The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-26
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~ GADk KOtS1s
The only Argument worth considsring
concerning the granting Of full female suf-
5rags 10 whether IL would b wise and
politically expedlent 70 make an snor-
NOUS enlargement Of the privilege Of the
ballot. No man has . natural right 20
vote In the sense that he has . natural
right TO life. liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness under law. and Il man has not
this natural right. woman certainly does
not possess IT, We did not give the negro
the ballot - natural right: We only gave
- TO him because. rightly or wrongly, Ne
believed Il sxpedient to endow him with
the suffrage. Whether 1t 1. socially and
politically the best for women 20 have full
political suffrage. whether IL 10 best for the
state that they should have 1t. Ii the only
argument worth Of consideration.
Tho vast majority Of intelligent women
protest against the gifs Of full suffrage as
inexpedlsnt; they say that woman has
certainly eli her rights under law a. care
fully guarded ~ they would Be If ali
women voted; they say that If oil women
had the right to vote the gift would be
worthless II not exercised; that il IL were
exercised u would only duplicate the mas
culino vote. In . broad sense women
would vote with their men; IL 10 popular
fallacy that familiarity with politics on
the part Of women would tend TO human.
iss men; IL would do no such thing; IL
would on the contrary tend to dehuman-
iss the women; that IL, the great mass Of
women N politics would bshavs neither
bsttsr nor worse than men do In poll
tiles. Female sovsrsigns have always
been either ~ plastic ~ wax in the hands
Of some man, or they have been fierce. de-
seized or demoraiized women. like Elisa
bsth. ssmrarnis. Catherine Of Russia.
Christina OF Sweden. or Cstharins di
lsdici. or Margaret Of Anjou.
Universal woman suffrage would mean
nothing but the duplicate Of masculine
suffrage. Women a . rule would vote
or shrek with their man or men. and
when they did not do 20 they would cease
to be women. Here 10 Q recent case In
point. Daring the recent disturbances at
Denver, COL. the wife Of Gov. Waite sp-
psarsd 1t meeting Of the Chamber of
Commerce In Denver and took violent
part In the proceedings. She declared
that II she had the authority. she would
order out every miiisisman IN the state
and lead them against the city hall. no
matter what the consequence might b.
With cisnched hands she cried tina, the
eight should 60 on until "ths last Sationa al
guazdsman In the state lay dead on the
pavement"
This illustrates what We have always
maintained. that woman suffrage would
net humaniKs men but IL would tend in.
evitably 60 deshsiter. dssex and ashuman.
iss the women. Gov. Waite Ia a crack
Drained, dangerous creature aad his
wife. voman-liks, stands up shoulder 10
boulder with her lunatic husband. II
she had no husband she would simply
duplicate the vote and initiate the antics
OF some other hes, fellow" he nigh, bs
her brother. her father, her lover or only
her friend. History only repeats itself in
this performance. In the French Reyolu-
ton when tho men began 10 slaughter the
arss,oerats and those suspected of being In
sympathy With them with barbarous and
reckless inhumanity IL vas the women
who were ~ least as cruel and blood
thirsty ss the men: IL was so during the
war of the Commune: IL was 20 during the
Homestead riot: is was 50 during the
worst days OF slavery. and during the civil
war the women were more iEgeconciiahls
and ehuriish than the men.
IL IL the Law OF nature that the vast mas,
Of wemen will reflect the public opinion o:
their man or men In manners and action.
So far from women making or breaking
q man il is the man who makes or bFesk.
the average woman, and nothing but the
comparatively sheltered life which the
common sense Of man rersaa1tes woman
Ia seek keeps her from becoming a. coarse
and hard and reralsivs as the average
man who wrestles with the outside world.
We are not denying that woman 10 tns
equal Of man, bat she il not shs same. ans.
she nevsr can he the same because nature
did not mean her To he the same. Nature
meant every woman sor possible mother.
and endowed her with plenitaae Of Ger.
tain qualities thai are essential 10 thu Of.
nee of vile and mother. and the social
sympathetic companion Of man. som,
writer has aid Woman IL different, fr,rr
man. bur NOT superior: superior IN certain
respects. inferior In others, having 4,
special sphere of her osn sna a on,n.o,
sphere with him. A divsson Of the aut,s.
of life between shs ss1es - the u.cs,,Arv
resuIs of the physical difference watch in.
canacitases woman for a considerable ps-.
sca ter public life or hard Isees." This &,
a fair common sense summary CT the
matter.
Women have bad fall political saTrsx.
In Wyoming since issa = period Of twsaiy.
i've year.. The osaahs Bee says that no
one has ever b~ea ahle "a tall wherein
Wyoming has received from woman sat.
frsgs any practical benefit merai. pog.sl-
cal, AnaaeaAl or social. We quote: