Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1890-02-07
iblc majority and delay the transaction of
public business has about reached its end

THE question of womanhood suffrage
is again before the Legislature, and the
pin head press and politicians are trotting
out and brushing up their old spawned
and ring -boned arguments against it. A
friend said the other day, "You ought
not to favor female suffrage : if women
vote in North Dakota the prohibition
provision in the constitution will never
be repealed" Even so. That fact-if 1t
is fact--should have no consideration as
against an abstract question of right.
1t will be noticed that nearly all eppos-
ton TO the measure assumes the form of
ridlcule. 1t was the same when the agi-
tation began for opening cur colleges to
the higher education of women, and thus
preparing them, if fate willed it, to take
care ofthemselves. Their entry into law,
medicine, journalism and the pulpit was
ridiculed and opposed at every step but
the opposition was OF no avail, and to-
day there are hundred honorable and
remunerative occupations open to women
that were closed to our grandmothers
Nor has this change, as predicted, given
the sex over to Strong -mindedncss" and
dislike of domestic life. On the contray,
most of the prominent and able women
Of our country at the present time arc as
thoroughly feminine 10 taste and manner
as the aforesaid grandm6thers whose &C.
complishments seldom went beyond
''readin'," Griffin" and a very little
'rithmetlc."
We would like to ask the low comedians
in the legislature to forego their grimaces
for season and let. their constituents
know what there is ss trresistibly funny
III the proposal to cohfer tho right OF
suffrage on women? III 1t not just tha,
they should vots7 Is there any reason
why sex rather than Intelligence should
govern IN the granting 1T the franchise
Should bright woman be refused the
| right to cast a ballot while the most igno
rant and degraded men have that right
Dent give US the old chestnut to the
effect that '' women don't want to vote. u
Some do. This cant phrase is no more 8
truism than if it were said, IAN men wan,
to vote" Some don't--many never gt
near the polls. Grant, however, that feal
of ridlcule would keep the least sensible
of wemankind away from the polls fol
u time. Tho shotguns. Of the chivalr,
in Mississippi and South Carolina hav,
kept and are Keeping colored men from
the polls ! but time will ban,sh the shot
guns as # would Danish rldicule.
Another argument sometimes used b,
opponents of womanhood suffrage is tina
cpzrupt -ssuf vicious worsen you'd vote
But. if so, whatdoes it signify RNAlthougl
the proportion of corrupt men to wot,ae,
is. a hundred--yea, a thousand-=to one
yet no one has attempted to abridge mall
suffrage for that reason. abd 1t is no
likely that such an attempt would dsucceed
Most of our Legislators are able, repre-
sentative North Dakotaus. Many OF then
have wives just as bright and amb,tiou
possibly more so--than themselves
Perhaps this one has had the loyal assist
ance of his wife in securing every dollar
worth of property be possesses; perhap
that one owes his prominence IN the pol,
tics of the new state to the ambition an,
judgment of one whose interests are hi
own. So. long as the husband lives hi
vote may stand between, the interests o
bis family aud corrupt officials and ba,
laws; but. should be die, the wife
though much better qualified than lie ha,
been to cast an Intelligent and homes
ballot-has not even the right to expires
her choice of the man who shall collec
the taxes she is compelled to pay.
But so far as the present legislature I,
concerned, the success Of the proposition
to submit woman suffrage to vote .
the people will depend to 4 great exten
upon the domestic relations of the mem
bers. If one has at home IN intellige It
good wife, mother or sister, he will vot
for the measure. If, on the other hand
the woman nearest HIM - q shrew or q,
imbecile, God pity him, he will. form hi
opinion Of the merits Of the sex on bi
own sample and vote against it,.