Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-03

frage, and a woman IL an individual ~
much as IL a man.
The fourth objection Ia based on the
third, and goes down with II. All the
argument as TO tho dividing Of the
family unit or the doubling Of the votes,
applies equal" against giving sons the
franchise who remain In the family
after becoming Of age. "Discord In
the family circle" Ia not necessary
result Of individual franchise. Practice
In this Tt..ltory for fifteen years and
In Wyoming up to the present time,
proclaims that women may exercise
the suffrage in their own right, ~ they
exercise their religious freedom, with.
out my serious results either to the
family or to society. Representations
OF evilA 10 come n woman should be
permitted to cast n ballot are not argu.
ment, they are only guesswork. And,
further, women Gnu lie, aud many are,
enthusiastic Republicans or Democrats
without the franchise. Giving them
the right TO put piece ofpaper In box
VIII not be likely to alter their nature
or disrupt the social foundations or
the family structure. And there are
millions OF women who have no hus-
bands TO differ with on politics; why
should they be denied the suffrage be-.
cause someone fsncies that voting
would cause wives to quarrel with their
husbsnds2
Fifth. The "uncertsin element in
politics" already exists, and II has net
been introduced by woman suffrage,
Men do exactly what II is claimed
women would DO II they had the voting
power. When an issue IL involved
that specially interests men, they flock
to the polls In large numbers; when
they are not 30 interested, hosts Of them
stay away. What OF ~ II the objcc-
tlon urged Is an argument against
woman suffrage, II IL an argument
against man suffrage. IAN uncertain
elemen, Ia politics, eh7" What are
tho certain elements In polltics7 As to
women "shrinking from elements that
are uncongenial," how much worse il
1t for n woman to 70 the polls,
In a civilized country, and deposit
her ballot, than to crowd into
n theatre, ora circus, or race-course,
or any tinouged public assembly, And
why should there be an election NO con.
Quoted that any LAZY could not with
perfect propriety go TO the polling
place and exercise her sacred right Of
franchise2 What isthere about such a
proceeding that Is unwomanly or re.
pulsive? There are men who seem TO
think 1t quite womanly for women to
wash their dirty clothes, but very un-
womsnly 10 put Ia u box piece OF
clean white paper, stamped with the
names Of persons she wishes to act In
the public service!
A. to whether women would "purify
politics" or not, II does not matter,
We do not exclude any class Of men
from the suffrage because they do not
purity politics. That politics would
degrade woman II she had the right to
vote Ia mere conjecture and
made without sufficient ground.
For women discuss political matters
now, and 1t does not degrade but ele-
Yates them. Some OF the noblesi
women citizens In the land are inter.
ested In politics and are yet denied the
right TO say who shall govern them,
while the most ignorant, brutal and
degraded male citizen, who has scarce.
ly any right conception Of the princi.
pies Of government, can cast ballot
and at the same time sneer at woman
suffrage.
All the homllies about women nj tbs
ilreside and IN the home are waste oil
words, because tho simple right to q
voice In the affairs OF government a,
one Of the people, as one Of the gov
ernod, Us n citizen OF the country, is not
| iuCOuiliiiul' WIN Nut hurb AtHuti
and sacred relations and duties Of tn,
wife and mother. And II does not neces
sarily involve and crush to the hust.
ings or the FORUM" or any struggle fol
place or power, but IL simply right
II the franchise Is to any body u right
withheld from at least one half OF tb,
people, In government said to be 90
the people and by the people and fol
the people," who are thus governed
without their consent, and when the,
have property are taxed without repre-
senlation. This is tyranny and In
Justice, according to the Fundamental
principles Of republican government
and there Is not single argumen
raised against the political eniranchise
ment OF woman that IL not equally mp
plicable TO certain classes Of men an,
soes not thereby furnish Its own refu
tatlon.