The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28

TO tyrannlae over woman and who Is dead
to the finer sentiments which plead for the !
elevation of the weaker sex, or who be- {
lieves that woman should be under the |
feet of man, not at his SIDE Hence 1t
happens that the man or woman who {
writes against suffrage must needs, at the
outset, disclaim the above attributes OF {
character
The writer is acquainted with men OPP
/ posed to suffrage, whose opposition arises
not from any desire to make woman sub
ordinate to man, or tyrannize over her, or
through any fear that she will outstrlp
him in the intellectual or political field.
Nor does opposition TO suffrage necessarily
carry with it belief in woman's inferior
! ity to man. 1t is not a question OF super
iority or inferiority, but of the fitness, OF
the propriety of woman sEringing into the
political arena to take part in
the terrible struggle here going on.
For my simple self 1 avow my
belief in woman's equality with man;
but believe their labors are in different
spheres, yet each equally noble. VIRGIL
was the better artist, HOMER the greater
poet; yet | can conceive OF both being
equal as men. So with man and woman.
Man for the field and the plough. woman
for the home. Man for the field of ad-
venture woman to Inspire him with cour-
age and ambition. Man for the battles
front where danger threatens and death
plays havoc, woman in the rear minister
ing to the wounded and closing the eyes OF
the dying.
1t is further necessary to say that there
are some things contended Tor by suffrag-
lists that all must coucede both the justice
and propriety Of Every one will concede
that where a woman does the same work as
q man. and does it as we'll, she should re-
ceive the same remuneration. 1t may also
be conceded that there are public positions
that would better be filled by women than
by men, such as police matrons to take
charge of women prisoners, and the same
at peniten tiaries, etc. But all this may be
l done without giving theI elective franchise
to women. 1t is not our purpose, however,
10 discuss these economic rather
than political questions. We confne
ourselves strictly to the question,
i should the elective franchise be conferred
on women? To that question, we give
t negative answer and offer the following
reasons for it:
9 F'irst-We believe that government he
: longs TO man. That it is a sphere assigned
1 him by Con himself, and for it he is pecu
d liarly adapted by his nature. When the
9 Almighty said to woman THY desire shall
: be TO thy husband, and he shall rule over
G thee" that part OF the divine announce
r ment was no part of the curse pronounced
d upon woman because of the fall, but the
pf ma
y when, in subsequent age, the great apos-
/ tie of the gentiles said that man is the head
o of the woman as CHRIST is the head of the
q church, he but repeated and emphasized
, the great law of nature-a law written as
L much in woman's as in mans nature.
u Second-The right to vote should be
|, given only to those in circumstances to act
u independently to those who can vote
without dctation. Hence, minors are de-
d MED the ballot, not because young men
~ from sixteen and seventeen up to twenty
y one are not capable of graspiug public
i questions, and acting far more intelligently
81 in relation thereto than tens of thousands
v of the rabble who will cast ballot, but
because up to the age of twenty one they
are under parental control, subject to It's
Independently, and hence the right of sui,
N frage is very properly held from
at them. Such are the circumstances sur
to rounding woman, such is the constitution
90 of society, and such the nature of man anC
IL woman, that woman is dependent upon
a man-her husband-and there is no revolu
an ton in sight that promises any change il
n, that, nor do we believe such revolution i:
v desirable. Being dependent upon him she
We is subject largely to his dictation, is not il
IL circumstances 10 act Independently, anC
Sc therefore not proper person to exercise
al The franchise.
a. Third-The true unit Of government is no
n the individual, out the family. The elective
rs franchise being limited to men twenty-on
ed years old and upward, it must be eviden
Ike that the great body of electors are men o
Id families. Such being the case, whenever
nd man casts his VOTE he does not do it TO
lie himself alone, but he does it in the interes
ZEE OF his wife and of his childreu-in the in
y, terest of the little group OF which he is tn
ID head. He has misconception Of the dig
u nifty of the elective franchise who Woul
Sc make Of it merely an individual affair
he Government that is, national government
OF sprang from the family, and the family
&C. its true unit, of which we believe man
IL, the proper representative.
ng SaFourth-If women enter politics and &C
ne lndependently-as some claim they can an
on will do-then of course they will becom
Sly Democrats and Repu blicans. There will
as wives of Democrats who will vote the Re
lr. publican ticket: there will be wives of Re
he publicans who will vote the Democrat
led ticEet, and the family-the unit in govern
ee, ment-will be divided against itself. Herei
by one Of Our strongest objections to the su
is. frage being given to women. 1t will intri
duce discord into the family circle, For,
as esteemed friend remarked but yestei
day, lit matters not how nearly an angel
w a man might be, if his wife voted again!
-" the men and the measures which in b
~ Judgment were best for his family and f
'oS the country, there would be trouble" "
- know that many will deny that, and SEQ
0Ne at any man who would predict such 7
- suit and who in lofty tones will sa
30 Cant man and his wife hold differel
go views, and vote opposite tickets, and y
retain their love and cordial friendshi
and conjugal happiuessW Well, we mig
Just as well look at human nature as
1u' is, and looking at it as it is. al
'iA in the light of experience, what
JUG there that promises this copiugal felicit
dy' with political d fferences running beside i
pot Why, it is only in rare cases, and tn
-, ~, among the intellects of the highest orde
no and natures of the noblest texture tn
n"i friendships continue among men OF OPP
hat ~, ,,o1i+;ool r,,.io. po,i+ia, .,uooa .
)r's f,oai,o,,ti,, hIicrht, so,;oI 49, L..