The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-04-11
THE BALLOT FOR WOMEN.

THE BALLOT FOR WOMEN.
An Address Before a. Meeting Of the Far
mers' Alliance at sturgis April 9th.
The following address was delivered by
Rev. Atwater before the meeting OF the
district Farmers alliance at Sturgis last
Tuesday:
II would not plead for feminine men
or masculine women, but we oughtnever
to forget that the best part OF our man
hood is our womanhood that thepurest
moulding and best teaching men receive
has womanly origin. Thelessons most
deeply craven on our hearts were traced
by fond woman's hand. Mothers are
the earliest instructors ofour statesmen,
and usually give the best bent to the
genius and aim OF our citizen populace.
But the permanent value of instruction
depends upon the breadth of the teachers
knowledge and the fullness Of her expert
ence. The lad who does not respect his
mothers knowledge, in any given line, is
sure to ask, What does she know about
it anyway" and drift away from her
teaching.
The first teachers Of our rulers, judges
and citizens should be informed 5n all
questions Of government, and to this in
tent they should have all the incentives
to political intelligence that men have,
the same sense of responsibility which
grows out OF the far-extended import of
personal ballot. Let women feel that
they are recognized as mans equal in
practical wisdom as we'll as in general
intelligence and that they are expected
to share in shaping civil life and making
political history and by virtue of their
instructive fidelity to trust, they will
take corresponding interest in questions
OF public policy, thus being better fitted
first Tor the exercise of their franchise
and secondly for the duty Of training the
citizenship to come. I shall therefore
hail woman's advent to the polls as an
/ added force OF two fold power. I do not
fear that the franchise will debase woman.
Responsibility snot debasing, utrather
elevating. If intelligent political action
is at present debasing, we ought to hail
the proposed new factor, first that men
may be saved from too speedy ruin and
secondly that the introduction of more
modest, delicate and refined agencies may
redeem politics from degradation and
make this arena more worthy the con-
joined manly and womanly tread of the
sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty
do not fear that woman, last at the
cross and earliest at the sepulchre OF her
Lord, will easily forget her refinement
and delicacy OF thought and action. I
believe she will bring these essentials OF
her nature into the new relations and
give to politics a new and nobler life.
Woman on the British throne today
does no dishonor to the leading nation
ality over which she presides with such
distinguished grace. The reign OF Vic
toria adds new lustre to British glory
and new laurels to womanhood. If here
and there an unworthy woman has worn
a crown, it only shows that women are
SO much like men that they are not uni
formly good or wise. Will anyone claim
more for the sterner sex? Would VIZ
might!
The time is not long past when thorough
education was deemed unsuited to tn
female station and mission. Tha'
fgment offolly is swept away and CO
education, both in place and extent, i!
popular. And yet woman is no less
womanly, no less kempt in person o.
home. Her bread is as light and swee
as ever, her smile is as inspiring, ane
though her town and the shake OF he
awful finger is a little more terrible, it il
only because we feel she is the NOR
worthy to be feared
Let US open still wider the gates o
woman's opportunity and let her SWEEP
on to new conquests (she always dit
like conquests) and if We cannot keel
lup, we can follow her at a slower pace
sure that after little she will let u
catch up, for she always did like to hav
us near, in spite of all our ugliness.'