The morning call., 1890-11-28
IT WILL NOT DOWN.
The Question of Granting the Ballot to
the Women.


eradicate it-puliing the plants up by the
roots and destroying them-the seeds still re-
main, and in a few weeks the ground is
again covered with its pure white mantle OF
fragrant snowy blossoms.
To others it may appear more like hydra
headed monster, but crush one of those
heads and another Immediately succeeds it
or appears in another place. Give 1t what
name you will, hken it TO either symbol, the
fact remains that it has come 10 stay, and
like Banquo's ghost. sit will not down."
but Phenix-like, ever rises from its ashes.
The declaration is often made that the
majority of women do not care for suffrage
do not wish it, indeed, and again it is
asserted that were men really convinced that
women as a whole desired the ballot it
would be unhestatngly granted to them.
| think this latter affirmation should be
taken "cum grano Sails" but If it be true
why does hot man, in the plenttnde OF his
power, give her chance to express her
opinion? Let her have the opportunity To
vote once and see if she will improve that
opportunity. A recent contributor to the
Woman's Column says: Inc silent ma
iority have the same right to be heard by
their silence as the minority of their voice"
We are told that Silence is golden" Shall
we hear the chink of the gold? That this
metal often aids and abets masculine voting
is certainly too well known TO dispute. Is 1t
also
TO BE USED To RESTRAIN
Feminine voting? Further, how can the
minority bs heard by any voice save the
voice of action, the action which speaks
loader than words? No woman, no mat
ter how great a radical she may be, can vote
until she has tbs right to do so. There are
many men Of many minds, and why
a., , nf Intn ha aX
from women more than from men? Con-
sstency, thou art jewel" but one that is
rarely worn by either sex, being like the
gem of truth-with many questionable.
Many a woman in politics, rs IN other mat
tiers, is virtually lied by the nose" by her
nearest male relative, while he, probably
being of the same mental status as herself,
is as blindly led by the leaders OF his party,
who too often prove but Dlnd leaders OF
the blind, and both fall into the dte H..
Had woman the right OF suffrage 1t would
undoubtedly be some time before she I'M
dersiood the "true inwaIdness Of the po-
litIcal mill, but it would be interesting to
know how many men voted intelllgently at
the recent election. When L say Int Ill
gently mean how many knew just why he
voted for A and B instead of for and ID?
Ask him this pertinent question-possibly
he might consider 1t an impairment one
and in six cases out of ten the answer would
be, "Oh, ne belongs to my party" Ones
tioning further, Is he good man, suitable
for the YOU TGq ddn pT t1aS Si ne
but he's all right. or his name wouldn't be
on that ticket" Mans logic is q fearful and
wonderful thing sometimes. Could that be-
nighted heather, woman, be more Illogical?
OF course. in writing this only allude 10
THE RANK AND FILE,
And not to those who act upon the
convictions of principle. As to the first
declaration the ln1iffpr-
ence felt by so many women in ref
erencs to female suffrage is, that many
mothers knowing how unattainaole the
fruit has ever been, have impressed upon
their daughters minds the fact OF lis eX,
treme acidity-that it would be detrimental
alike 10 mental and moral health, and that
men laughed at and condemned strong
minded women, until the daughters have
ceased to covet it. Again, there is the non
progressive woman, who is either too lgno-
rant or too stupid to be more than an echo of
the strongest III ind, be it that of relative or
stranger with whom she is constantly
brought into contact Such woman, hav
ing no mind of her own, being entirely
without internal resources, is only human
sieve, with finer or coaTSer perf0rations
through which everythiDg-her own affairs,
as we'll as those of others-is sure TO perco-
late, drop by drop, and woe betide the I'M
lucky wight, who, placing confidence In
her, expects 1t TO remain lnyiolate. In the
presence of such women ii Is well to re-
member those words of wisdom: ~ on
have friend, your friend has friend, your
friends friend has friend! Beware" 1t
cannot be said of her: Her children arise
up, and call her blessed" but on the con-
trary, as her children grow to youth and
maidenhood they get beyond her depth, and
she recalls TO mind the Len who has
raised brood of ducklIngs; they will leave
the shore of ignorance where she stands.
aud no matter how urgently she calls, or
how bitterly she bewails her lot they pay
no heed. Next, there is the indolent
woman, whose mind is like s,agnant pool,
its depth covered and diversified by crazy
patchwork of green scum. She sheds tears
perhaps over the
IMAGINARY WOES
OF some favorite hero or heroine. but it
would take ali earthquake and tidal-wave
combined TO awaken her to the real woes Of
her sisterWoman. As to the fallen woman
element" of which we hear so much, l do
not feel competent to express an opinion,
although having a vague rememb rance OF
somew here hearing that she already eXer-
ses much greater influence at the polls
than her virtuous sisters. IL has truly been
said that "WomanS worst foe is WOmaD."
Let woman sin or eyen err, and man,
knowing his own proneness to do likewise,
does not wholly condemn her, but gives her
the benefit of the doubt Most of her sister,
women, however, who would be so pitiful to
the errors Of man, have 10 mercy what
ever for the one Of their own sex who has
fallen from grace.
The average woman is not Wordsworth's
4 perfect woman, nobiy planned,
TO warn. to comfort and command,
And she should remember that there are
Sis of omission as well as sins OF commits
sion, and, perhaps, while her erring sister
has committed the latter, she herself may
be guilty OF the former blessed are the
merciful for they shall obtain mercy" we
are told in the Sermon ON the Mount, and
the words uttered by that divine teacher
never fail. Were women little more leui-
ent toward these mistaken ones there would
be fewer heartaches and, it may be, fewer
treading the downward road to perdition.
III a helping feminine hand were oftener
extended to aid them up virtues steep
activity, the ever-ready masculine hand
would not so frequently pull them down
vices decliyity.
While these classes Of women, all and sew
eral, are well known, have they not their
prototypes among men? All have heard of
the man who was too busy too vote-too sell
fshly
ENGRossED IN HIS PRIVATE AFFAIRS
To consider how those affairs are ultimately
controlled by good or bad officials; of the
one who thinks voting "doosed" bore
casually prefxiDg a stronger expletive. how
ever; and also of that other one who did
not wish ito throw away his vote" and so
voted for the man OF whom he did Dot really
approve, rather than join the .'forlorn hope"
and by so joining aid in carrying the one OF
whom lie did approve on to victory. Would
not man think himself grevously wr0nged
if some power stronger than himself-a
power with whom might was. right
should seek to deprive him of his ''lnalien-
able right''-the ballot-becanse of these
masculine detrimeutals? Why should
woman be asked 10 submit in silence be-
cause OF the equally inconsistent and incon-
siderate feminine detrimentals?
There is large and intelligent class Of
thinking women-an ever increasing class
who want liberty with laws, government