The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-14
SHOULD WOMEN VOTE?
Four Prominent Women Answer
the Question.
MRS. JEFFERSON DAYS. OPINION.
She Prefers Privileges to Rights,
Miss Kate Field Says Women VIII
Yield the Ballot If She Wants to Do
so-Mrs. Belva Lockwood and Mrs.
Jenucss Miller on tho Subject.

tied States senator last fall h equestion
whether all women should WELD the
ballot is again thrust forward aud be.
comes a subject demanding thoughtful
discussion. 1t is one OF the most i'm
portant OF the times, aud while public
opinion lie very naturally divided upon
it, there does not yet seem to be any
general demand by the women them,
selves for this political power. The in.
iuence OF women in all the affairs Of
life is universally conceded, and, as
Miss Kate Field says, "when they want"
the suffrage they'll got it," This
seems to imply that up to date they
have mot experienced a sufficiently
deep and yoarnipg want for it to de-
serve 1t,
Three other women Of prominence
have been asked to write on this subject
and out of the four there il only n
who claims that there IL any real de-
mand for women in politics, This is
Mrs. Belya A, Lockwood, the well-known
Washington lawyer, the first woman to
be admitted to practice before the
United States supreme court The
other VI aro Mrs Annie Jenness Mil
Ter, n lecturer and writer on the retor.
nation oil woman's dress, and Mrs, JET
ferson Davis, the widow OF the Confed-
erato president.
Miss Kate Field dnshes at tho Ques.
ton In her usual impulsive way and set
ties it in a few witty sentences. She
writes;
81 am oyerworked and can't answer
my own questions. How, then, al |
find time to discuss woman's suffrage?
Women have as much right to suffrage
as men, and when they want it they'll
"Men will not stand in the way. Wo-
men hold their destiny in their own
hands"
Mrs. AMMO Jenness Miller treats the
question in Il Judicial manner, and re-
grets that time does not permit her to
give tho pros and cons at greater length.
She writes rs follows:
81 wish my time permitted me to
write at some length upon the subject,
but my hands are full to Overlooking.
'ln a general way | believe that the
ballot in a free country should DO given
TO all intelligent educated beings, and
no others. OF course lam too advanced
thinker to see the Justice in discrim.
mating against q woman on account OF
sex. Nevertheless, there is Il great deal
To DO said against extending the ballot
still further,
.tDt.ht o,1 ;~,skioo rrouaetfop,h1y do
mand in a republic that mon and
women OF intellectual capacity should
WELD the ballot, and no others.
when wectlud Ourselves feeling that
women are unjustly treated, we have to
remember that traditions and customs
are strong and that all advanced think
ing in any line is made through con
Verting people to see the justice OF q
certain cause. And in the matter OF
the ballot for women, while it is in
evitable that it should come in time, l
believe that the cause OF education Is
being served by agitation now more
than by giving women tho ballot us
sentiment"
Mira. Jefferson Davis, with that clear
good sense for which she has always
been honored, does not desire to as.
sumo new responsibilities. She goes
further, and draws u picture oil women
at the polls which is not calculated to
encourage the w~ell-educated and refined
OF tho sex to sigh for participation in
such scenes. Here is tho answer in
full:
II can only say that my opinion will
not probably influence any one OF the
two parties who are for and against wo-
mans suffrage, but as you arc good
enough to attach a value to tho expires.
sion Of il, ] can only acknowledge that
my duties have always been moro nu-
mernus and arduous than | could satis-
fuctorily perform, hence / do not de-
sire TO assume now responsibilities.
"Iiko Jean Ingelow, ! prefer privi-
lcges TO rights, and cannot SEQ in what
name the suffrage would benefit our
sex. Certainly there is a great element
oil danger in the introduction into tho
family circle OF a new subject Of dis
cord, and one so grave as a political
= difference would soon become.
at is every woman's duty to qualify
heraelf to teach her children their
rights under the constitution and urge
their unfaltering maintenance OF them
as u paramount duty to the next gener-
alton. Every woman, with few eXCep-
tons, would thus be potential in mold
ing the future policy Of parties. And ii
she performs this duty faithfully and
intelligenLly she will have no time to
canvass the beats OF her precinct or for
any other e%lectioneering effort,
ut has been urged that women with
out protectors and holding property are
taxed without representation. This is
certainly an infringement on their
rights, yet it Is very difficult TO fix up q
plan Of discrimination between them
and those who have male voters to pro.
tect their right and property. II Is a
subject on which l have thought with.
out arriving ut any satisfactory conclu.
sion. Would it not seem that when a
woman appreciates the rights Of man
she should also assume his duties ?
Could she defend the polls or country
by force Of arms2 Would sho consider
herself n subject for Imprisonment
Neither physically nor mentally arc We
fitted for such contests.
"History does not furnish q single in.
stance oil q band Of Amazons who,
though eyer so patriotic, did not bc.
como b~lood.thirsty and unsoxed In this
unnatural role.
"The sense Of superior strength Il
will not say, in the light Of these latter
days, superior mental powors) makes
men indulgont and forbcaring. But Il
women debated with them nt home,
olbowod them at tho polls, contro.
verified them by stump speeches, lovolod
abuse at them amid tho shouts OF OK,
cited listeners, do you think men would
preserve toward thom their present NTH