The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-03

The candidate uneasileo
With nervous hand carressed his knee
.'Call round election day." said he.
wi h Patsy Mack and John Magee,"
Then held the door all graciouslcc,
With candida ish ccuTtcssce.
us that q voterf" queried she,
'.That he is strong, must agree;
But can he solve with certantee
The problems OF the centureey'
The orator ns moro spake he,
But madly pounded on his knee.
Mira George Archibald, In Womans Journal
THE DIVIDING LINE.
Tine Woman's Sulsra GO Movement Retarded
By . Too Distinctive Policy.
Nothing can be more contrary to ma
tnre, reason and common sense, than the
gulf which at present exists between
the interests and activities of women
and mon. With the increasing diversi-
ties Of social position. and the growing
arising from the subdi-
vision of labor, the sexes tend to become
more segregated from each other as civ
ilization advances. The result, writes
II. B. Blackwell, in Woman's Journal,
Is an unjust subordination of women to
men. where men and women work to-
gether, and mutual ignoring Of each
other, where men and women work
apart.
We have separate colleges and profess
sional schools for women and for men;
women's boards Of missions, women's re-
lief corps, women's press associations,
etc, all distinct from mems institutions
for similar objects. We have women's
clubs and mems clubs, but IS yet, few
or no clubs OF women and men. Even
tho woman suffrage movement, which
in theory and purpose means the union
of the sexes in the worlds work, Is very
generally regarded merely as q ''wom-
ans movement" As . consequence 1t
sometimes becomes positively divisive
separating tho sexes instead OF unit
ing them. Naturally, tho large maiori-
ty Of active sufiragists in State and Ma
ton have hitherto been women. But 1t
has long seemed to me that this virtual
separation OF the sexes, wherever it ex-
lists, is a source of weakness in the equal
suffrage movement. So long as men re-
gard the cause IS exclusively or prima-
rily "woman's movement" they will
avoid and neglect 1t; 50 long as they do
not feel it to be their own work to re-
licve women from present legal, polit-
ical. social and religious disabilities, 50
long these disabilities will remain.
1t has sometimes seemed to me that
philanthropic and reformatory organiza-
tions might be more efficient II they
should adopt the Quaker method Of sep
arate meetings Of men and women for
certain purposes, and joint meetings of
both for general business. II some Of
our Quaker friends would give us an in
side view OF the workings of their sys-
tenn Of separate and joint organization
Of the sexes, it might throw light upon
difficult subject. What is needed is
to awaken men to sense Of equal re-
sponsibility for the promotion Of more
perfect union between women and men
In the home, in the school, in the
church, in industry, ia society, in liter
atnre, in politics-in short, in every de-
partment Of human thought and activ-
ity. How to bring this about is the
problem. The system often adopted Of
late, - sop to Cerberus. Of advisory
boards" Of women without power to car
~ out their suggestions, is . mere eva
sion, and method OF appearing to do
something. while in fact doing nothing
On the other hand, tho Grange. the
Grand Army. the Prohibition party, the
Qaaker, Unitarian and universalist de-
nominations, and the Methodists in
their election Of lay delegates and
transaction Of church affairs, have all
tried joint action by women to limited
extent and have found it an element
OF strength. Why would 1t not bc well
for American women also to organize in
assistant Republican and Democratic
clubs, like the Primrose and Liberal
Nomen's Leagues OF England?
As things are to-day, men know hard
ly anything Of the public work OF wom-
en-, and women know almost as little Of
the public work Of men. Neither fully
appreciate the work OF the other, or do
Justice to each others characters and
motives. Women exaggerate the cor
ruption of politics and depreciate the
motives Of politicians, while men nn-
duly dread the impractical and pro.
scriptiye spirit which women sometimes
manifest In their exercise Of rights III.
ready attained. Each sex stands sadly
In need OF the friendly counsel and CO.
operation of the other.
Will not the local suffrage leagues oi
the country seriously consider these
suggestions. and try to secure as active
members and managers an equal pro.
portion Of women and men? Upon the
non-partisan and non-sectarian platform
OF the National American w. S. A., men
OF all parties may consistently affiliate
without sacrificing their connections,
political or religious. but using these to
promote the enfranchisemento Of women.
sufscient Di.proof.
Wyoming lately held . constitutional
Convention. and framed the constitution
under which she hopes to be admitted as
. State. Woman suffrage was incorpor
ated in the constitution by the conven
tion by . four-fifths vote. Tho constitu
tiOn was submitted, few weeks ago, tS
the people, both men and women, and
was ratified by vote OF about eight Il
ono. This should be Q sufficient dis
proof, says Alice Stone blackwell, OF TIN
alleged unpopularity OF woman suffrage
The Cheyenne papers reported that tn.
women came out on election day ane
worked hard for the constitution.
The advocates OF woman suffrage have
had . standing challenge out for year.
inviting its opponents to find two per
sons in the whole Territory who will as
sert, over their own names and ad
dresses, that woman suffrage there ha.
had any bad result. The opponents
have thus far failed to respond. 1t il
not likely that woman suffragewill d,
| away with all social and political evils
and bring in the millennium; but ther,
! Is ample evidence that in Wyoming i
has done no harm. and has accomplishe,
| good in several important respectA