The Washington times., 1894-04-27
THE EFFECT OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE ON
AMERICAN POLITICS,

BYA One of tho most ludicrous
, aspects OF the woman suf-
frage question is the panic
soffkA"isT' into which otherwise sensi-
BILE people fall concerning what may happen
should women take an interest in affairs
political. This panic arises chiefly through a
prevailing misunderstanding as to the real
nature of affairs political. The French king
who pompousy proclaimed, IL Etat; c'est
NOR is rivaled in absurdity by the American
men who, with equal pomposity, assert: The
political realm is ours
Politics is simply and solely social business,
nothing more and nothing less. Social busi-
ness is the common. every day affairs OF both
men and women. nothing more and nothing
less. There is not one solitary branch of this
social business which does not affect both
sexes. Every woman in the country is as
vitally concerned in the questions of tariff free
coinage, money standard, Hawaiian annexa-
ton, seal fishery, regulation of labor immigra-
tion, ETC.. etc., as is every man. When 1t
comes to the details OF managing cities
women are often more directly affected by bad
they share equally in the obloquy cast on an
a badly managed city, though, owing to their
fettered condition, they ought not to be held
responsible for such evil government.
Take the question OF the tariff and examine
it closely, and it will be seen that even the
humblest, most obscure sewingwoman in a
backwoods district or the most unconscious
maid in kitchen is whether she will or mott
interested in its provisions. The masculine
clodhopper has no more right to have his
views put forward by his representative than
the sewing woman is justly entitled to; the
man servant is no better qualified to indirectly
shape legislation than the maid servant.
A voice in social business that is, a vote in
political affairs has been gradually extended
to all adult men with few exceptions) for the
one reason that it affords measure of self
protection. In practice it has proved to be a
means of developing intelligence. but so long
as this voice in social business Is limited to
men the sex which men themselves declare to
be the weaker is deprived OF the measure Of
self-proteetion which men value most highly
As long as women are forbidden to express
their voice in regard to social business. Just so
long does barrier remain, hindering the de-
velopment of their intelligence. This Is an
injury to the whole country, precisely as
binding one hand and clogging one foot is an
injury to a body.
The principal effect of woman suffrage
upon the politics Of the country will be to in
fuse fresh intelligence into the management
OF political affairs. A woman's mind is i'm
proved the moment she begins to take an in
terest in some great question outside OF her
own little, walled-in domain. The more she
thinks of large things the less inclined is she
to worry over little, unimportant things; and
the more her intelligence is developed con-
corning questions of principle, the better is
she fitted to deal with every detail Of daily
private life. Thus woman suffrage will
gradually produce pleasanter, happier. better
homes; improved homes will turn out better
men aud women, and better men and women
will create purer politics.
The essence of pure politics is unselfsh-
ness. As soon as personality or partisanship
intrudes into the domain of social business