The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25
WOMEN IN POLITICS

/ eAS\SGsNO lTH all its wonderful devel-
| INA l2EgSgK, opment the nineteenth cen
| tzgsT1yS9NIt fury has wrought no greater
| HhNsN2DSsH lss change, either in the mate
| WBW62Wk9)ria or social world, than in
| fyeSISSSS the status of woman. Instead
| 40 Us S4of being the drudge and men
YsSS+eo ial of man she has become his help
( hSS'H meet and companion. No longer is
Eso it sacrilege for her to cultivate the
intellect and take an active part in the af-
fairs of life. Her mental capacity is I'M
! questioned. She has demonstrated her
ability to learn the principles of law and
practice that noble profession As ply
stefan she has won distinction and renown
In the field of literature she has plucked
! laurels from her brothers. brow; and in all
the higher walks of life she has proven her
ability TO cope with the sterner sex in the
great struggle for existence.
! The capabilities of woman as an organ
izer are attested by the great work of the
Woman's Christian Temperance union.
which has snatched so many thousand souls
from the verge of adrunkard's grave: by the
grand organization of the Red Cross. which
has furnished nurses on every battle field
in Christendom during the last quarter of
a century; by the Woman's Auxiliaries to
the Young Mems Christian association,
that exist all over the world by the Order
OF the Eastern Star, that attaches itself to
the Free Masons; by the Daughters of Re
becca, that supplement of the Odd Fellows:
by The Kings Daughters, that know not
n in bpiy
the Women's Relief societies. that exist IN
every town and city in the land and by the
host of educational, industrial and charita-
BILE organizations that abound in every
civilized country where the sun of progress
sheds its divine rays.
After these achievements, why should
not women desire to become factors in pol
itics. Why should the thousands of bright
women who are graduating with honors
every year from the leading colleges and
universities of the world, in every profess
sion and branch of learning, be deprived
OF voice in the grave matters of state
that either open or close the avenues of
progress to their sex? 1t is begging the
question to answer it as a distinguished
United States Senator did by saving: ssI
would not degrade woman by giving her
the ballot; let her remain queen of her
home and hearts" Why is it a degrade
tion to help make the laws that govern US?
[ have observed that our most famous law
givers are willing victims to this sort of
degradation. If they can submit to it
with such good grace why not give the
women chance to do likewise? They are
amenable to the same laws that govern the
men. Justice demands that they should I
have voice in making those laws. Is il
not false and hypocritical ''chivalry"
that deprives women of their political
rights and ''starves thousands of them into
evil lives in every great city in the world?n |
1t is the influence of women that has
opened the doors of learning to their sex.
and has enabled millions of them to become
bread-winners in the great contest for life. |
If they could do so much without the bal
lot how much more could they do with it9
Does any one doubt that the influence of
women would tend to purify politics.
that they would favor morality, sopriety
and good governments No one questions
the fact, but, like the Senator, they fear
her degradation as ''queen of the homes
What is there in politics that would de-
pose her from her queenly station? Man.
with all his political propensitles. retains
his position as king of the home: why
should the woman not retain her place as
queen2 know it was the belief of our an
cestors that 1.-The bread would sour in the
oven and the children pine in the nursery.
if women should receive diplomas and ad-
dept professions" but despite our great
army of graduates and professionals, we
pride ourselves to-day on the sweetness of
our bread and the perfection of our child
rem. History shows that the assumption
of political responsibility by any class of
people has always elevated and improved
them; certainly the rule would not find an
exception in the women of to-day. On the