The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-24
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
iRREFuTAeLE ARGUMENTS.

In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
iRREFUTA6LE ARGUMENTS.
why Woman Suffrage II Right and Il
Bound to Come.
think 1t Is custom among the Yan-
kee people whom any new plan Is sug-
gested, especially IL 1t has been advo-
Gated for long time and with great ur-
gency, to settle the matter in the only
sensible way, which is, to put 1t to the
test. Has it occurred to you that
great many intelligent people-whether
or not you agree with them-advocatc
woman suffrage? Do you remember
that the claim has been advocated for
many years? Are you aware how easy
It would be to settle this question by
putting it to the test?
The question OF woman suffrage suf-
fers from its very familiarity. II 1t
could be sprung as = new question; II,
for instance, the right to vote were alto
gethcr new right conferred on the peo-
pie in this year, 1890 for the hrst time,
there would bc no more question Of
granting it to both men and women than
of permitting both males and females to
attend to the public schools, or acquire
and hold property, or do any Of the 9TH
er things which both now do in common.
Or put it in another way-for, in home
ly phrase, what is sauce for the goose Is
sauce for the gander-suppose that up
to this time suffrage had been limited
to women. and that no man had ever
been permitted to vote except for school
committee. Suppose, meantime, that
men had developed their natural capac-
ity for every department Of business life
and enterprise, and were demanding the
ballot. How much nonsense do you sup
pose they would stand from any body
who should answer them by saying that
suffrage is not right; that it Is mat
ter of cxpediency; that there are too
many voters already; that men are vir-
tually represented by their wives and
mothers; that to give them the ballot
would result in the disturbance Of fam
flies and endanger the home; that it
would lead to violence at the polls; and
that men ought not to be perverted from
their sphere or distracted from their ap-
propriate business OF making money,
raising corn, transporting freight and
oil the great masculine concerns and
economies Of production and commerce?
How they would roar you the great
truths of the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. that all mankind are created free
and equal, and that government derives
its just powers only from the con-
sent Of the governed; and that whoever
is taxed for tho common benefit and af-
fected by the making of laws should have
. voice in the process OF taxation and
legislation!
Let US he honest, and admit what We
all know; that the real reason why the
right is denied to women, Is because
there is just trace enough Of ancient bar
barism lingering in our civilization to
bar them out-the same barbarism that
made women slaves, that made them
beasts Of burden. that made them pets
and playthings; but that-thank heaven
lis gradually passing away. The whole
logic Of the thing lies in nutshell.
should not vote. Human ingenuity can
not suggest single distinction be-
tween the sexes 50 far as the right OF
voting is concerned. They are equally
competent to Judge of the merits OF
measures and the comparative merits OF
candidates. Men and
women have an equal stake in the Gov
ernment and laws; they each hold prop
erty to be protected and taxed; they
alike have children to be educated, and
lives and limbs to be made secure. ! am
told that you will find many q street in
our towns, on which, OF the adult resi-
dents, . majority are women owning
property on which they are taxed for
tho municipal expenditures in which
they have no voice. And yet in every
such community the average intelli-
gence and competency Of the women is,
at the very least, equal to that Of the
men. Some Of the women don't know
much; some OF the men don't know
much. Some of the women would not
vote II they could; and many Of the men
do not vote, although they can. Some
Of the women would vote as they were
led or misled; and many Of the men do
these instances would. il they were
voters, exercise the suffrage with care,
conscientiousncss, understanding and
advantage; and the men do no more.
These same men and women meet to-
gether many times year and engage in
the same interests, not only in private
life, but in public relations =
In view OF this, what patience can be
had when some hardshell tells us that
this is all 50; but the heavens would
fall, society would be ruined, the State
would collapse. IL the same women, once
in March and once in November, should
enter . decent town hall or ward room
oil the more decent for their presence
walk to ballot-box, and put into 1t q
piece Of printed paper expressing in
concrete form the results of their previ.
GUS consideration!
Right? OF course 1t is the denial Of q
right, and every body knows it. To
deny right is an outrage. 1t is idle to
mystify this matter with refinements
about natural right and artificial right
Somebody oven has suggested that wom.
en- are not particularized in the Declare
tion Of independence or the Constitu'
tiOn. Neither are slaves. Even IS t<
them some used to argue that freedom
Is not . natural right; that children are
not free; that offenders against Il 10 Law
and insane persons are not free; and
that freedom is matter Of expedienl
discrimination. As matter Of com
nonsense. you and l know that il We
contribute ont of our property to com
mon fund, il we are taxed for . common
enterprise. II our rights, our liberties
our persons. our children, are affected
by certain laws, we ought to have ;
voice in the arrangement, and il yo,
doubt this, try the experiment with ,
body Of men. and see what will come o