Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-06-25
For the Ellsworth American ..
H. Again on Woman's Suffrage.

In late issue of the AMERICAN | read
with interest an article from my anti suf-
frage friend II. W, in which he replies to
some thoughts of mine published several
weeks ago in the same paper. | feel graft
fled to think that my feeble effort TO pre-
sent in limited snd imperfect way the
cause of woman suffrage made sufficient
impression on the mind of even one anti
sutfragst to be remembered and deemed
worthy of answer after SO many weeks
have elapsed. For want of time, and per-
haps in part. for want of capacity to com
prehend the full weight and force of his
article, | have deferred making any COM
mcnts on the same and. but for other than
personal reasons. should have indefinitely
postponed it, content to let the article re-
main self answered
My friend insists that there is another
of it or hot" II. has been aware since he
came to the years of understanding that
there was another side to this question ;
but that it was only q stde of an cdihce of
thought. the roof of which had cayed in,
the noorings rottcd away, and the pillars
of which had ctumbled into the dust-built
of oriental ideas of woman's relative in
feriority. founded Oh mans concet and
woman's mode-ty, supported by volumes
of such literature as my friend employs.
and myriads OF such conservative thinkers
as he; but IN my opinion, and it is only an
opinion and a poor one at that, perhaps.
there has not yet come to my knowledge n
an from the right Of suffrage that would not
dl>franchisc man. have no hope Of CON
vcr,ing my friend. we view the matter
from standpoints 80 widely apart For
when he resorts to the picture of the drcss
of London'- weak degraded classes, aud
drags poor weak minded Nancy Sykes
sentative Of our average American woman.
in her helpless leaning on the other
sex for protection, or 10 Illustrate the
average woman's desire for protection,
and to verify woman> political nothing
ness pronounces Queen Victoria mere ci-
pher in the British kingdom, though she
the best and most loved soverelgns that
England ever had, have but little TO say.
Be il said 10 Queen Nictoria's credit and
as another proof that politics do not un-
sex women, that although Queen Victoria
has spent the best part Of her life in the
stormy realm Of politics, and has ascendcd
a. high in political power a. woman can
ever hope to attain IN this world, vet she
has never forgotten her home duties, and
was ever a devoted wife and has ever been
as tender and loving mother as there i,
in all England
Then my friend, to prove that woman j.
as bad, If not worse, than man, goes back
more than SIX thousand years and brings
father Adam and mother Eve on to tie
stand a. witnesses. must confess that
feel no pride of sex in recalling the part
that Adam played N that drama. The
Lord came down TO see what Adam had
been doing with that sacred tree Of life,
for he no doubt suspected Adam had been
into mischief. Adam meets him with an
excuse; his guilty soul sought protection
behind fiimsy pretext, She did beguilc
me and did eat" We can imagine wom-
ans first natural protector crouchng at
the feet OF the Almighty the craven COW
ard that he was, and seeking to hide his
sins beneath womans garment Of fas-
cination What a compliment he pays TO
wOman's natural leadership in morals. If
Adam ever had any nobility of soul, any
for the other sex, he lost it all in
the fall. What did Eve do: Did She beat
about the bush to find some fimsy argu-
ment on which to venture her hope Of for
giyeness: Did she try to make Adam the
scape goat on which to load the burden Of
her guilt? Did she say Thou hast made
fine intellect and great bravery of soul
and he ought 10 have shielded me from the
power Of the tempter:" q, no, that would
have been unlike woman. She stood there
in profound silence. in deep SORROW, no
doubt, to think Of the trouble She had
brought, and in the bravery Of her soul
willing to bear the guilt and penalty of
both. And so God pronounced a curse
upon her, and for centuries she has borne
the penalty Of her sins and portion of
mans in almost accomplishing silence.
And now when man and woman fall to-
gether in this chivalrous age, chivalrous
man generally gets out with whole skin,
while woman bears the burden of curse
through life.
When my friend contemplates this ques-
tion strange visions pass before his eyes,
and remarkable discoveries are made. He
says on account of woman's bearing on
this question, and the position she is try
ing to assume there are whole districts of
bachelors in our cities. | am considerably
ignorant of the laws of natural affinity,
and this is the first time | was ever aware
that bachelors are in the habit Of congre-
eating into whole districts In any part of
our country. And am at loss to know
how II. w. or any one else could have
learned the cause. bachelors are so reti
cent on the marriage question. If this be
so, | should hardly want to see the cause
of woman suffrage deferred to crafty such
a community of lunatics. He evidently
imagines when the ballot is conferred or
woman that the great bulk of her sex will
be turned into a squirming, wriggling mass
of Shiny politicians, the marriage relation
abolished, home destroyed, the most rigiC
and oppressive laws against the other se1
enacted, and woman spurred on by senti
ment rushing into war, bare-headed anC
with broomstick in hand, no doubt. H,
sees the two sexes pitted each against The
other-probably pulling each others hail
or tearing each others eyes out over som,
political issue, or scramble for office. Nov
against all this wild theorlzing ard specu
lation let US put little plain, common
knowledge of human nature, and the mu
tual relations Of sympathy. affection, ant
confidence, generally prevailing between
the two sexes, more especially the dispos
ition Of woman's. nature to lean on mar
for counsel and advice in matters of econ
omy. Is there any reason to suppose tina