong effort may do so much to press
the cause forward rapidly, would remind them
that the removal OF political disabilities is merely
the first step of great social progress which the
future has in store for their sex.
What they will do with their liberty remains to
be seen. need scarcely say that the object Of
this new independence for women is not to make
themselves into poor imitation of men or even
very good one, which last, as matter Of fact
believe they might do in the course of generations
if they thought it worth their WHILE Without
wishing to underrate masculine qualities and
charms, certainly do not think it would be worth
their while.
Women need liberty, first of all for lbertys
own sake, as the foundation and condition of all
other things worth having, then they need it in
order to develop their specially womanly qualities,
those that we scarcely know anything about at
present, because the feminine character has been
subjected to remarkable process of imitation
combined with ruthless pruning, with the result
that to the artistic eye the typical and approved
"woman' appears painful monstrosity very
much developed in one direction, absolutely nom
existent in another. Why she should be called
''womanly' on this account cannot understand.
She may be Nifely or motherly, but until she has
free play in more than these directions, there
seems no particular reason for calling the conspc-
uous absence Of other characteristics "womanly."
Being sort Of negation, it might be more explain
atory to call it mot manly"
Among the innumerable other results of the
new status of womanhood look for the develop
ment OF positive quality that we can denote
'',,womanly;' new element in life sprnging from
the special experience and insight which women
will then be able to bring to bear upon the affairs
OF the world This will be practically new fac
tor in existence, and what the result Of its COM
blnations and developments may be, imagination
dare scarcely prophesy.