The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-08-12
woMEN,s suFFRAoE.

frnctlcnl Experience
alice Stone BlacEuel IN the Roman'S Column
In her paper before the New Century
Guild, Miss Turner takes up the oblec'
ton that equal suffrage would bring
into tho family circle a dangerous ele-
ment OF dlscord," She says;
"The element OF discord would neces-
sarily exist unless the husband and
wife, or other members OF the family,
voted the same way on important
issues-which would result in o tie for
either side, thus neutralizipg the effect
Of the franchise"
The possibility OF domestic discord
over politics exists in any household
where more than one person has vote.
We occasionally find some obstinate
and despotic father who cannot forgive
his son for voting the opposite ticket.
Bat it is not::sscommon; and such excep-
tlonal cases arc no argument for depriv-
ing any full grown man OF his vote.
They are to DO met by educating the
domestic tyrant, not by DISTINGUISHING
all the members of the household eX-
cept one. The same reasoning applies
TO the women OF tho family, The man
who thinks no could not refrain from
quarrellng WIN MS WE unless sne ~
ways voted ms ticKet' merely SHOWS
that tue IurKIsh lueas are not YET
Wholly educated cut OF MN. Aslor Ihe
wife, she would have much less excuse
for quarrelling with her husband about
politics under more equal Suffrage than
she mas now. II IL wero understoou
that every mans vote represented SIM
ply his own opinion, 1t would be avery
unreasonable woman indeed VINO could
quarrel with nm Tor casting as ne
chose. But 80 long as she IS told that
MS vote represents her, sne mas some
excuse tor being, annoyed Y no casts II
on the side she does not approve.
There IS simllar posslollity OF 40
nestle dlscord II women are allowed 70
have opinions upon any important
question. Wendell Phillips, discussing
THIS same oolecuea iorty'twe years ago,
said: ,u,,
LET women voter cries one. why,
wives ana daughters might De pemo'
Gratis %hile their iatners ana husDan9a
we're Wings. 1t would never 90. II
would produce endless quarrels. And
the seit.satlsfied .ob1ector thinks ne mas
settled the question. But, II the prlnl.
clple be sound one, why not apply II
IN still more important lnstanceT
Difference OF religion breeds more
quarrels than difference IN politics.
Yet we allow women 70 choose thelr
own religious creeds, although we
thereby run the RISK oil wives pong
Eplscopallans Whlle their husbands are
Methodists, or aaaEhtefs oeing Va!ho'
lies While their fathers are Calvlhists.
Yet who, this side oil turkey, dare
claim that the law should compel wo'
men 10 nave no religious lcreeu, or
adopt that Of their male relatives
Practically, this freedom In religion has
made no difficulty and probably equal
freedom IN politics would make as
little"
A couple who arc sensible and
goodtempered Will not quarrel very
desperately II lney shouiu pe occasl o,i
ally unable to think alike about poll
tics. A couple who are not sensible
or goodtempered are sure 70 quarrel
anyway-lt not about politlcsn then
about something else; so IT Would
make but littlo difference.
Suttragists IRE often accused Of being
"hard on mem; but the opposite SIDE
seem to have much lower opinion Of
men than we have. what reflection
upon American manhood, to say that
there must necessarily 20 quarrels un;
less all the members oil househoId
vote alike! No argument seems to be
regarded with moro sCorn than this
in the communities where women do
actually vote. The Laramie City, Wyo.
Daily Sentinel says women sometimes
vote differently from their husbands
and adds:
1--WE have never heard OF cast
where tho family ties OF domestic re'a
tons were disturbed by 1t, and we be
lieve that among the pioneers OF the
west there is more honor and manhood
than to abuse wife because aho does
not think as we do about politics or re'
ligion."
DR.. ]. II. Haytord. oil Laramie City,
who had been auditor OF tho territory
for six years, and held other respons
ible positions, wrote in 1884:
after fifteen years oil woman aunrag,
here, have never known a case Of do
nestle intoiicity growing out oil II
though 1t occasionally happens that
vito votes one way and her husband tn
other. Hero In the far West We ma
l0ck tho culture and refinement OIL bos
ton, but we mon arc not such tyrantS q
to quarrel with ana abuse our Wives
thcy do not happen to think Just as W,
do on politics, or oven on religion
which is still moro sacred. And you