The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-08
The Evolution That Il Involved in
Woman's Use Of the
Ballot.
xte1B6Sot on Government, Society,
Civilization, Health and
Happiness.
HI Nission ct Light and suashlns, Mercy.
Reass md Morality Mrs. staAton's
1MseEestlng Paper.

Vn0 oxorcl6e Oh INC r18nC OF suffrage the pal
lot. In the hand Of every qualified person,
constitutes the true political status Of a
citizen In q republic.
70 govern ones self. Every human being
the desire to exercise it comes naturally
with the responsibilities OF life. ''The high
est earthly desire Of . ripened mind, - says
Thomas Arnold, lis the desire Of taking an
active share in the great work Of govern
ament." Those only who are capable of APP
preciating this dignity can measure the ex-
lent to which women are defEanded as citi-
xeys of this great republic; neither can they
measure the loss to the councils of the ma
tion OF the wisdom of representative m
When men say that women do not desire
the right Of suffrage, but prefer masculine
domination to self government, they falsify
every page of history, every fact Of human
nature
The chronic condition OF rebellion, even
Of children against the control of nurses,
elder brothers, sisters, parents and teachers,
Is protest in favor Of the right of self gov
eminent.
The general unrest of the subjects OF
kings. emperors and czars, in secret plot
tings or open defiance against SELF consti-
SAVSu VIZ SdO"S IL u I'LL
people for governments to which they have
never consented.
But it is said that on this point women
are peculiar; that they differ from all other
classes; that, being dependent, they nat
urally prefer being governed by others.
The facts Of history contradict the asser-
tion; they show that women have always
been in u state of half concealed resistance
to fathers, husbands and all self consti-
tuted authorities as far as they dared-as
far as good policy permitted them (being
dependents) to manifest their real feelings.
It has taken the whole power of the civil
and canon law to hold woman in the sub
ordinate position which it is ssid she will
ingly accepts. II woman had no will, no
self assertion, no opinions of her " to
start with, what means the terrible perse-
BUTTONS Of the sex in the past?
So powerful and nerciless has been the
struggle to dominate the feminine element.
In humanity that we may well wonder at
thesteady, persistent resistance maintained
by woman through the centuries. She has
shown all along her love of individual free
dom, her desire for self government, while
her achievements in practical affairs and
her courage in the emergencies of life have
indicated her capacity to exercise this right.
These, n and all, are so many protests
against absolute authority and so many
testimonials in favor of self government,
and yet this is the only form of governments
that has never yet been fairly tried.
The few experiments that nave been
made here and there in some exceptional
homes, schools and territories have only
been partially successful because the sur
rounding influences have been adverse.
Dr. h rrn olS - IT, <A
schools are places for training citizens of a
republic, the rights and duties involved in
self government will fill a larger place in
the curriculum of our universities.
Woman suffrage means a complete revo-
luton in our government and social life-a
revision of our constitutions. 1t means an
expurgated edition Of our statute laws and
codes, civil and criminal. 1t means equal
representation in the halls of legislation
and the courts of Justice; that woman may
DO tried by her W peers-judges and ad-
vocates of her own choosing. 1t means
light and sunshine, mercy and peace, in our
dungeons, jails and prisons, when the bar
barous idea OF punishment shall give place
to the diviner idea Of reformation. 1t |
means police matrons in all our station
houses, that young girls arrested during
the night when Intoxicated and otherwise |
helpless may be under the watchful eyes of
some judicious woman and not left wholly |
at the mercy of a male police.
And what does woman suffrage mean in
social life? Health and happiness for WON
en- and children; one code of morals for
men and women; love and liberty, peace
and purity in the home; cleanliness and
order in the streets and alleys; good sani-
tary arrangements in the homes of the
poor; morals and name taught in the
schools.
We cannot estimate the loss to the world
In this repression of individual freedom
and development through childhood and
youth. Woman suffrage means a new and
nobler type OF men and women, with mu-
tual love and respect for each other. It
means equal authority in the home, an
equal place in the trades and professions
and equal honor and credit in the world of
work.
Our civilization today is strictly mascu-
line. Everything ia carried by force and
violence and war and will be until the
feminine element is fully recognized and
has equal power in the regulation of hE-
man affairs. Then we shall substitute CO.
operation for competition, persuasion for
coercion.
II woman suffrage means all this, surely |
1t is the greatest question ever before any
nation for consideration and imperatively
demands the prompt attention of the lead
ing minds Of our day, and women them
selves must make this the primal question
In their estimation.
The enfranchisement of woman in Eng
land and America would give new dignity,
salt respect and hope to the women of every
nation in the uttermost isles of the sea,
The protracted struggle through which
We have passed and our labors not vet
with victory seem to me some
times like u painful dream, in which one
strives to run and yet stands still, incapable
alike of escaping or meeting the impending
danger.
But I would not pain my readers ears
with a rehearsal Of the hopes ofttimes de-
ferred and Swallowed with fear, of the
brightest anticipations again and again
dimmed with disappointment. ! will leave
it to your imagination to picture to your
selves how o would feel if any of YOU
had had a case in court, or a bill before
some legislative body, or a political aspira-
tion, for nearly half a century, with IA con-
tinued succession of adverse decisions, and
yet the future is so full of bright promises
for us that we still hope and labor while
we wait.-Elizabeth Cady Stanton in New
York Sun.
Perfection in finger bowls is reached
now double, a very shallow one resting in
Die another two sizes larger. the space be-
tween Oiled with flowers, thus leaving the